1991 Range Rover Overfinch 3.9

This splendid-looking black vehicle started life in 1991 as a Range Rover. It became an Overfinch Range Rover in 1995, when it had notched up about 28,000 miles.

Overfinch worked their particular brand of magic on various aspects of the car that we’ll detail later on. Suffice to say, the work created a fine looking car with a pure silhouette and clean, uncluttered, minimalist aesthetics. 

In recent years, the car has benefitted from being in the fastidious ownership of a Range Rover fanatic who did his own servicing but was certainly not shy of reaching deeper into the old trouser pocket whenever the need arose. One such need arose in 2013, when a stray branch from a falling tree meant that the roof (thankfully, a bolt-on, bolt-off panel on this model) had to be replaced.

The rest of the tree wreaked truly terminal damage on the car parked in front of this Range Rover, so our car’s CAT ‘D’ status can almost be seen as a badge of honour, a medal awarded for valour in the face of extreme arboreal aggression.

Overall, the car is in very good condition outside, inside and underneath. It sounds good and it goes, stops, handles and rides well.

It’s not concours, by any means, but it’s been well looked after and is in impressive overall nick for its age.

We’re confident that this is a strong, solid and authentic example of an increasingly rare vehicle. Did we say rare? We really mean unique. Ultimately, this is a bespoke creation and comes with all manner of features and quirks you won’t find on any of its less esoteric and rarified brethren.

It’s a very black, very pared-back, very elegant and clean look. For the most part the paintwork and finish are excellent.

The panels are smooth and even. The shut lines are tight. There are no creases, dinks, dents, wrinkles, folds, bumps, lumps or bumps to speak of. We understand that the car was given a full respray 8 or 9 years ago and it’s held up pretty well, with a good depth of shine and lustre from most angles. But there are, of course, exceptions to this general rule of excellence.

In one or two places, the paint is a tad orange-peely, but not in a particularly bad way. Elsewhere, there are a few scratches and scuffs to the rear o/s panel behind the door, and also on the n/s front panel side panel and door.

Some of the grey plastic mouldings that run down the car’s flanks and around the wheel arches have a slightly less than laser-aligned symmetry about them, and there is some surface rust at the junctions or the rear doors and wheel arches on both the near and off sides.

There are nicks to the paintwork in the rear n/s door shutline. At the rear, there are scratches, scuffs and pock-marks to both parts of the tailgate, with some rust visible beneath the bottom section and on the bumper.

The wheels, from Overfinch, are in good condition and the tyres have plenty of tread remaining from what we can see.

The interior is a very pleasing symphony of chocolate and tan shades rendered in high quality hides, fabrics and veneers – many of them upgrades courtesy of the car’s luxuriously opulent Overfinch-ing. It’s all in very good condition, from the upholstery to the headlining, carpets, door cards, centre console, headlining and dashboard. The Overfinch sports steering wheel is untroubled by the passage of time.

The tan leather seats are in fine fettle, with only the driver’s seat showing the kind of patina you might reasonably expect to find in a 30 year-old car. The leather has been re-Connollised. The plastic frame at the rear of the driver’s seat has come loose at the base. 

The headlining is new and therefore in pretty much pristine condition. The clock, dials and instruments are what Overfinch describe as ‘Ferrari style’. The car boasts an uprated sound system, Bluetooth connectivity and, on the centre console, an aftermarket unit which (we’re told) acts as a kind of digital spirit level and tells you when you’re getting too close to the point at which the laws of physics and the car’s off-road ability threaten to part company.

The hands-free kit is present and correct and will waste no time in letting you know this. Fire up the car and your ears will fill with the glorious sound of an Overfinch-tweaked 3.9 litre V8. Seconds later a disembodied electronic voice says, “Hello”.

We think it’s female, but it might be Kenneth Williams.

Either way, you might want to find the mute button. (You can judge for yourself by watching the accompanying video).

As far as we’re aware, everything electric works and does what it’s told to do with commendable obedience. The sunroof operates precisely as it should, but does show a little surface rust on the front inside edge when open.

The top of the dashboard has a few scratches here and there but nothing to make strong men (or women) weep.

The boot is big and tidy with decent carpets and there is nothing unspeakable lurking under the carpets. As well as the full-sized spare there is a built-in air compressor. This, we’re told, is so that you can adjust the pressure in your tyres depending on whether you’re tackling some Namibian sand dunes, crossing a Patagonian glacier or watching polo at Smith’s Lawn. We’re also told that the car usually carries 30ft-long jump leads, no doubt intended for similarly in extremis scenarios.

There’s not much to say about the undersides, save to report a few spots of surface rust on pipes, suspension parts and heat shields. Everything seems to be in order and in its right and proper place.

The keen eyed among you may be able to discern signs of this car’s upgraded suspension, which may be raised or lowered as terrain, circumstances or mere whim demand. 

The engine bay seems correct and proper, with everything clean, dry, ordered and tidy – if a bit ‘dusty’ looking. This is a 30 year old car.

The car has a documented main dealer history up to 1996, after which date it was lovingly tended to by owners who were as dexterous with a spanner as they were enthusiastic about the marque and model.

This car became unique back in 1995, courtesy of Overfinch, when their Stage II ride, handling, steering and engine re-mapping box of tricks unleashed its full sorcery.  

At the same time, Overfinch badging, instrumentation, exhaust tail box, sports steering wheel, headlamp upgrade, soundproofing, smoked glass, burr walnut dashboard and centre console set, interior chrome, etc, etc, were fitted.

Clearly, this was a lot of work and a lot of money. The result would have been a powerful, luxurious, capable, bespoke car that would surely have satisfied even the most demanding Range Rover obsessive (a man who happened to be the CEO Of DAKS Simpson, Jermyn St, London).

Well, possibly. But it wasn’t enough for its next obsessive owner and, in 1998, it went back for more tweaks and enhancements. Amongst other things, this work involved skimming the cylinder head, and fitting new gaskets and seals all-round, plus a new high lift camshaft, camshaft followers and timing chain.

It was resprayed, we’re told, 8-9 years ago.

Recently, a new battery has been fitted and the rear brakes have been overhauled.

The car was last serviced around Christmas 2019 (Green Lane Motor Engineering of Shepperton) and has an MoT until 24.1.21. The vendor tells us that the handful of advisories on the current MoT certificate were addressed and rectified after the MoT by the garage that tested it.

It comes with all sorts of old MoT certificates, bills, invoices, manuals, etc.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

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.

However, 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.

We think this is a very good, solid, impressive example of a unique car.

Everything important works and there are very few faults except the odd scratch and scuff and spot of surface rust.  

It looks fine, goes well, and has the clear benefit of having been owned and cared for by people with big enthusiasms and deep pockets.

This car is ready to be used and enjoyed, whether it’s just for nipping between home, pub and shops (when we’re allowed to) or crossing Rannoch Moor without getting your feet wet.

We’re happy to offer this special vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £14,500 - £20,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s Abingdon headquarters; 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 an array of regional providers 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.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

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.