The Dalai Lama’s Land Rover Defender SUV
Here’s what I know about the Dalai Lama:
He’s the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Chinese don’t exactly care for him, and he once blessed Bill Murray’s Caddyshack character Carl Spackler rather than tip him for caddying.
Here’s what I didn’t know about the Dalai Lama:
He had an awesome Land Rover that just sold at Sotheby’s for $143,000.
The Land Rover in question was a 1966 Land Rover Series IIA. The 14th Dalai Lama received the vehicle in Nepal on February 17, 1966. The Rover served as the Dalai Lama’s official vehicle for years and was mostly driven by His Holiness’ brother Tenzin Cheogyal. The truck was retired after a decade of service but was well maintained by Cheogyal. The Rover was donated to the Dalai Lama Foundation in Palo Alto, California to raise funds for Tibetan refugees in 2005. The Rover was fully restored by Land Rover experts in Livermore, California, who concluded the $49,000 job in December of 2006.
The special vehicle was put up for sale by famed auction house Sotheby’s on August 29, 2019. It sold to an unidentified buyer for $143,000.
And, no, I wasn’t the buyer.
But when I die, on my deathbed, I will receive total consciousness. So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.
Ok.
That last part was from Caddyshack.
Me?
I got nothing.
