Moroccan King’s 600-Car Collection Reflects Royal Passion for Automobiles

King Mohammed VI has a strong fondness for cars. As a child, he already enjoyed playing with cars, which prompted his father, King Hassan II, to give him a toy Jeep with a motor, which he took pleasure in driving in the palace gardens. Today, the Sovereign has a collection of more than 600 vehicles spread across 12 royal palaces, according to El Debate.

This impressive car collection began with his grandfather, Mohammed V, a lover of American cars. The latter had purchased several Ford models from the 1920s, Cadillacs and Rolls Royces, which are still in perfect condition. Hassan II, for his part, was fond of Mercedes. Once on the throne, Mohammed VI completed this collection with sports cars from Mercedes, Jaguar or Aston Martin, larger than Ferraris or Porsches.

On several occasions, the Sovereign is said to have personally visited Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello to test, as a co-driver, models such as the 550 or the 360 Modena on the brand’s test track. But like his father, he has a preference for Mercedes. In the royal collection, there is a Mercedes McLaren SLR produced in only 1,700 units, a Mercedes SL 600 Pullman regularly used for official outings.

The monarch also likes Aston Martins. His collection would include an Aston Vanquish Volante, a DB7, a Lexus SC430, many SUVs, a Range Rover Sport Supercharged, a Vogue, and six-door limousines. Recently, Mohammed VI has added the two unique examples of the Laraki Sahara, a 100% Moroccan vehicle with a 12-cylinder, 1,500-horsepower engine, to this rich collection.