Description
For sale, through JOHN BROWN 4X4 LTD, Land Rover® Range Rover “P38” in Plymouth Blue (1997).
4. 6V8. MOT until 28th May 2026. 86, 148 miles (equating to just 3000 miles a year since new). Rare “Top Spec” HSE Model – Heated Seats, Cruise Control, Dual Zone Climate Control, Rear Picnic Tables, Electric Sun Roof, Front & Rear Heated Screens, OEM Rubber Mats Front & Rear & Boot, “Harmon Kardon” Stereo System, Bluetooth Stereo, Electric Seats with Memory, Armrests, Automatic Wipers etc – fully loaded! Recent Exhaust. Owners Manual. 3 Former Keepers. Remote Control Central Locking. 2 Sets of keys. Coil Spring Conversion. Yokohama Recent Tyres.
We are delighted to present for sale this 1997 Range Rover P38 – which has only covered circa 86, 000 miles from new, equating to just 3000 per year since new – with only 3 former keepers. It is very rare to find these P38s in a condition like this – especially as a 4. 6 V8, and also as a top spec “HSE” model from factory – even we were surprised by some of the “as standard” features on this Range Rover… read on below.
Externally, we really think these P38s are aging well – becoming very “Classic Cool” & they attract much attention when out in town, or out on the country roads. We’ve taken every precaution to sell this as the honest, low owner car it is – many would “butter her up” and try to hide the odd ding or dent, or badly touch in minor scratches and scuffs – we think to do this, especially in this case, isn’t really the right way to go about it – and if the new owner wishes to put it back to showroom condition, we are sure this would be possible without too much expense or energy.
On the inside, one steps into this Range Rover and wonders why anyone would spend the £100k+ to purchase a new one today – EVERYTHING works (and I do mean everything) and it has more “mod-cons” than most vehicles do in 2025. Sit in the big comfortable armchairs, which fully adjust with memory setting – even the wing mirrors – and turn the key. It fires up immediately, with no warning lights on the dash – and the benefit of the V8 means a low tick over and an exceptionally quiet idle. As the photos show, the interior is a joy and almost everything is electric – dual zone climate control with air conditioning, 4 electric windows front and rear, panoramic sunroof which is electric and both tilts and opens, heated seats, front and rear heated windscreens, top of the line Harmon Kardon sound system, cruise control – the list really goes on and on. The mirrors even dip themselves to the kerb in reverse so you can see your alloys – wow. Incredible stuff. The addition of a later bluetooth stereo means you can listen to your own music, or even play sat nav directions through it such as Google Maps or Waze – which is very welcome.
We actually purchased this car locally to us from Durham, and drove it back to our HQ in a very miserable, wet and dank evening – it poured with rain the entire time but nothing could phase this amazing machine – the smooth V8 is a joy and accelerates well and it was quite happy sat in the outside lane of the A1M at the legal maximum – very impressive. One thing you realise is that modern Range Rovers are actually quite “short” and hunkered down – in this you really sit above the modern traffic with a commanding view which is a big advantage. When we arrived back at HQ, the driver remarked why anyone would buy a modern range rover after such an experience… remarking that it had more modern equipment upgrades than his Freelander 2 does. The fuel injected 4. 6V8 is a joy – smooth, comfortable and when one does feel the need to “step on it” – it really isn’t the slouch you might expect… it rockets up to the limit with ease.
Those who are looking for a P38 Range Rover will know of the common faults and issues which are well documented – almost all of these have been addressed here. The Diesel engines are not known for their refinement, unlike the V8 – and the air suspension is a known problem with these vehicles – it is not a case of “will it go wrong” but rather a case of being prepared for a bill when it does misbehave – this has fostered a movement toward simplifying the set up to coil springs, which this P38 benefits from – it rides superbly, probably because coil spring technology has moved on a lot in the last 30 years since the P38 was designed – and it’ll never cost the earth to replace the air bags, as it doesn’t have any.
In our opinion, we think if you are looking for a Range Rover which doesn’t break the bank, can carry the whole family, has almost every conceivable modern convenience, and doesn’t attract the enormous road tax cost of later Range Rovers as it is pre 1998, then this surely has to be a fantastic option – especially when it even qualifies for classic insurance too. Residuals are reasonable for P38’s at the moment but good examples like this are only heading in one direction… so it makes sense to “get in” now if possible before they start commanding the figures they probably deserve!
Priced at £7995
