Land Rover came into existence as an automaker in the immediate post–World War II era, with the novel notion of utilizing military-derived all-wheel-drive technology in small personal trucks. These vehicles, proto-SUVs, were nimble, rugged, and well-appointed enough to be used as transport, or for hunting, gardening, or other forms of genteel mucking about on sloughy British country estates. So, it is not surprising that nearly since the company’s advent, one of its most loyal customers has been the ultimate example of local landed gentry: the royal family.

To celebrate this connection, this month, a collection of 10 Land Rovers used by Queen Elizabeth during her 70-year reign will be displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Northern California. “Pebble Beach is the most prestigious automobile venue in the world, and it’s the perfect place to debut this one-of-a-kind collection,” says Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, which is sponsoring the exhibit with assistance from the British Motor Museum, some private car collectors, and the royal household. “It’s an exciting moment for fans of British cars and their culture.”

After the war, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father, had taken to using military vehicles, instead of traditional state limousines, for some of his more geographically-challenging ceremonial duties reviewing troops and various national rebuilding projects. So, when the first Land Rovers came into existence, he found them a compelling substitute for this purpose. “I think the idea of using a Land Rover came about because it was new, it was something British, and it was something very adaptable,” says Mike Bishop, the Land Rover specialist at Jaguar Land Rover Classic, a division of the company dedicated to the preservation and restoration of its vintage vehicles.

There are photos of King George riding in a 1948 Land Rover pre-production prototype, one of just a few dozen made in the first year of the company’s existence. A few years later, the royal family commissioned their first official Land Rover: a 1954 Series I 86” Soft Top, for use at Balmoral, their estate in Scotland. This Jeep-like two-door is the oldest of the royal Land Rovers that will be shown on the Monterey peninsula.

All the vehicles to be displayed fit into one of two categories. The first is those used in an official capacity as ceremonial vehicles for public appearances in motorcade processions and other state functions. All of these are painted royal claret, a rich burgundy long associated with power and monarchy. The eldest entry in this category is a 1954 Series I used on Queen Elizabeth’s six-month coronation tour, in which she visited many countries in the Commonwealth, including two months in Australia. The most recent is a 2005 Range Rover, with a rear-mounted platform and integrated tail-gate steps, that was most famously used to shuttle Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry through the queen’s 90^th birthday parade in 2016. Between these was a 1974 Range Rover—from the first year of that iconic model’s production—specially outfitted with a quieter muffler, an open rear cargo area with foldaway half-seats that doubled as supports during official waving-at-crowds processional duties, and a pair of concealed umbrellas for the inevitable British rain. Similarly parade-ready 1990 and 1998 Range Rovers complete this class.

Being a fan of royal humiliation, I asked Bishop if anything humorous may have occurred during the queen’s engagement with these official Land Rovers: a tumble off the display platform at a sudden stop, a wheelspin mud-splatter on a royal vestment, a stalling starter failure as herds of approaching protesters chanted the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen.”

Sadly, he didn’t have any anecdotes like that. The only delights he could offer were sincere. “Every time I spoke to people about this little collection of vehicles, it brought out this aura of joy, of absolute awe. I mean, it was almost like childlike euphoria,” he says.

The other category of vehicles to be displayed are, like the Series I mentioned above, those used by the royal family for personal transport. This set includes a 1966 Series II prototype station wagon, which hosts leather seats, a wooden dog guard, and special side steps, and was driven by Queen Elizabeth around Sandringham, the royals’ country retreat northeast of London. This vehicle was replaced by a dark green 1983 110 Station Wagon with a special radio system, as well as grab handles and footsteps, and was used by the queen in Sandringham and Balmoral, especially for shooting and fishing trips; it is still a part of the royal fleet. A green 2009 Range Rover Vogue entered the family’s collection after this and became her majesty’s favorite vehicle later in her reign; she was regularly photographed driving it. It also remains in the family’s possession.

One can see, from the decades-long gaps between each of these private commissions, and the retention of these vehicles after their replacement, that the royal family privileges longevity. “The queen came from an era where people weren’t—I want to say wasteful but that’s not the right word. They were conservative. They didn’t have to have the latest and greatest thing every year. To have a vehicle that lasted decades was more than adequate for them,” says Bishop. “They got good use, a prolonged life, out of the vehicles.”

As the owner of a vintage Range Rover, I know that they tend to spend an inordinate portion of their life in the shop. So, the robustness of the queen’s vehicles could perhaps be attributed to another factor. During the Second World War, as part of her service in the war effort, her majesty was trained as an automotive technician. “She not only loved using vehicles, but understood them from a professional point of view,” Bishop says. Did she actually get out there and change the truck’s oil, or repack the bearings? “Oh I doubt it,” Bishop says. “I think once she became the head of state, the monarch, I doubt that she’d have time to do terribly much.”

But with the queen having passed on into that great automotive junkyard in the sky, her car collection is a repository of her spirit, and her ongoing prominence in the royal clan. “For people who love vehicles, a vehicle becomes almost part of the household,” Bishop says. “Part of the family, doesn’t it?”