When it was launched at the end of 2002, the Range Rover ‘L322’ took the luxury image that its predecessor, the P38, had given the model and took it to the next level. Here was an SUV that was not only great off-road, but was also a genuine competitor to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 750iL in terms of the luxury on offer. 

And if you wanted the absolute ultimate in terms of luxury from your Range Rover, then Land Rover offered its own ‘Autobiography’ programme through its Special Vehicles Division, with all manner of options and unique colour and trim schemes. You’ll find them all on this example. A genuine Autobiography, as denoted by the plaque under the bonnet, the original owner threw absolutely everything at it, including an astonishing £10,000 on its Spectral Blue ‘Chromaflair’ paint. Yes, you read that correctly. Ten grand for a paint job. But then, in 2003 the economy was booming and the Range Rover was the ultimate status symbol. Today, this one is a very special curio.

Although the vendor specialises in the sale of used Range Rover, this isn’t a car he’s bought in as stock. Instead, it has been his own personal vehicle for the past four years and he has had it looked after and maintained in the same manner he would a customer’s car. 

The majority of servicing and repair work has been carried out in recent years by A1 Land Rover Specialists in Bury, Lancs, which the vendor recommends and uses for his sales vehicles. Prior to that, much of the paperwork is from main dealers. 

Of particular interest to Range Rover aficionados will be the metal plaque under the bonnet, which denotes the car as a genuine Special Vehicles Autobiography – there are a lot of fakes around…

It was the epitome of luxury when new and it still is 19 years later! The L322 Autobiography was the ultimate in extravagant Range Rovers in its heyday, and you still feel pretty special sitting in this example today. 

It features the rarest of all L322 wood trims – Prussian Blue Maple Veneer – and has matching blue over ivory leather and a two-tone steering wheel, which was refurbished a couple of years ago. The rest of the cabin is astonishing for its age and mileage. There’s no bolster wear to speak of on the seats, the carpets and boot area are excellent, the headlining is clean and still taut. 

It has all the toys, as you’d expect, with a Highline 16-speaker Harman-Kardon Logic 7 surround sound stereo that would have been a £4,000 option when new, along with integrated DVD players in the rear.

It’s all about the colour with this car. Back in 2003, the original owner ticked a £10,000 option box to have his L322 presented in Spectral Blue – one of Land Rover’s special ‘Chromaflair’ DuPont paint finishes, of which only a few were made. At that price, it’s no huge surprise. 

It’s a hugely distinctive thing, though, flipping between blue and purple depending on how the light hits it. 

It’s not perfect – the vendor is the first to point that out – but it’s untouched and original. There are a couple of areas of corrosion inside the rear door shuts, and a few small bubbles and marks on a few of the external panels, but nothing major or unexpected from a vehicle of its age.

The L322 has the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 under the bonnet and, critically, the timing chain and tensioner have already been renewed. 

It has been carefully serviced and maintained, with recent work including new ball-joints and a new XYZ switch (Land Rover jargon for the gearbox position sensor, which can cause all sorts of fun and games). 

It has an aftermarket stainless steel rear silencer for added fruitiness and according to the vendor it consistently returns 21-22mpg, which is not bad for a V8-engine car of its bulk. It does have a temperamental oxygen sensor, which throws up the engine management light now and again, but the vendor says it doesn’t affect the way it drives at all. 

He adds that it’s a terrific example to drive, which he describes as better and more well-rounded than some examples he sells with half the mileage.

L322s are really starting to attract some interest as the model approaches its 20th birthday, not least on the back of soaring prices for good Range Rover Classics and P38s. 

There’ll always be a strong market for the best examples of any Land Rover model and this one is a truly unusual one – an Autobiography for one and a Chromaflair model in addition. It’s not the kind of vehicle that pops up for sale every day….