1977 Wood & Pickett Sheer Rover

This 1977 Range Rover ‘Sheer Rover’ was converted by Wood & Pickett for the actor and car enthusiast Peter Sellers, whose name and Gstaad address appear on the Swiss insurance paperwork you can see here.

The modifications to ‘RHX 659R’ are detailed in the paperwork from Wood & Pickett but comprise, in brief, the Sheer Rover front end, new front and rear bumpers, extended wheelarches, and polished alloy wheels. 

The interior wasn’t neglected and was retrimmed in Connolly hide and red Draylon including new Recaro front seats. Extra soundproofing and deep-pile carpets were fitted along with a retrimmed steering wheel and a wool cloth headlining.

The modifications cost him more than £14,000 (or almost £80,000 in today’s money) on top of the £14,250 the new Range Rover would have cost him in the first place.

Now very much a project, this is a car with a history that warms even our cynical, curdled hearts.

You see, the seller’s step-grandfather Ed saw the car advertised for sale in The Daily Telegraph in 1980 (a copy of the advert is attached). He and his son Nick both lived in Switzerland and only used it when they were in the UK. Their visits here became less and less frequent and the Sheer Rover ended up being stored in a garage in north Wales. 

Nick, the seller’s step-uncle, took it on with a view to keeping it running but the costs started to spiral, and it sat in limbo for a decade or so until Ed passed away in 2021, at which point it moved to the seller's father's driveway under a cover.

It was resurrected last summer when Nick asked Tom, Ed’s step-grandson, if he could help get it running again. Tom, who is now responsible for selling it, thought “fixing it up would have been a good way to remember Ed. He was always unfailingly generous, and treated my family like we were his own. He adored Range Rovers and Land Rovers, and over the years must have owned nearly a dozen of them in one form or another.”

However, closer inspection – and the garage report from Cotswold Classic Car Restorations you can see here reports what’s needed – showed it simply wasn’t feasible for them to keep it, no matter how much it meant to them. 

However, as Tom puts it “I'm very much hoping someone is interested in renovating a very cool 1977 V8 Range Rover that has been through three generations of my family and was originally owned by Dr Strangelove himself!”

As you can see, the coachwork needs attention. And yet, apart from the W&P front end, wheelarches, and bumpers, it all looks standard, so sourcing the appropriate new panels – assuming, of course, that the existing metalwork can’t be saved – should be straightforward.

And it would be easy to forget that underneath those modifications lies a sought after two-door Range Rover Classic, whose pretty lines look as good now as they did when the car was launched back in the early 1970s and points to note on this early model include the exposed door and bonnet hinges, early-style fuel filler, and sliding rear windows.

The polished 15-inch Wolfrace alloy wheels it left the Wood & Pickett factory wearing, and which can be seen in the black and white photos, have gone astray over the years and the Sheer Rover now wears a set of standard 16-inch steel jobbies wearing 205R16 Michelin tyres on all four corners.

However, included in the sale are the alloy wheels we believe it wore in the eighties as they look like the ones in the colour photos, so they’re probably period-appropriate if not original.

Tom tells us it has had some work to both the chassis and the wheelarches historically.

As for the really bad news, the rear tailgate is utterly shot and is beyond saving. 

As for the rest, who knows?

The black Connolly hide and red Draylon interior is fabulous, isn’t it? Very much of the era, the Recaro touring seats that replaced the originals even have speakers built into the headrests; this, along with the presence of a Pioneer graphic equalizer, goes some way to explaining the £720 (£4,000) cost of the Becker Mexico 374 stereo installation…

Surprisingly well preserved, the passenger’s Recaro seat even still has a sticker on it denoting the model, and while the outer edges of the seats show some wear to the leather facings, we think some cleaning - and maybe some strategic re-stuffing and the odd localized repair – would conserve them.

The centre armrest/cubby is still there, as is the leather-trimmed steering wheel. A nice map-reading light has been fitted above each door too, plus a natty (and expensive as it set him back £255/£1,400 all by itself…) spare wheel cover in the boot.

The levers that sprout from the floor include one for an overdrive, although the gear knob for the main gearbox is missing.

Speaking of stuff that needs doing, the headlining is probably too damaged to be saved and the Becker Mexico stereo has gone AWOL and has been replaced by a Clarion unit. 

Clarion speakers have been fitted in the door cards too, but given the latter are scruffy, we can see the new owner would want to get them retrimmed anyway.

Tom invested £2,685 in November 2023 to get it running and driving, with the following work being carried out:

• Rebuild both Zenith carburettors using rebuild kits from Burlen. 
• Remove, clean and gap sparkplugs. 
• Carry out compression test. The engine is worn but all cylinders read between 110 psi and 140 psi, so it is “still perfectly usable” in the garage’s opinion.
• Replace points and condenser. 
• Fire up and test, engine runs and revs sweetly now.
• Adjust ignition timing and set mixture whilst running. 
• Fabricate new throttle rod with two new rose joints and install. 
• Remove engine bay wiring harness and carry out repairs as required. Reinsulate and reinstall. 
• Replace starter motor and fit a new choke cable. 

Cotswold Classic Car Restorations reported that the “car now drives fine around the yard.” It certainly drove onto and off the trailer that brought it here.

Having read the Sheer Rover’s history, it won’t surprise you to hear that Tom is a bit of a romantic and spent another £375 with them to get a report to establish what it would need to get an MoT.

The report, which can be seen online, reads as follows:

1. Rear license plate light not working – wiring/bulb?

2. Nearside indicators not working – wiring.

3. Hazard lights nearside not working – wiring.

4. Rear wash/wipe not working – wiring/motor?

5. Front wipers very poor – new blades/motor?

6. Nearside front washer not working – pipes/motor?

7. Front windscreen has a large crack on the driver’s side.

8. Horn is weak.

9. Offside dip beam not working – bulb/wiring?

10. Offside front steering arm gaiter is split.

11. Both front brake discs are pitted.

12. Steering damper bushes need replacement.

13. All four tyres are old and cracked.

14. Both rear discs are pitted.

15. Body to chassis mounts (front) are badly corroded and holed – needs welding.

16. Emissions.

Its summary: “Based on the above the car would not pass an MoT should it be inspected as is, the required works involve welding, electrical repairs to lighting wiring and new brake discs and pads.”

Now you know as much as the seller does – and isn’t it heartening that he paid for an independent, third-party assessment? Tom’s keen for the Sheer Rover to go to an enthusiast to be restored and has done everything he can to be as transparent, helpful, and honest as possible. We always say the best cars come from good people, and this certainly seems to be the case here…

The engine bay is scruffy with oil leaks and some surface corrosion but given you’re going to restore the whole car anyway, this really isn’t too much of a concern, is it?

As for the chassis, it looks surprisingly solid and may well need nothing more than some tidying up following that older work to it.

There is bound to be some mechanical work to do to replace bushes and the like, but the main structure looks good.

The Range Rover doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes the original Passport to Service, the Owner’s Manual, some old invoices and MoT certificates plus some lovely period photos.

This is a two-part romance, firstly with Peter Sellers, who doubled the cost of his car to make it exactly how he wanted it, and then with Tom’s family, who’ve owned it across three generations since 1980.

Could you be the next? The one who brings it back to life and embarks on another passionate love affair with it? Sure, it needs some work but we can’t help thinking that the extent of that might not be as bad as you fear…

As for its value, we think the hammer will fall somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000, which would be remarkable value for any 1970s two-door Range Rover Classic.

Dial in the celebrity connection and that Wood & Pickett conversion and we think it’s going to draw an awful lot of interest.

And, because it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell no matter what. 

Looks like the new year’s arrived with a bit of a bang, doesn’t it? 

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’.