1980 Range Rover 2DR

Another ex-South African car, this rust-free, three-door manual Range Rover Classic is MOT’d and UK registered, which means someone else has already done most of the heavy lifting for you.

Bought from what the vendor believes was the car’s second owner, it had apparently been used since 1985 for towing a caravan down to the coast on holiday. The odometer reads just over 3,000 miles but it’s probably fair to assume that this is not its first rodeo - and maybe not even its second…

In need of only moderate fettling, the finished vehicle will provide more elegant and stylish four-wheel-drive transport than anything you can buy new today – and will do so for only a fraction of the cost.

The Arctic White bodywork is generally in fine fettle, something the clement South African climate has helped preserve; it never fails to amaze us how well steel underpinnings survive when you remove salt from the equation…

The paint looks largely solid but there are myriad stonechips, marks and even some cracking to the finish. But it all looks to be largely cosmetic rather than terminal even where the firm used steel rather than alloy in its construction – and that isn’t something you get to write about old Range Rovers very often.

The simple, straight front and rear bumpers are a wonderfully period touch, as are the raised letters on the bonnet, the exposed fuel filler cap and rear numberplate bracketry, the aperture for the starting handle, the elegant vertical door handles and the industrial exposed door hinges: the Range Rover Classic’s upmarket status and ambiance was engineered in rather than bolted on, something modern manufacturers would do well to remember.

The understated steel wheels (hell, everything on this slice of British history is understated…) are in a good condition and they’re shod with three BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres and one Kumho.

The windscreen is cracked, some of the rubber seals are perished, and those bloody awful door mirrors need replacing – but that’s all cosmetic and can be dealt with in due course.

More urgent work to do? Well, it’s well patinated so the amount of work to do will depend on your attitude towards that kind of thing; while some will want to strip it right down ahead of a bare-metal respray, others will just want to stabilise it to keep it honest and original.

But no matter which route it is taken, the lucky new owner won’t have the sort of extensive corrosion and rot to deal with that they would with a UK car, which is a massive plus point in its favour.

The grey and blue cloth seats are in a decent condition, even if the sun has taken its toll over the years. The lofty front seats feature those funky built-in seatbelts along with the substantial lever to fold them forward to allow access to the back seat. Given how good the Range Rover is, we can see the new owner will almost certainly want to have them retrimmed at some point but they’re still very usable until funds and motivation collide.

The simple four-spoke steering wheel and modest instrument cluster are worlds away from those of the modern SUV and all the better for being so. Refreshingly simple and easy to read, there’s even a choke warning light there.

Some of the trim, such as the interior door handles and door cards, is a little jaded while other bits and bobs such as the gear-lever gaiter, are really quite good. Mind you, almost everything is available at the click of a button these days, and few jobs are as rewarding and immediately gratifying as retrimming a classic.

The boot trim appears to be almost complete and is in a decent condition bearing in mind the car’s age. It’s solid in there too, and while the spare wheel is missing, the brackets to hold it are still in place and sourcing a replacement should be very straightforward.

Problems are pretty much what you’d expect of an old Range Rover. Some of the trim is a bit wibbly and warped, an aftermarket inclinometer and rev counter have been fitted, and the dashboard does feature a few extraneous holes where other accessories have likely previously been screwed on.

The underside looks to be very solid indeed with no signs that we can see that it has ever been welded. There is a small amount of surface rust but, like everywhere else, what little there is is cosmetic rather than structural and could be caught easily and cheaply.

The engine bay is similarly presented being a little scruffy but still streets ahead of that of its British-built and owned contemporaries.

The engine is very strong and it drives well; as you can see in the photos, the underside has had some new suspension bushes. Nonetheless, it would be prudent to assume that an element of mechanical recommissioning will almost certainly be necessary.

The Range Rover’s MOT certificate is valid until March 2021. As is so often the case with imported vehicles, the vehicle doesn’t come with any paperwork other than this and a UK V5 registration document, so potential bidders will need to assess it on its current condition rather than being able to rely on an extensive paper trail.

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. 

The Range Rover Classic’s renaissance has stuttered somewhat in the past couple of years; after a period in which the model was achieving what were frankly silly prices, their values have stabilised. For the time being, anyway.

This means that potential owners can now find some very good examples for a lot less than would have been the case a few years ago. Like this very desirable three-door example, which we think will fetch between £7,000 and £12,000, small change for a car that is utterly solid and in need of only cosmetic titivating.

That it is almost ridiculously well preserved and boasts a South African build plate only adds to its already considerable charms.

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’.