2005 Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport up for sale with The Market by Bonhams is a 2005 model, making it a first generation L320. First registered on 30th November 2005, it has covered just 6,366 miles from new. That translates to a staggeringly low 374.47 miles per year travelled in 17 years… let that sink in for a moment… because this Range Rover Sport in this specification with such low miles and ownership is likely to be unrepeated.

The mid-size luxury SUV was recently acquired by Graham Walker Ltd, who are based in Chester. It was offered to them by a close friend of the business, who had acquired the Range Rover Sport after the 1st owner had sadly passed away after a period of ill health. Recounting seeing the Range Rover for the first time, Graham, owner of the business stated that he could not believe the condition of the 4x4 when he first saw it. Realising such vehicles don’t come up very often, he knew it would appeal to discerning collectors and lovers of the Range Rover brand.

Finished in Java Black and sitting on 18in 10 spoke alloys, this 17 year old Range Rover Sport looks as good as new in the photos. Graham stated that when they acquired the car they wanted to keep it in the condition it was in when it arrived on their forecourt. So it has just been washed and not overly detailed. He describes the paint as being in excellent condition with no marks or chips visible. The wheels are also described as being as new with no scuffs and the tyres are all in good condition.

Most Range Rovers spend much of their time wafting along motorways at pace, which of course racks up the miles, and as a result it brings with it associated wear and tear on the exterior. This usually translates to lots of stone chips, scuffs on the door mouldings, bumpers and the tailgate/load area. This Range Rover Sport has been spared all of that hard, heavy everyday use and as a result, it looks as sharp as did when it left the factory in November 2005.

As you’d expect with a vehicle that has covered less than 400 miles a year over 17 years, the interior looks like it has just rolled off the factory floor. Everything from the dashboard, steering wheel, to the gauges and all the switch gear appear to be unmarked and still retain that factory fresh finish. Graham remarks that it still has a new car smell on the inside which is something in itself.

He adds that the seats, which were ordered as Ebony part leather, are like new and as the car was owned by an elderly couple, it is possible that the back seats have never been used.

Another tell tale sign of a cars condition are what we call its “armpits”, that is the door jams and surrounds, which are areas that collect a lot of road dirt and grim over the years. These areas look as good as new, with the paint on the door surrounds still shining and which is a testament to the Range Rovers low miles.

One of the main reasons people buy a Range Rover is for the practicality of its boot and as a result it can see a lot of use and wear. The boot area on this Range Rover sport is very very clean with hardly any signs of wear at all, with the exception of minor marks on the factory fitted rubber floor tray, which is to be expected. Even the retractable load cover looks as good as new. And underneath the boot is the tool kit and load straps which all appear to have never been used.

Under the bonnet the 2.7 TDV6 diesel looks fresh with all its trim and stickers intact and the engine ancillaries still retaining that "as new" look. There is some oxidisation to some of the metal brackets and fittings but this is to be expected for a 17 year old vehicle. What is obvious though is that the engine bay is not covered in road dust that could have been accumulated over that period, had it been pressed into regular use. Indeed most diesels are bought to cover long distances and this one certainly hasn’t done that. Given its miles, you could argue that the 188BHP turbocharged diesel has been barely run in. Graham states that it starts and runs very well, and that the 6 speed ZF gearbox is very smooth. Basically he says it drives like new and adds that the air suspension, which was fitted as standard on the L320 series, works as it should.

On the underside there is surface corrosion on the suspension components which ideally would need to be cleaned and treated going forward. Graham decided not to do this as he didn’t want to cover any of the underside with waxoil. A lot of the suspension stickers are still present which is quite rare since they vanish over time with use and Graham wanted to preserve these and not risk losing them in a deep clean process.

Looking over the history of this rather unique Range Rover Sport, what is just as impressive as its remarkable low milage is the fact it has been MOT’d religiously from 2008 until 2021, which was its most recent test. All too often cars that are not used or exercised much tend to miss the odd MOT here and there, as they rest forgotten in the garage. Not this SUV however, which shows its owners were fastidious with its upkeep. And it is nice to have all those MOT documents in the history file. In addition it has a current valid MOT until 6th December 2022.

Another nice detail is the original order invoice which is included in the history file, which shows the full specification of the Range Rover Sport when it was ordered on the 11th November 2005. The base price for the 2.7 TDV6 was £29,610.21 ex VAT, with its owners adding £3,805.72 worth of options ex VAT. The total cost inc VAT was £39,471.74, so a lot of money was spent on a vehicle that was then hardly used over a 17 year period. It is quite something.

Also included in the history file is the Range Rover Sports book pack, V5C document and one key. The service book has 5 stamps and the last service was carried out on the 20th November 2019 at 5,388 miles.

Another item to note in the history file is a letter and DVLA documents regarding the cars original registration which was “OOO 218”. This was put on retention, which is why the car now has the registration “DE55 HJY”.

You have to ask yourself when did you last see a 2005 Range Rover Sport with 6,366 miles on the clock? Probably when the L320 was still a brand new model back in 2005. And a quick scan of the classifieds has shown that there are none that are any way close to this one in terms of mileage. Most have as expected, already travelled to the moon, or at least close enough to get to the Earth’s orbit and back.

While this is the entry level V6 diesel and not the more powerful and thirsty V8, the specification of this Ranger Rover Sport with such low miles and with just one previous owner is going to be very hard to repeat. Which begs the questions… what would do you do with it? Put more miles on it or preserve it as it and add it to your 4x4 collection? That will be the question the winning bidder will have to answer for themselves. With an estimate of between £15,000 - £20,000 this will be a very interesting auction to watch!

Viewing is always encouraged and this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and 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’