1979 Range Rover (Suffix F) 2-door

• The enduring, Spencer King-designed Range Rover was one of the British Motor Industry's proudest success stories
• Powered by the venerable Rover ex-Buick V8, with chassis technology similar to Land Rovers
• A late '70s 2-door example recipient of a high-end cosmetic £35,000 restoration by specialists ‘Famous Four’ of Lincolnshire, with a bespoke interior; remarkably solid prior to the extensive work
• Presents in a beautiful overall condition, retaining much character and usability
• 2-door Classic Range Rovers are wholly endearing and always seem in fashion, blending in effortlessly whether at Goodwood or a local country show

There is a select group of British cars that are instantly recognisable for their silhouettes alone; the Morris Minor, the Mini, the Jaguar E-Type – and the Range Rover, all vehicles that merit that much-abused word ‘iconic’. Although Rover’s head of new vehicle projects, Spencer King, claimed that the design for a new 4x4 was merely a stopgap, the Louvre museum in Paris described the result of his collaboration with the engineer Gordon Bashford as an “outstanding piece of modern sculpture”.

And 50 years ago, the idea of a luxury off-roader that was capable of 91mph on the road was science fiction to the average Briton. Nor did the Range Rover have any direct rivals in 1970, the only other upmarket British car with four-wheel drive was the Jensen FF, but that was a Grand Tourer for the jet-set.

Solihull-based Land Rover had considered a ‘Road-Rover’ to complement its rugged 4x4 as early as 1951, and by 1964 it gave serious thought to a new off-roader that would compete with the likes of the Ford Bronco in the US export market. The ‘100-inch Station Wagon’ (the figure denoting the wheelbase) would feature a box-section chassis, permanently-engaged four-wheel-drive and the V8 engine that Rover had acquired from General Motors. On December 18th in 1968, management formally approved the name ‘Range Rover’ after rejecting ‘Land Rover Ranger’.

The great stylist, David Bache, undertook some refinements of the Bashford/Snell bodywork, including the grille and enhancing the horizontal crease line along the side of the car. Rover constructed several prototypes, and test cars wore badges reading ‘Velar’ to deter curiosity from the media. On June 1st, 1970 British Leyland invited the press to a trial at the Meudon Hotel in Cornwall. BL had spent so much on launching the Triumph Stag earlier that year it had limited funds for the Range Rover’s promotion.

Sales commenced on June 17th, with prices from £1,998. ‘Autocar’ magazine raved: “What is so good about the Range Rover is the way it carries out its multiple functions, serving equally well as tug, load carrier, cross-country vehicle and, by no means least, as an ordinary car suitable even for commuting in heavy traffic.”

Within months, the waiting list for the Range Rover prompted a black market in new models. The brochure referred to the “seven-days-a-week luxury motor car for all business and domestic purposes”, an image that was emphasised by a guest appearance in The Persuaders!, when in the episode ‘The Morning After’, Roger Moore and Tony Curtis took part in a chase sequence showing-casing the Range Rover’s abilities.

Traffic policing further raised the profile of the Range Rover, and by 1971 it was employed by the forces of Cheshire, Kent, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. In 1976, ‘Car’ magazine had not “found a vehicle to challenge the Range Rover” while observing the Land Cruiser from Japan was “a nasty piece of work”.

February 1996 marked the demise of what had become known as the Range Rover ‘Classic’, following the launch of the second-generation Range Rover two years earlier, by which time some examples resembled a mobile gin palace. Many enthusiasts prefer the unadorned simplicity of those first models to a ‘Chelsea tractor’ that 'snever ventured off the tarmac. In the words of that ‘Car’ article of 44 years ago: “It really is just as happy in the deep mire of a forest as in the King’s Road.” and to quote ‘Motor’ magazine of 1975: “It isn’t perfect, but there are so few cars which even begin to compete. We love it!”

The car presented here is a 1979 Range Rover 'Suffix F' which was, according to its accompanying BMIHT Certified Copy of a Factory Record, built on the 9th May 1979 and despatched on the 21st May to BL Ltd. in France. Originally LHD and painted in Sahara Dust, our vendor’s father sourced this vehicle specifically for restoration and subsequent driving enjoyment (unsurprisingly, the best Range Rovers examples for restoration, often come from warmer/drier climates). A remarkably solid example prior to the work, the gentleman entrusted renowned Land Rover and Range Rover specialists ‘Famous Four’ of Lincolnshire to carry out a comprehensive cosmetic overall of it, costing around £35,000 (receipts and a photographic record of works carried out is in the history file).

Once Famous Four had carried out surprisingly minor welding repairs, they undertook a full restoration of the outer body panels, replacing the front outer wings with new Genuine Part versions, sourcing good use dry-climate doors, and fitting a brand new Famous Four lower tailgate, Famous Four apron and closing panel, along with all new rubber seals to finish, and re-trimmed the outer rear quarter panels in period-correct black vinyl. Existing parts such as bumpers, wheels, grille, and headlight surrounds were re-worked and painted. The interior was also re-trimmed to the customer’s bespoke specification, and the results are a credit to those involved. Full mechanical re-commissioning was carried out and a fresh MOT completed, resulting in beautiful, highly useable machine. Some months after completion, a minor 'incident' occurred whilst the Range Rover was on display on the 'Range Rover Register' stand at Silverstone circuit; this resulted it in returning to Famous Four where just over £3,000 was needed to remedy some light damage to the rear offside wing.

Silverstone Auctions have spoken to Famous Four about this Range Rover and to quote them, "that's a lovely vehicle, and drives really well."

Sadly, the gentleman who commissioned the work sadly passed away, and today his sons have entrusted Silverstone Auctions to sell their father’s Range Rover. We hope it finds its way into the ownership of a marque enthusiast who can go on using and enjoying a special example of such a revered British car.