∙Top of the range Vogue model with all options
∙Free from the usual P38 defects
∙Remarkably clean and tidy with relatively low mileage for its age

The second-generation Land Rover Range Rover (P38A) is considered by many to be the last of the ‘real’ Range Rovers. Subsequent vehicles were developed by BMW and then Jaguar, resulting in them being more ‘car-like’, according to purists. The P38 you see here is powered by the mighty 4.6-litre Rover V8 engine and as it is a Vogue it has all the bells and whistles, including six-CD autochanger and built-in satellite navigation.

The current owner already had two similar cars when he came across this one. He could see the potential in rectifying the few faults he discovered and then selling it on to someone who will appreciate it the way he does his cars. He told us: “It was too good a car to see become just another old Range Rover and had the making of an excellent example.”

He has owned it about a year, during which time, he says, he has fitted a new headlining and sunroof seal, new rear brake discs, pads and calipers, metal brake pipes, a couple of brake hoses, new water pump, rocker cover gaskets, valley gasket, serpentine belt and idlers, power steering pipe, (take a breath) throttle body heater gasket and the brittle plastic pipe feeding it replaced with plastic-coated copper pipe. The owner tells us he has spared no expense in buying the correct parts and doing the work properly.

The air suspension valve block has been rebuilt with new seals so the air suspension is fully operational and the owner demonstrated the neat trick of raising and lowering the car using the switch on the dashboard. On the go, the ride height is adjusted automatically or manually between five settings from ‘access’ (lowest) through ‘motorway’, ‘standard’, ‘off-road’ and ‘extended off-road’ (highest and only automatically selected if the chassis ever beaches). It’s not uncommon for P38s to have air suspension problems and some end up being converted to coil springs, which is not ideal. Not this one.

The owner has also bought a couple of tyres, new window switch-pack, new heater blowers and a HEVAC zebra strip to restore missing pixels on the display. The driver’s seat and steering wheel have been cleaned and re-dyed. The notoriously unreliable, and unfortunately not repairable, DSP amplifier has been replaced with a custom-made DSP amp replacement from p38webshop.co.uk, mounted in the same place as the original so it looks completely standard. This one works.

In addition to the V5 which is in the previous owner’s name, there is a collection of invoices for parts and work done over a ten-year period, including the fitting of a towbar. There are several MOT certificates including the current one valid until November. The owner’s manual and guides for the entertainment and navigation systems have been downloaded from the internet and printed by the seller.

Inside the P38 is a nice place to sit. The interior is clean and in good condition, showing small signs of wear, as you would expect on any 20-year-old vehicle that has done close to 135,000 miles. A fragrant new air freshener is a little overpowering and will be better replaced with the smell of leather conditioner and wood polish. Not that the seats and trim need it, they look very good.

The new headlining has a slight crease just behind the sunroof, but is otherwise neat and tidy and the cream leather, the last of the Connolly hides, gives the whole cabin a light and airy feel. There is plenty of space, as you’d expect, and an endless list of toys to play with: from the quaint low-tech (by today’s standards) sat-nav display, to the double-light vanity mirror behind the sun visor, the seat position memory for the driver’s chair and no less than six (count ‘em) cup holders!

The outside of this car is also very clean and in excellent condition for its age. The paint is original and does carry one or two marks on the wing mirrors and some bubbling at the end of the side trims. There is also some rust lifting the paint on the window frames of the b-pillars, which can be seen in the photos.

The wheels are free of kerb-scrapes and the glass is all good, with a slight chip on the driver’s side of the windscreen below the line of sight.

The twin tail-pipes with their chrome trims are not to the current owner’s taste but they do finish off a full stainless steel exhaust system, which he wisely feels is too good and too expensive to replace.

The 4.6-litre V8 engine does sound nice through those non-standard exhausts. The 220 or so horsepower is put to good use hauling a car of this bulk down the road but it does its job with ease. It is quick off the mark.

The ZF 4HP24 automatic transmission has earned its stripes in enough BMWs, Audis and Jaguars to be trusted in the P38. The Range Rover has constant four-wheel-drive, four-wheel traction control and four-pin front and rear diffs. High and low gears are selected using an H-gate.

Why do we always care what the royal family drives? Well, when you’ve got enough money to buy the best, that’s what you do. The Range Rover has been the vehicle of choice for shooting parties since day one, and with a boot full of dead game, that air freshener would come into its own.

It was the original mid-size luxury SUV before we even knew what that meant and was equally at home on the country estates of the landed gentry as it was in the crowded streets of Kensington and Chelsea. Basically, the Range Rover is a cut above.

The Range Rover P38 offers superb off-road capability. One un-named instructor at the official Land Rover off-road training centre said it was the best off-road performer the company made, and this was in the days of the Defender!

That fact that this example has survived 20 years and still looks this good means you no longer need to be a wealthy gentleman farmer to own one. This is one heck of a lot of car for the money.

Notice to bidders

Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here