1971 Land Rover RANGE ROVER

If the Range Rover Classic is now a genuine collectors’ car of the first order, then the early ‘Suffix A’ models are leading the charge, both in terms of rarity and price. 

As a design classic, few cars are as perfectly proportioned as the three-door Range Rover and this example has been the subject of a comprehensive, and very expensive, restoration and just needs finishing off; the owner has received a three-year driving ban and has decided to sell the car rather than leave it languishing in his garage.

The car was stripped to its component parts before being fully rebuilt from the ground up. The original chassis was too far gone to be saved, so a good replacement was sourced and fitted from a 1973 vehicle. As you can see from the photographic record, it is now in mint condition and forms the backbone of a wonderful restoration.

The body was shot blasted and repairs were carried out to the A-posts, floors, and inner panels where required.

The bodywork was then carefully assembled and resprayed in Lincoln Green, a colour that suits the early cars beautifully.

Work to be completed includes the final adjustments on the driver’s door and the tailgate.

The original front seats have been retrimmed in vinyl, as have the door trims. The headlining is new. 

The rear seat is untouched and has been left with its original seat covering, which is, along with the steering wheel, showing 45 years of patina.

Interestingly, the owner has sourced the correct floor trim at a cost of £600 and the original corrugated rubber boot mat is still in place, which aficionados will recognise as being very rare.

The car still needs a few interior panels fitting. Some of the instruments also need wiring up and while a new heater motor has been sourced, it too needs installing. 

It is also missing its toolkit and the passenger seat reclining lever, so replacements will need to be sourced.

The engine has had a bottom- and top-end rebuild (including high-pressure oil pump), and has been reunited with the original gearbox and a Fairey overdrive, which the owner thinks may have been a factory fitted optional extra.

The original springs and dampers have been replaced with uprated replacements which keep the standard car’s ride height but help tame body roll in fast corners. 

The front and rear axles, as well as the steering system, have also been rebuilt, including new polybushes where applicable

The car is on the Range Rover Register, and the rebuild was featured in their members’ magazine (see in the history below). 

The car is currently on SORN and and benefits from a fresh MOT.

As a ‘matching numbers’ Range Rover Classic suffix A that has been the subject of a painstaking restoration, this example is a collector’s dream. It is more than 95 percent complete, and just needs someone with the energy and vision to see it completed.

If you’re looking at this listing, you don’t need us to tell you of the meteoric rise in the price of early Range Rover Classics – and with Land Rover itself endorsing the car’s status with the release of the Range Rover Reborn at a cost of £135,000, this is your chance to buy a similar car for more than £100,000 less.

The car can be viewed in Thatcham, Berkshire, 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.