A brand new Ranger Rover costs about $85,000 these days but a Bahama Gold 1978 version of the vehicle is apparently being sold for twice the amount and it is quite surprising for the uninitiated.
Apparently, the 1978 Range Rover is a fully restored edition of the original under the Land Rover’s new Reborn program, which first revived a Range Rover Series 1 last year.
Land Rover is the parent company of the Range Rover and under its Reborn program, a vehicle isn’t just fixed up, it is actually returned to a factory-new condition by the factory that made it in the first place, using original but new parts, notes Outside Online.
And Reborn is using the rarest, most sought-after version of the vehicle, which is the three-door model that was sold only from the Range Rover’s release in 1970 until 1981. The result is the nicest, most collectible, and rarest SUV in the world.
A showcase of engineering expertise
Tim Hanning of Jaguar Land Rover says that the Range Rover Reborn program is another showcase of their company’s in-house engineering expertise.
He said that the program underscores the company’s commitment to nurturing the rich heritage of Land Rover and is a rare opportunity for customers to own a valuable and genuinely collectible automotive icon.
Hanning explained that it is a wonderful way to preserve the much sought-after three-door original Range Rover from the 1970s, from period-correct colorways to interior trim and accessories.
Part of the boom in popularity of the Range Rover or any old Land Rover, Toyota 4×4, or Jeep for that matter, can be attributed to the declining off-road capability of their modern counterparts.
But just like their modern-day counterparts, these vehicles can comfortably and capably get the user and his family including their dog down pretty much any off-road trail in the world.
Under the Land Rover restoration program, genuine, robust mechanical capability like true four-wheel drive and locking differentials have been replaced with complicated, fragile computers.
The ground clearance necessary to clear off-road obstacles has had to make way for pedestrian crash safety standards and sleek aerodynamics designed to maximize fuel economy.
Then there’s the ease of maintenance and repairs. When an old truck breaks down on the trail, anyone with half a tool set can fix it. But with the modern truck, what is under the hood are all plastic. Just diagnosing which onboard computer has what problem will require hooking the car up to another computer, and that typically has to be done at a dealership.
Old means cool
The biggest factor that draws buyers is the fact that these old vehicles are cool. Something about the simple, timeless honesty of square corners and upright windshields just speaks to people in a way round plastic crossovers never will. Fashion is the primary reason old vehicles have gotten so expensive.
While it’s gotten nearly impossible to find a decent Defender, Land Cruiser, or Wagoneer at anything approaching a sensible price, first-generation Range Rovers, produced from 1970 to 1996, can still be had for less than $10,000 in excellent condition. Project vehicles are sometimes less than $1,000.
For that amount of money, a motorist does not just get an SUV that will comfortably get him anywhere in the world, it will also get him there in style.
Riding on the most capable suspension and decorated inside like Balmoral Castle’s library, the Range Rover is refined, serene, and elegant.
The base V8 engine comes with 510 hp and 550 hp is optional. Both engines mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that features more adjustments than a chiropractor. If the standard-wheelbase model isn’t enough, a long-wheelbase version with an added 7.3 inches of rear legroom is available.
Incidentally, the Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic is already available in the market to fill the multi-passenger vehicular void that no supercar could.