The Car

We are excited to bring to market a late-model 1989 French market Range Rover two-door V8 3.5 EFI. This model exudes charm, character, and some sort of allure to a modestly, agriculturally specified 2-door fitted with a soulful V8 engine. It’s hard not to smile while driving it. First registered on August 21, 1989, in Paris, this vehicle has had three owners. Its most recent technical inspection was passed in December 2023. Enthusiastically owned and well-preserved for a large part of its life, it has undergone significant care. The Palomino vinyl door cards have been replaced with masterfully retrimmed Harris tweed door cards. A large history file accompanies the car, filled with invoices and receipts. The car will be fully serviced upon sale.

Condition

Exterior: The exterior presents exceptionally well. The bumper corners and bumpers are immaculate. New shock absorbers and an A-frame ball joint have recently been fitted, along with new rear brake callipers.

Paint: The exterior bodywork was repainted in the factory Eastnor Green approximately three years ago.

Wheels: Original RoStyle wheels are mounted with Dunlop 205/R16 tires. The spare wheel is also the original RoStyle wheel.

Interior: The vehicle features a Beige Teddy Bear interior. It presents very well, with all the rare and usually damaged palomino plastic panels still in place, free of cracks and damage. All the seats are in very good condition, except for a small seam repair on the outer driver’s seat. A new headliner has been recently fitted. The radio system has been upgraded with a Blaupunkt Madrid 200BT head unit paired with Pioneer front door speakers.

Steering Wheel: The original steering wheel is fitted and shows minimal wear and tear.

Mechanical

Engine: The Range Rover runs the silky smooth 3.5 V8 EFI engine, which starts with ease and runs beautifully through the entire rev range.

Gearbox: The gearbox shifts smoothly through all gears, including high and low range. The shifts are particularly tight and smooth.

Structural

The structural integrity of the Range Rover is outstanding. The chassis is solid with no signs of structural repairs. It has recently been stripped back to metal, primed, and sealed using Dinitrol products. The sills show no signs of rust and are solid throughout, with no evidence of repairs or replacements.

Documentation

The accompanying documentation and provenance for this vehicle are excellent. It comes with its original French user manual, illustrating all elements of the vehicle. It also includes digital Histovec technical inspection mileage logs, documenting the car’s technical specifications and every state technical inspection since its first test year in 1997. A Heritage Certificate is also on file to confirm provenance. All documentation can be provided to interested parties.

History Of The Range Rover

The late 1960’s saw the emergence of the recreational off-road market led Land Rover to come up with a radically new competitor to the Jeep Wagoneer and the Ford Bronco. Land Rover passed on this challenge to Charles Spencer King, under the project title of “The 100 inch Station Wagon”.

It all started when Rover bought a Bronco and noticed the coiled suspension, this boosted the luxury element as it gave improved performance and comfort. He also noted the powerful Buick V8. However, Mr. King gave the Range Rover Restoration several unique capabilities, improved carburettors that still fed fuel at extreme angles and the infamous started handle for emergencies.

It was launched in 1970 as “a car for all reasons”. The Range Rover Classic was also the first permanent 4×4 to do over 100mph whilst having a towing capacity of 3.5 metric tons, accommodation for five, hydraulic disc brakes to all wheels and the groundbreaking dual-range, permanent four-wheel drive gear box.

A four door version was introduced in 1981, with the two door version phased out in 1994, it was then named the ‘Classic’ to differentiate from the all new P38a Range Rover.

See the full listing at samuellloydco.com.