1951 Cadillac used by Queen Elizabeth for Canadian royal tour for sale in Okanagan

A swanky black and red 1951 Cadillac that carried then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh during a royal tour of the country is wrapping up its last public showing in the Okanagan this weekend.

It is owned by Peachland man Jim Carpenter who purchased the vehicle in 2014 and paid $15,000 for it. He first learned of the car in the 1980s and decided to take on the project after learning it was in need of a home and liked the car's royal history.

READ MORE: Queen's death creates frenzy for royal merchandise in Canada and abroad

“It was rusted, worn, burned, wrong, broken junker,” he said. “It’s been restored back to the 100% original. One of the features of the car is that it has its original dash plaque that was put on the car to commemorate the royal tour.”

The original interior was brown which is "great for showing off a princess" but Carpenter said he changed it to red to show off the car. Otherwise, it’s exactly the way it was when it was used for the royal tour.

Buckingham Palace got a car from Ford, GM and Chrysler to be a part of the couple's royal Canadian tour in 1951. The Chrysler has been restored and is still running but Carpenter thinks the Ford Lincoln they used is no longer in operation. The Cadillac has only had three owners.

The original plaque showing the car was used as part of the royal tour. | Photographer: Carli Berry

Pictures show Elizabeth and the Duke in the back of the car, touring past Granville Street in Vancouver and in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, he said.

It’s been back on the road since 2018 and only took him six weeks to restore but that’s only because he’s mechanically inclined and knew where to get all the parts, he said.

It takes some work to drive the old beast as it has no power steering and manual brakes.

“It’s a bit of a job to drive,” Carpenter said, but “I’m used to driving the '50s-era cars.”

READ MORE: Contingent from RCMP to lead Queen Elizabeth's funeral procession in London

The car has made him more of a royalty fan, he said.

The Cadillac is for sale too, as it’s hard for him to maintain it living in Peachland on a dusty road and he has 10 other older cars he also looks after.

“If someone is really into royalty that wants a one-of-a-kind vehicle that you can actually get in and drive,” he said. “It’s a very valuable car.”

He declined to name the price.

This weekend, Sept. 17 and 18,  is likely its last public showing, he said. It's being showcased at the Okanagan Antique Tractor and Machinery Fair as part of a car show at Father Pandosy Mission in Kelowna.

READ MORE: Ten times the royal family visited the Okanagan and Kamloops

Peachland resident Jim Carpenter in the 1951 Cadillac that carried then-Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1951 on their royal tour of Canada. | Photographer: Carli Berry


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Carli Berry

Carli Berry

Carli Berry has been telling stories in the Okanagan for the past three years and after finding her footing in the newspaper industry, joined the Infonews team in January 2020. Recipient of the 2019 MA Murray award for feature writing, Carli is passionate about stories that involve housing, business and the environment. Born on Vancouver Island, she is happy to say Okanagan Lake reminds, her slightly, of the ocean. Carli can be reached at (250) 864-7494 or email cberry@infonews.ca.