RANGE ROVER CSK

Year of manufacture 1992 Recorded mileage 62,000 Asking price £69,750 Vendor Graeme Hunt, Battersea, London; 020 7937 8487; graemehunt.com

WHEN IT WAS NEW Price £28,995 (1991) Max power 185bhp Max torque 235lb ft 0-60mph 9.5 secs Top speed 114mph Mpg 15-21

Coming up with the rivals for this month’s Buyer’s guide was tricky, because there isn’t anything else quite like the ‘Coupé-mpv’ Renault Avantime. The same could be said for the Range Rover CSK when it first appeared in 1991. Just as the original Rangie was a trailblazer for the luxury off-roader concept, the CSK was a prototype for a genre that proliferates today, the ‘Coupé-suv’. Admittedly it used the same two-box shape as the original, but by that stage the rest of the range had moved over to the four-door bodyshell, giving the CSK a sportier look, further set off by the front spoiler and spotlamps, rich Beluga Black paintwork and smart five-spoke alloy wheels.

The beauty of this tribute to engineer Charles Spencer King (hence the ‘CSK’ signature on the flanks and tailgate) was more than skin deep, with a welded body frame for stiffness, firmer suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear, and ventilated front disc brakes with anti-lock as standard. Power came from a remapped 185bhp version of the venerable 3.9-litre Rover V8, mated to a sporty(ish) five-speed manual ’box (though a four-speed auto was an option). Inside there was rich perforated leather throughout, light walnut trim, air-con and an electric sunroof, plus a high-end stereo.

This example, number 99 of the run of 200 according to the dash plaque, is even plusher. With relatively low miles and four owners – three of them known to vendor Graeme Hunt, who has sold it twice before – it was fully restored 12,000 miles ago and is still in superb condition. The then-owner took the opportunity to make a few tweaks, including covering just about every surface with soft Nappa leather – even the spare-wheel cover and rear parcel shelf – plus upgrading the sound system and adding a Moto-lita wheel and chrome gearknobs. The latter two aren’t to my taste, but the originals come with the car, along with a photographic record of the rebuild.

The Range Rover is no sports car, but those suspension tweaks should help it on the road, and 0-60mph in 9.5 secs is level with a contemporary warm hatch. And no mere hatchback, however hot, can compete with the CSK’S sumptuous cabin, captain’s chairs and V8 soundtrack, tuned in this car by a full stainless-steel exhaust and headers. While the price-tag might look stiff, I’d argue that it’s not outrageous for such a rarity – particularly when you see the sums that even standard Range Rover Classics are fetching these days.

SUMMARY

CHOSEN BY Alastair Clements

FOR Rare, stylish incarnation of a desirable and practical classic

AGAINST Even by Rangie standards these look pricey

WHY SHOULD I BUY IT?

The fever for Range Rovers shows no sign of slowing, and this is one of the most interesting versions