Today we take royal tours for granted but, once upon a time, or at any time before the 20th century, it was impossible for our monarchs to visit their downunder dominions because of the distances involved and the unreliable transport.
The advent of steam power for ships and trains, the evolution of the motor car and, finally, the arrival of passenger air travel shrank their world, and ours, considerably and the royal tour became a feature of empire and commonwealth.
The first British royal visitor to Aotearoa New Zealand was Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1920. During his 28-day tour, he travelled mostly by the royal train, which was both safer and more convenient for royal personages. A variety of best-available cars were used locally. Ideally these would be Daimlers.
The connection between royalty and Daimler had its beginnings in 1897 when the first English-built Daimler made a strong impression on the royal family. In 1900, the first royal car — a 6hp Daimler — was delivered to the Prince of Wales at Sandringham. In 1902, soon after the death of Queen Victoria, the new king purchased a Daimler and the company was then able to claim
