Prince Philip's Car Becomes Sri Lankan Royal Artefact
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 16, 2021 | 01:00 PM
Colombo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2021 ) :An almost 90-year-old car that once belonged to Britain's late Prince Philip is now the centrepiece of a seaside museum in Sri Lanka.
The Duke of Edinburgh, whose funeral will be on Saturday, was a car aficionado who bought the 1935 Standard Nine for 12 Pounds when he was based in Colombo with the British Navy in 1940.
"When he came back in the early 1950s, he came and saw the car," said Sanjeev Gardiner, who has kept the vehicle at his Galle Face Hotel in Colombo.
"When he saw the car he said, 'I hope the brakes work. They didn't work then.'" According to Gardiner, the prince acknowledged that the Standard was the first car he bought. He also became a patron of the Standard Motor Car club.
Gardiner's hotel, one of the oldest in the former British colony, has built a museum around the silver and black sedan, preserving it for the enjoyment of guests and tourists.
- Royal cars - At the time he bought it, the prince reportedly failed to beat down the asking price for the second-hand car, though he did manage to get a payment plan of two equal installments within a month.
According to museum records, he first drove the car from Colombo to a naval base in Trincomalee, 260 kilometres (160 miles) away.
The car, which has 93,040 kilometres (58,150 miles) on it, has been restored several times and can still be driven, Gardiner told AFP, but the prohibitive insurance cost means it is not taken out anymore.
The vehicle was bought by Gardiner's father Cyril in the early 1950s.
Gardiner said his father also loaned the royals the Cadillac used by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during their first official Sri Lanka visit in 1954.
"That along with another used by the royal family are being restored at the moment," he said.
Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 last week, was known to love cars and often choose to drive himself.
But in 2019, he surrendered his driving licence at the age of 97 after a collision that flipped his car and injured two other people.
During the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral procession Saturday, a bespoke Land Rover Defender that he helped design will bear his coffin to the Windsor Castle.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
14 hours ago -
Kite Flying: From cultural festival to deadly sport
15 hours ago -
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
3 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
5 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
5 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
5 days ago
-
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
5 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
6 days ago -
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
8 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
12 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
12 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
12 days ago