• Wonderful Patina tells the tale of a hard-working life

• Powered by the celebrated Rover 3½-litre V8

• Iconic car ripe for recommissioning and use

Considered by many to be the first SUV, and certainly the first British SUV, the Range Rover started out as a totally original concept, but it ultimately gave rise to one of the most popular motoring fashions of recent times.

The Rover Company had already experienced great success when it unveiled the Land-Rover in 1948. The rugged, Willys Jeep-inspired off-roader quickly endeared itself to British farmers and the army for its tough construction and virtually unstoppable quality. 

The original Land-Rover was primarily a commercial vehicle, though; robust and capable, but crude and utilitarian. Rover realised that there was a large market for a car with the Land-Rover’s abilities, but the comforts of a conventional saloon, that was going completely unnoticed – the country set, and its world of gymkhanas and grouse shoots.

The first production Range Rovers left Land Rover’s Lode Lane factory in 1969, and those early models were rather modest affairs compared to their later incarnations. Built with practicality in mind, they featured vinyl seats and a plastic dashboard which could all be wiped down easily after an afternoon at the stables, but they were still perfectly capable as farm vehicles. 

As it caught on, though, it gradually became quite a fashionable lifestyle accessory from country estates to the King’s Road, and in the 1980s it started to evolve into the luxury brand it has become today.

The first generation of Range Rovers was especially long-lived, lasting until 1996. Until 1989, they were fitted with a detuned version of the 3½-litre Rover V8, producing 135bhp. All Range Rovers until 1977 featured a four-speed manual gearbox, permanently driving all four wheels. While all first-generation Range Rovers are appreciated and collectable today, the pre-facelift models made up to 1986 were the best-looking, and they’re desirability reflects this. 

In particular, the Suffix B models (referring to their chassis numbers) introduced in January, 1973, such as this one is, are especially sought-after. The earliest Suffix A models had certain shortcomings which the Suffix B resolved, but it was only made for 10 months before a further update saw it replaced by the Suffix C, making the Suffix B a particularly rare breed today.

While we do not know the specifics of this Burnley-registered Range Rover’s early history, its condition suggests it gave long and faithful service as a farm runabout before it was taken off the road in 2003. 

It was originally registered with the Worcestershire registration SNP 566L (an original plate is included) and would be worth applying for to see if it can be reinstated. Due to the fact the original log book is not with the car, you will have to contact the Worcestershire archives in order to try to obtain the original paperwork on file for the car.  

A 1989 tax disc shows that the Range Rover was residing in Derbyshire at that point, and the Crich Post Office tax disc is an interesting historical accessory. The vendor acquired the car from an owner in the Cairngorms in November, 2020, but realises now that he is not in a position to complete its restoration. 

The previous owner began some restoration work but there is still much more to be done before it can take to the road.

The only paperwork with the car is the current V5 and an old tax disc displaying the original number. 

Although the Range Rover has obviously had a hard life at times, from what we could see, the interior did not appear to have suffered too badly. Certainly, the front seats appear to be in good condition and so do the steering wheel, centre console and dash. In the front, only the carpets are looking a bit tired, but it may be that they are mostly salvageable after a good clean.

There is visible damage to one rear headrest where the foam is exposed, but this lends itself to the patinated look. The front headrests will need new Velcro strips, but that shouldn’t require too much hard work. Apart from the fact that there is no headlining in place, we understand everything to be complete. The car is sold with additional carpets are other items not fitted at the time, such as the rear view mirror, are present and correct.

As you’d expect after a working life of 30 years, the Range Rover has its share of battle scars over its desirable original Olive Green paint, which we think works in its favour. When a car works hard, it deserves to have something to show for it, and it can show it's scars with pride. The car’s present condition gives an insight into its past and, we feel, makes it more historically valuable than a vehicle which has had its history erased through restoration.

Like other Land-Rover products, the Range Rover boasts a predominantly aluminium body so is not generally susceptible to rust. However, steel was used for the floorpan and this car is going to be in need of welding where it has started to go into holes, most obviously in the rear corners of the boot floor and in the driver’s foot well, where there is one particularly large hole below the pedals. However, as long as the rest of the car is as solid as it appears, we would advocate preserving as much of the original finish as possible and only performing repairs where repairs are necessary.

The restoration of the wheels formed part of the work undertaken by the previous owner, and they now look excellent, as do the brand-new off-road tyres with which they are shod.

In case any new panels are needed, the Range Rover is sold with a good stock of spares including two tailgates, a rear window, a scuttle and rear-light housings, along with various items of trim. The green ‘spare’ tailgate is in fact the one which originally belonged to the car.

Although this Range Rover runs, it is going to need a mechanical overhaul to some extent. It fired up and proceeded to run without difficulty but we would recommend a strip down and check over due to having been off the road for some time, however it appears to run relatively well and could be just in need of a slight recommissioning. 

In other respects, it should not require too much at all, and the brakes seem to work well, although we would strongly recommend all mechanical systems are checked and, if necessary, overhauled before use on the road. 

Part of the restoration work undertaken by the previous owned included the fabrication of a stainless exhaust and fitment of a new fuel tank, so they’re not going to give any trouble.

For all those of us who can’t pick up a copy of Country Life without wistfully dreaming of getting away to the country, donning our tweeds and emulating the rural lives of the nobility, the Range Rover came as something of a godsend. Here was a car which would drive down muddy tracks, haul trailers and bounce across fields without complaining, and still maintain the presentable appearance and comfortable ride of a conventional family car. 

With a Range Rover, at last you could drop the children off at school or do some shopping, and then go straight to a meeting of the pony club or wildfowlers’ association without any inconvenience or raised eyebrows.

Early Range Rovers are every bit the capable, good-looking multi-purpose vehicle today as they were 50 years ago. This one may have seen better days, but originality and patina are endearing qualities on any car and we’ve really warmed to this one. It’ll take a bit of work to make it usable, but it should be a rewarding opportunity for anyone seeking a project and we see no reason why a committed enthusiast shouldn’t have it ready to enjoy pretty quickly - it won't be long until the Range Rover's 50th birthday year in 2023.