Range Rover Classic
Luxury today means shiny gadgets, endless customisation and fancy monikers (aka ‘script’) hewn into exotic materials – a smorgasbord of silliness that’s embodied in the latest £100k+ Range Rovers.
It wasn’t always so. When Rover committed to a more human-friendly version of the Land Rover, they took inspiration from Ford’s Bronco, but came up with a totally new concept. It was elegant, strong and comfy, yet minimalistic and functional – still a good workhorse, and nothing urban about it. Yes, the V8 became an anachronism with the first oil crisis in 1973, but it powered Land Rovers well into the Noughties.
If I was buying one for practicality purposes, I’d seek out a 300Tdi version from the Nineties, but the early ones from before the cogs of evolution started cranking (two-door only until 1981, manual until 1982, V8-only until 1986) are the ones that really get the heart beating. That is why their values went crazy a few years ago, but the madness has thankfully settled down a bit of late.
Buying tips
Restoration costs are big, and obscure bits of trim are also alarmingly expensive to buy or to have 3D printed, so approach major projects or incomplete cars with caution. There’s great aftermarket support and mechanical bits are common enough, too. It’s chassis and bodywork rot that you really need to watch out for when looking at a potential purchase (boot floor, inner wings, sills etc). Top-notch restos of the early and desirable Suffix-a’ cars (1970-72) now fetch mega money, too.
VALUES
PROJECT £6000
USABLE £20,000
EXCELLENT £45,000+
Alternatives
The Rangey was unique, so rivals are thin on the ground. Try an early Land Cruiser or G Wagen (launched in 1979). Or Talbot Rancho? The ultimate early soft roader.