Beschreibung
Supplied new by F. W. D. Motors of Hampton Wick to a lady in Upper Richmond Road and kept by her for the first 10 years and 60, 000 miles, this well-loved and original Ninety V8 County Station Wagon has had only 3 long-term owners (5 in total) and an easy, rather pampered life. Interestingly, it cost more than the equivalent Range Rover when new in 1989!
Then owned by a lady from Kent until 2005 and around 100, 000 miles, it again passed in to long-term ownership until 2017 before finding its way to a friend. The full and extremely comprehensive history file fills a ring binder, starting with the original book pack and stamped service history. It seems every receipt and MOT has been kept showing devoted ownership, with invoices from Green Lane Motors, Dakar Garage and RSM Motorsport mostly carrying out the maintenance. My wife is the 4th lady to have owned it.
With the factory red paint having faded to an ideal patina and with all original decals, this lovely V8 Station Wagon also has the factory cloth interior in fine condition. Recent new seat foams and a correctly re-trimmed steering wheel make it a comfortable place to be, and with power steering and strong smooth brakes this coil-sprung Ninety is an easy-going drive in both town and countryside. The alloy bodywork shows typical galvanic corrosion in places (mainly the doors), but for those who prefer originality and patina of a life well lived to shiny new paint, this may add to the appeal as it did for us.
A wonderfully unspoilt and unmodified example, it is also in mechanically good shape. The original chassis shows only light surface corrosion (a new coating would keep it solid forever) and after covering around 150, 000 miles, a recent expert engine overhaul by a specialist TVR garage has it performing very well. This included a new Kent cam, tubular manifolds, replacement electronic ignition and rebuilt carbs. Much preferable to any diesel, the 3. 5 Litre Rover V8 pulls willingly through the gears accompanied by a lovely soundtrack. The robust clutch and gearbox work well and the car drives straight and true, bringing a smile to the face of all who drive or ride in it.
Other details include the original tools stowed behind the front seats, correct Rostyle wheels which are NOS items of the correct colour fitted a few years ago. These have recent BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres fitted including the spare and will last for many years. Other original equipment features include the standard sunroof for the County Station Wagon specification in 1989, as is the colour-coded grille, the original brochure and dealer book pack plus centre cubby box with radio fitted.
There is an MOT until March 2024 and this is a reluctant sale of a rare and original vehicle. We enjoy it very much, but unexpectedly now have a ULEZ camera positioned at the very entrance of our street so need to look for an older model. I understand its age and originality mean it is exportable to the USA, should this interest you. I am located in Stanmore, Middlesex, very close to the M1/ M25/ A1(M) and welcome any questions you may have or can send more photos. We see a small number of early coil-sprung V8’s advertised between £20 - £30k, so hope you will agree this is well priced, or near offer.
