1986 Land Rover RANGE ROVER

We know what you’re thinking: this is an old, MOT-failure Rangie that’s worth no more than the few pounds the scrap man will offer to take it off the owner’s hands.

And yet, there’s more to this car than meets the eye. Yes, it’s a bit down-at-heel but it has been in the care of the same family for the past 17 years, and only had one owner before that. It’s also only got 74,000 miles on the clock, has the (now rare) ‘Teddy Bear’ upholstery and a manual gearbox, which ticks three boxes for the canny investor with an eye for a gamble.

The owner tells us that all the panels, with the exception of the fuel filler and the lower tailgate, are in good condition – and even they look like they will only need paint, rather than expensive repairs. 

Obviously, the top tailgate need replacing but they all go in the same place, which means very good reproduction panels are available at sensible prices; aluminium replacements cost around £500 and are easy to fit.

The Teddy Bear upholstery is in good condition. Just as importantly, the trim all appears to be in place, including the all-important wooden veneer, which is almost impossible to match if it’s been mislaid, as is so often the case. 

The headlining has dropped, which is a common fault and easy and cheap to repair with the installation of a modern replacement panel (trimmed in the correct material) for under £300. 

We've been assured by the owner that the chassis is good, which will save the next owner a whole world of pain and expense. Obviously, the new owner will want to pressure wash it and add a healthy dose of your favourite underbody rustproofing to keep it nice and solid.

We are uncertain of what history is available, but with the vehicle having been owned by the same owner for so many years, prospective bidders are encouraged to contact the seller (green button at the top) to find out more and if possible arrange to view.

The car last had a valid MOT in 2009. Since this expired the current owners have laid her up, so no current MOT or understanding of what is required in order to obtain one.

Genuine, original Range Rovers are becoming hard to find. Even half-decent ones are being touted with a five-figure ‘screen price by dealers chancing their arm in a rapidly rising market – and it won’t be long before we’re all used to seeing them advertised for six-figures now that Land Rover has launched the Range Rover Reborn for £135,000.

If you can look past the (all fairly minor) faults and faint air of decrepitude, there is a huge amount of potential here. If it were ours, we’d keep it as standard as possible: with almost every old Range Rover being ‘upgraded’ to a full leather interior at some point in their life the price of those with original cloth ones should deliver a premium in the future. 

Oh, and the really good news is that this lovely old bus is being offered without reserve, it's for sale from the first bid meaning that this is far too little for a car that would be worth ten times whatever it sells for with only a modest investment of time and money…

Although we have been told that the car fires up and drives, there is no MOT so assume it will need to be collected by trailer. If required our transport partner AnyVan can provide a transport quote.

The car can be viewed in Dudley, to arrange please use the 'Contact Seller' button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or view our frequently asked questions below.