Back to back: Land Rover or Range Rover?

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We’ve all dreamt of being a country squire, haven’t we? And the only set of wheels appropriate for noble land owners is of course a Land- or Range Rover. In green please. So let’s have a look at two cars available soon at the Member’s Meeting at Goodwood. Hey, if there’s one place to get in the mood for the countryside, then it’s here.

You must have noticed that the Classic Range Rover (launched in 1970) has been going through some serious price developments lately. Especially early examples of the noble go-anywhere vehicle have become expensive now. This car dates from 1980, which means it is still the original two-door classic but it has some updates on the earliest of cars. This one was restored some 12 to 15 years ago but looks just right and ready for some good use. Auctioneer Bonhams states: “The private vendor describes the car as 'an excellent driver with zero mechanical issues'; the bodywork though, would benefit from refurbishment and a repaint.” You can also leave it as it is. These cars look good when they are not too shiny, we’d think. It’s estimated at 25- to 30,000 pounds with no reserve. See it for sale here.

But perhaps a Range Rover, even a classic, is too modern for your tastes? While a Land Rover is perhaps a bit too Spartan? The solution comes in the shape of the rare (641 built) Land Rover Station wagon, coachbuilt by Tickford. Bonhams have a 1949 example in their sale and it’s just stunning. Classic Land Rover Owner magazine wrote: “A Tickford was built for the landed gentry, for hunting and shooting and fishing, to be driven along a few dirty tracks and then brought home to be cleaned by the chauffeur. It's a coachbuilt upmarket, off-road limo for the post-war big spender.” Like the standard Land Rover, this car’s body was made in aluminium too, while using a mahogany wood frame. This particular Tickford is in the hands of the current owner since 1981 when he bought it from a farmer in Oxfordshire – needing complete restoration. That took him some 30 years as it was only finished in 2010. The car is now estimated to sell at 30- to 40,000 pounds, which doesn’t seem so bad considering its rarity and the amount of tlc spent by the current owner. See it here. What’s the one you would prefer to drive home over country roads?

(Words editor, pictures courtesy Bonhams auctioneers)

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