1959 Land Rover Series 2

With this in mind, we are delighted to offer you this iconic 1959 Land Rover Series 2 88” short-wheel-base with the jewel-like 2.25-litre petrol engine. A rare early example with the headlights in the front panel rather than on the front wings, it underwent a full rebuild to a very high standard - the work took 18mths to complete – approximately four years ago.

The work started with the vehicle being stripped to its component parts, right down to the original chassis. The chassis was repaired (rather than replaced, which we love), we are told that only a few minor, localised repairs were necessary - and the Landie was then rebuilt with new and reconditioned parts where needed.

Since being completed, the Land Rover has been kept in a dry garage and only driven on sunny days. 

Now being offered for sale with only the gentlest of patinas, this is your chance to get your hands on a piece of Britain’s industrial heritage before the lily-livered bureaucrats in Brussels ban them in favour of an Elon Musk inspired-piece, government-subsidised piece of automotive art powered by nothing more than angel farts and goodwill.

The bodywork is, dare we say it, probably considerably better now than it would have been in period. This is not a surprise given the restoration work even included having the bulkhead, a notoriously weak point on the model and the source of many a car being scrapped back-in-the-day, being stripped down and professionally repaired with new metal before being primed and painted in Land Rover Bronze Green. Expensive and long-winded perhaps but it has banished the rot and corrosion that bedevilled the brand for decades and should mean that the rebuilt vehicle will outlast us all.

Other new panels included new door bottoms and glazed door tops, along with new door lock assemblies. Doors aside, the rest of the body panels were in a good condition, including the wings and rear tub, both of which normally show signs of damage; while the panels are Birmabright and so don’t rust like steel ones would, this is a working vehicle and most will show signs of having led a bit of a hard life – but not this one. So, the rest of the panels were in cracking condition and needed nothing other than stripping and painting. (That we should all be so lucky at 60…)

After being stripped down to bare metal, the whole vehicle was then flattened, primed and resprayed in two-pack Bronze Green. The car was then carefully reassembled, with particular emphasis being paid to panel alignment and shutlines, something the lads on the original production line would have paid only scant interest in…

The rest of the restorative work included new rear lights and upgraded halogen headlights as a nod to a modernity that the original designers could only have dreamed of.

A very smart and useful tan canvas load space cover has been fitted but while a complete hood stick set comes with the car this has not yet been fitted. Still, that’ll be a lovely evening’s work with the radio on and a pint of something reviving to hand, won’t it? (And if you were thinking of drinking your pint in anything other than a dimpled glass then may we respectfully suggest that this isn’t the vehicle for you…)

The wheels were shot blasted before being primed and powdercoated in Limestone Green, along with matching new 205x16 radial tyres and Land Rover-badged mud flaps at the rear.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The galvanized steel bumpers hark back to a more brutal era when pedestrian safety meant ensuring that the feckless and unemployed kept out of the sodding way of busy working men. They’re in fine fettle and ready to fend off wayward livestock and tectonic plates with equal aplomb.

Work still to do is pretty much limited to carrying wood, towing Japanese 4x4s out of the mud and conquering the world in a faintly patronising and uncomfortably superior way.

The Land Rover was fitted with a new set of front seats, which smarten up the interior no end and retain what (little) comfort the vehicle provides its users. Sports seats they aren’t but if you’re looking for lateral support then carrying a couple of smallish-average-sized mates in the passenger seats should be enough to stop you slithering around…

New rubber foot mats have been fitted in the cab area to protect the newly painted floor pans and the newly refurbished rear load area is similarly protected, too. However, if you’re looking for sybaritic luxury and a deep-pile shag carpet and softly rounded door trims with harm minimisation in an accident as a priority then may we respectfully suggest, etc., etc.

But, that said the Land Rover (and no, it’s not a bloody Defender) is not as poverty spec as it might be because the round Smith’s heater (something that was an optional extra at the time; the Landie dates from a time when men were men and a touch of hypothermia on your daily commute was an occupational hazard) has been restored and takes pride of place on the bulkhead.

The owner tells us that all the dials on the dash are working, as are the myriad levers to control the (highly effective) four-wheel-drive system. (If you need to ask what they all do then may we respectfully suggest, etc., etc.)

Problems are pretty much limited to the absence of a headlining in the cab area, which might lead to problems with condensation dripping into your skinny de-caff latte – but then there are no cup holders anyway, so if this bothers you then may we respectfully suggest, etc., etc.

Oh, and the steering wheel has a leather cover stitched on; this will be anathema to any red-blooded British male who feels no need to cushion his calloused and improbably large hands from the cold Bakelite reality that was British motoring in the 1950s.

The 2.25 petrol engine, as much of an icon as the rest of the vehicle, was, the vendor tells us, in remarkably good condition before the rebuild; the mileage is now showing 65,000 which he thinks could be genuine as he says it certainly sounds and feels like a low mileage car and pulls like the proverbial even on steep hills in 4th gear and will amble along at a steady 55-60mph on the motorway. (It might do even more but not even Sir Richard Noble would be brave enough to put it to the test.)

Top speed aside, these two-and-a-quarter petrol engines are beautifully balanced and rev like a sewing machine; at a time when we’ve all got used to turbo-diesels and gruff little three-cylinder petrol engines, it’s good to be reminded that a well-designed inline-four fueled by God’s own fuel is still a thing of joy.

The engine was given a full service and fitted with a new oil pump, water pump, spark plugs, HT leads and fresh coolant. Pride of place under the bonnet goes to a new Weber carburetor. The engine has also been painted in the correct colour green.

New copper brake pipes and unions were fitted, along with new brake shoes all round and new wheel cylinders. The suspension was refreshed with a full set of new leaf springs and the associated suspension bushes.

The vehicle also benefits from a complete new 'Autosparks' wiring loom, which should help banish Lucas, the Prince of Darkness for a while.

The underside is as clean as the topside, and sports a myriad collection of shiny new components backed up with a neatly undersealed chassis and floorpans.

It drove the 70 miles from home to The Market HQ without fault, and we can also confirm that it’s a jolly little thing to drive and runs well.

While this Land Rover comes with absolutely zero history, we feel it is one of those occasions when you assess a car based on its condition rather than provenance. It really is an amazing example and so much straighter and tidier than your regular, farm used and abused Landie.

Neither does it  have a current MOT certificate, and although exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, 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…

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please contact us here at The Market to arrange an appointment.

The owner tells us that it is, in his opinion, one of the best restored Series 2 Land Rovers on the market today. Suitable for the collector and enthusiast alike, this is a vehicle that looks as good as it goes and should prove to be a decent investment for the prudent investor looking for somewhere fun to put their money.

As to value, we think it should reach somewhere between £14,000 and £20,000, at which price point it represents good value. No, it won’t be the cheapest Series 2 you’ll see this year, but quality is worth paying for, especially if you’ve got an eye to its future resale value…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.