2002 Land Rover Range Rover 4.6 V8 Royal Edition

This has to be among the nicest P38s in the UK. It spent its first years as a diplomat’s car in Japan and boasts a very low odometer reading of just 105000kms. (The odometer is in kms, though the instruments display miles.) 5000 miles have been covered by the current owner during his three-year tenure, and it has never been off the road for any prolonged period.

The car dates from November 2002, by which time Land Rover had left BMW’s ownership and come under Ford, so it’s a very late model and carries a beautiful spec. It arrived in the UK in 2015 and has performed very well at its MOT tests, with no failures since 2017 and only minor advisories. P38s are not known for rusting, especially late examples, but this car’s Japanese past makes it particularly tidy underneath. 

“It drives a dream and I really don’t want to sell it,” the owner tells us. “I’m only doing so because I’ve emigrated to Thailand and the import costs would be £50,000! Everything is original and it never had any problems when I bought it. I’ve just made sure to keep on top of everything, and given it whatever it’s needed.” 

It’s absolutely beautiful, and wears all the optional features you could wish for – side steps, wind deflectors, colour-coded mirrors, headlamp washers – nothing to detract from this car’s stately presence… with the possible exception of the aftermarket “4x4” badge on the boot. Our photographer has zoomed in on the only imperfections worth noting, so please scroll carefully through the photos.

You will find one or two very minor carpark dings and a small scuff to one of the mirrors, but they have clearly not been scraped along hedgerows. Stone chips, laquer-peel and rust blisters are absent. The alloys also show impressively little sign of damage or corrosion. If cosmetic perfection is your goal, it wouldn’t take much to achieve.

The last MOT gave a rather fussy advisory for clouded indicators, and there is a minor crack in one of the rear lenses, but overall the lamps and glass all round are very straight and tidy and do not require attention. Even the fog lamps in the spoiler are clear and undamaged.

The car rides on a set of Goodyear tyres with ample tread.

Included in the sale is a fitted cover, which the car has been kept under during any periods of inaction.

The front seats are electrically adjustable, with two memory positions, and the steering column is manually adjustable for rake and reach. All four windows are electric, as is the sunroof, and privacy glass is fitted rear of the B-pillar.

The sumptuous leather in P38s is typically durable – and wonderfully comfortable, obviously – and the seats in this example look particularly delicious. The lacquered wood trim (typically less durable than the leather in these cars) has also survived quite well, particularly around the steering wheel and centre console. Even the instruments inside the binnacle and part of the front armrests feature walnut trim – very upmarket, even among P38s. The wood is a combination of what appears to be ash and walnut, and a crack can be found on the wooden cubby box lid – another rare feature.

There are none of the poops and bongs and error messages that plague so many P38s, and everything is fully functional. This includes the HEVAC system, with its dual-zone climate control and air conditioning, including the LCD display in the dash which is not showing any warnings. An aftermarket head unit has replaced the original Harman Kardon item, and a minidisk player has been added inside the driver’s footwell. Genuine, Range Rover-branded rubber floor mats are fitted in the front and rear, and the carpets beneath them are tidy. Up above, the headlining is also excellent and free from sagging (never a given on these cars) and the interior bulbs are functioning. In the boot you’ll find a very tidy parcel shelf, a CD autochanger, un-abused carpets and a full-sized spare wheel under the boot floor.

The lower tailgate is trimmed in black vinyl. It’s very smartly done and is arguably more sensible than the more usual carpet (depending on your usage), but we can not guarantee that this an original Land Rover fitment.

We are not aware of any other serious corrosion on the vehicle – only surface rust as may be expected, and the ladder chassis looks throughout solid. There is no obvious impact damage, mud accumulation, aftermarket modifications or signs of off-road misadventures. Nor has the compressor tank been used as a jacking point (a rookie error but it does happen).

Please do inspect our photos carefully, and make your own inspection of the vehicle if you are unsure. This car’s Japanese origins have no-doubt helped keep the rust at bay.

We have discovered no major leaks underneath and no causes for concern. The engine bay looks clean and tidy, including the under-bonnet insulation.

The only slight issue is with the air suspension, which tends to sag to one side if the vehicle is left for a couple of days and takes a minute or two to become level again. Once it has done so, the driving experience is unaffected and perfectly safe. These issues tend to be quite simple to fix, once the cause has been determined.

Japanese imports almost never come with service history from before arriving in the UK, but this car does have a reassuring stack of bills since arriving here in 2015. These bills describe works that included a new valve for the air suspension compressor in 2015, new air springs in 2017 and fronts in 2018, various sundry and servicing costs, and in 2023 a new latch assembly for the driver’s door.

The present owner has had a complete mechanical assessment carried out by a Land Rover specialist when he bought the car in 2021, and any flagged items were replaced with genuine Land Rover parts. The bill came to £3067 for work which involved new upper and lower ball joints for the front axle, new shocks front and rear, new steering bars and damper (all genuine Land Rover parts) followed by a four-wheel alignment, as well as an engine service and replacement of gearbox and transfer box oils. The engineer reportedly told the owner it was among the best P38s he had seen and had been maintained using only Genuine Land Rover parts.

More recently the owner has also spent nearly £1000 on a new key and reprogramming for the central locking. 

Overall this paperwork tells a story of regular maintenance regardless of cost, mostly at the same Land Rover specialist in Kent.

If you’re after a beautiful P38 that’s unlikely to require intensive expenditure, look no further. It’s unusual to find one that not only looks as good as this but is also so free of faults.

These cars are finding a ready fan base and their design has matured gracefully. After falling out of favour on the second-hand market, enthusiasts have now started to prize P38s after discovering that their reputation for iffy reliability was mostly the result of poor maintenance rather than any inherent engineering defects. The storied electronic woes are real, but solutions are out there, and the symptoms are rarely severe.

Last year we were pleased to see bids reach over £16,000 for one of our P38s. Admittedly this was an exceptionally desirable Holland & Holland Edition, but it indicates the enthusiasm that is generated by top examples.

If you have future resale value in mind, it’s wise to focus on rare examples with excellent maintenance histories – just like this one. A professional rustproofing treatment would help lock-in its current solidity and provide peace of mind for all-weather cushy motoring for years to come. We’ll be envious of whoever ends up owning this lovely car. We estimate that it will sell for £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.