1967 Land Rover SERIES IIa

This delightful Limestone Series IIa 88” has been recently built from the ground-up, starting with a brand new Richards galvanized chassis, which might have been a considerable investment but is one that means the rebuilt Landy will probably outlast us all…

First registered on the 11th of July 1967, this right-hand-drive, short-wheelbase Land Rover also benefits from brand new suspension, brakes, propshafts, petrol tank, exhaust, wiring, and canvas hood. Not to forget the reconditioned engine, gearbox, and transfer ‘box.

Fitted with the sweet-running 2.25 petrol engine, it is barely run-in and looks stunning. In need of nothing other than love, fuel and the odd patch of mud now and then, this is your chance to get your hands on a beautifully restored example of a true British icon.

The Land Rover was stripped to its component parts before being carefully rebuilt on its new Richards chassis. Fully galvanized and then painted, the replacement chassis solves one of the original vehicle’s few serious weaknesses and helps ensure that the best 4x4xfar should last for the next half-century without needing another.

It’s been nicely assembled too, and the Limestone paint applied with more than the usual degree of skill and attention to detail. It looks, as you can see from the photos and video, fabulous and the unusual colour makes a change from the more common Marine Blue or Bronze Green.

Interestingly, some of the trim that is usually galvanized has been painted black, and while it could be easily reversed should the new owner value originality over all else, we quite like the more subdued, stealth look it gives.

The sand canvas hood was supplied by marque experts Exmoor Trim and is brand new and has never seen rain or weather. The hood sticks are straight and clean, a condition that enthusiasts will recognize as rare, and while it’s never going to match something like the Mazda MX-5 for ease of use or weather-resistance, it’s way better than the usual torn and filthy soft-top that passes for a roof on your average Series IIa.

The steel wheels, including the bonnet-mounted spare, are painted in the same colour as the bodywork and are fresh and free of damage. They’re also shod with road-biased Kumho ‘Road Venture’ 205R16 all-terrain tyres, which makes for a much nicer driving vehicle than if it were sitting on the more usual chunky mud tyres.

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 glass and Lucas light lenses are still the originals.

Blemishes are few. There is a crack to the paintwork under the windscreen on the nearside, and a small piece of paint has flaked away from underneath the number plate. There’s also a rubbing point under the nearside rear corner of the bonnet, and a small area of touched-in paint on the rear nearside corner. Please see the photos for details.

The interior is pretty much all new, with replacement seats front and rear. As you can see, the Land Rover is a full seven-seater, and the rearmost seats fold up and out of the way to allow it to be used as a load-hauler when running with fewer people.

The black vinyl seats are all in great shape, and while they aren’t especially supportive, high-G cornering is not one of the Land Rover’s natural strengths - and anyway, most owners will be more concerned with being able to wipe them clean than anything else…

It benefits from a new wiring loom for greater electrical reliability, and the switches are all beautifully labelled and, in stark contrast to most of its siblings, they all actually seem to do something rather than being left in situ as a memorial to a previous life. We’ve tested pretty much everything in there and it all seems to work.

The floors are covered with neat rubber mats, and lifting these shows painted metal floors and no rust or corrosion whatsoever.

Work to do? Well, the stitching on the leather cover on the steering wheel is loose; that’s gotta be the shortest ‘to do’ list of any sixties’ Land Rover, surely?

The engine, gearbox and transfer ‘box have all been rebuilt and operate as they should. The 2¼-litre petrol engine is, for those unfamiliar with it, one of the sweetest-running, quietist engines of the period, and a world apart from the diesel engine that everyone thinks they want for fuel efficiency. (The actual difference in fuel consumption is minimal, so you might as well plump for the petrol if there’s a choice.)

The engine and gearboxes were fitted with new mounts and propshafts, and the Land Rover sits on four new leaf springs, that were fitted using new bushes, hangers, axle straps and dampers. It also has new brake drums, shoes, slave and master cylinders, and pipes and hoses all round.

The exhaust is a new stainless-steel system, fitted with new hangers and new inlet/exhaust manifolds. The fuel tank is also new, as is the battery.

It starts on the buttons, ticks over beautifully and drives as it should. But then you knew that, didn’t you?

The engine bay and underside are both very clean and beautifully presented, and the galvanized chassis has been painted black to give it an extra level of protection.

The Land 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 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…

Sadly, the Land Rover doesn’t come with much of a history file so potential bidders should set their bids according to its current condition rather than relying on a vast pile of old paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

While there is some truth in the adage that every car enthusiast should own an Alfa Romeo at some point in their life, we think there are others that deserve to be added to your Bucket List, namely the Ground Zero vehicles, cars that served as a template for all that came after them: cars like the original Mini, the Fiat 500, the Citroën 2CV and, of course, a Series Land Rover.

Yes, the Series IIa is a bit crude in places and yes, it can be a bit of a handful to steer around a multi-storey car-park but nothing, and we do mean nothing, beats driving one along a beach in the summer, or through impassable winter snow, with six of your mates onboard.

Add in all-weather mobility, super-tough mechanicals that are easy and cheap to repair, some of the most reasonable running costs in the classic car world, and bulletproof residuals and you can see why we think that few cars can be rationalised as a sensible investment quite as easily as a Series Land Rover.

As to value, we think it should reach somewhere between £16,000 and £22,000, at which price point it represents good value. No, it won’t be the cheapest Series IIa 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 particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near 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, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. 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 the 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.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.