1973 Land Rover 109 Safari Station Wagon

This rather spectacular old girl is a rare, two-owner from new, survivor. “The first was a Mr Clark,” explains the vendor. “Who walked into Mann Egerton & Co Ltd in Wimbledon on the 27th of January 1973 and placed an order for a Land Rover 109” 2.6-Litre 12-seater Station Wagon. He drove the vehicle until 2005, after which it was stored in a barn, until I bought it from Lake 4x4 in Hungerford, Berks, last year, and set about recommissioning it”.

That work has been comprehensive with the braking, cooling and mechanical systems given a thorough going through, and new parts fitted (see below) where required. The vendor, however, has been careful to preserve the vehicle’s outstanding originality as much as possible. “The chassis is totally original. I couldn’t find any evidence of welding; it even has the factory paint still evident in many places, and that is almost unheard of for a Land Rover Series. To preserve this going forwards, I had it professionally cleaned and treated with Dinitrol”.

The mileage is believed to be original with MOT test certificates (at 34,428 miles in 1989 and 49,669 miles in 2004) in the Landie’s History File (see History Highlights section, below) to back this up.

You will also find the original retail order form and vehicle invoice dated June 29th, 1973, and for the princely sum of £1777, both included – lovely things to have for any classic vehicle.

“Other work carried out included comprehensive going through of the electrical system, a full professional re-spray in acrylic paint after fitment of four new doors with galvanized frames, and a complete interior re-trim including the headlining and new front seats”.

“It’s such a wonderful old thing and attracts admiring glances wherever you go. Unfortunately, due to a change in my own personal circumstances, it’s not going to get used as I intended so it’s time for it to find a new home”.

Given the level of work that he’s carried out, there’s no doubt that that’s a real shame for the vendor. However, opportunity now knocks for someone else to take on this classic Land Rover, continue its preservation and really enjoy owning what is a wonderfully unique survivor.

The key when restoring any very original classic vehicle is to do so sympathetically and that’s exactly what the vendor has done, “the only new panels we fitted were the four doors with galvanised frames, the rest are, I believe, entirely original”.

Painted in the original colour and with period correct acrylic paint, it presents in a verily rugged fashion – and handily, with future use in mind, it also comes with spare paint.

For us, the decision to freshen up the exterior without going too far (the front bumper and other metalwork including the windscreen surround remain blessedly original) has proven to be the correct one.

“All new door seals were fitted, which are a bit tight and that means the doors need a bit of a slam, but they will soften and bed in with time. In came anti-burst door locks and new hinges, and I also took the decision to fit a Brown Church galvanised roof rack with two ladders, which will help to protect the rare Safari roof from trees!”

The side steps and rear step are new, as well.

Four fresh 7.5x16 tyres were fitted and remain in excellent near-unused condition. These are complemented by refurbished wheels finished in matching body-coloured paint.

The generally clean nature of the exterior is very pleasing.

The cabin too has had a large touch of restorative goodness applied to it and presents equally well, “a full interior retrim was carried out, including the headlining and fitment of new front seats to replace the tired originals.

“All electrics were overhauled and tested, with Halogen headlamps with concealed relays (to protect switches and improve light) fitted. That work means that everything works as it should, and the halogen headlamps are as bright as can be”.

He also took the opportunity to uprate cabin safety by fitting more modern inertia reel seat belts (using OEM brackets); that includes to the front seats, a 2-point unit to the centre seat, both outer 2nd row seats, and a lap belt to the middle seat.

Having racked up a half century, this refreshed cabin, and one capable of swallowing a huge family herd, is now ready to go again for the next 50 years.

Before the vendor tells us how the Landie drives, it’s certainly worth listing the large amount of mechanical recommissioning work carried out, which, in addition to those items discussed above, included:

• New brake master cylinder, slave cylinder, Kunifer brake lines and braided brake hoses
• New clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder and line, new brake shoes (including handbrake)
• Re-cored radiator and all-new coolant hose
• New distributor with electronic ignition, new plugs, leads, rocker gasket and exhaust
• Carburettor rebuild and all-new fuel lines (including fuel pump, with tank flushed and re-painted, and new fuel sender)
• New clutch, new main oil seal, gearbox and transfer oil seals, sump cleaned and new gasket
• Starter motor rebuilt
• Full engine service, and all axle, gearbox and hub oils changed
• New swivel oil seals
• Parabolic springs fitted front ad rear (originals available for collection from Redhill, Surrey, if required)

Pretty comprehensive, I’m sure you will agree. And the vendor says that all the above means that it’s in very fine driving fettle, “The engine is silky smooth and start on the button, making the most glorious noise when you rev it. The gearchange is positive and the acceleration smooth and purposeful. It now has parabolic springs fitted, which makes the ride very smooth, and it will happily take speed bumps with no drama. With larger drum brakes and servo assistance, the brakes are strong and as responsive as discs”.

A quick look underneath reveals an underside in fine condition; the original chassis is well protected, with clean body-coloured metal evident and drive- and running-gear both appearing to be in excellent nick.

Confidence inspiring.

As well as those lovely early documents, you will find several expired MOT test certificates, as well as a huge number of invoices for the works carried out by the vendor.

A quick zoom through the latter, and tally with a calculator, shows a spend in the region of £5.5k over the last year alone, although the exact total is likely higher when you factor in the repaint.

It is worth taking your time to leaf through these to get an exact idea of what has been carried out, and also the multitude of new and replacement parts that have been fitted.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored sympathetically to a very pleasing standard.

This is one seriously rare Safari 109, with just one previous owner (two in total) and only 49,765 miles on the clock. Not only that, but it also comes with the original order form (and invoice!) and has been sympathetically restored to ensure it still presents in an authentic manner.

Given all the above, our estimated price range of just £15,000 to £20,000 seems like a bit of a steal. There can’t be many of this ilk out there with this kind of provenance, so if Land Rovers are your thing then this one provides a bit of an opportunity.

The 12-seat Safari 109 Station Wagon, with its silky smooth 2.6-litre 6-cylinder engine, offered the top-specification Land Rover model in period. Heck, the order form shows that the first owner even specified 2-speed wipers and seat belts as options!

As such this highly specified example will happily slot straight into any collection, or even as a single vehicle offer its next owner an interesting classic car to enjoy, tinker with and drive.

Having enjoyed a scorching summer so far, and with more sunshine promised, this Safari could prove to be an exceedingly apt purchase.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ, United Kingdom; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.