Royal-grade, Range Rover SVO V8 (L322) for sale
A green over cream Vogue with sirens, covert lights... and B6-level armour. Who's feeling regal?
There can’t be many, if any, more successful British cars across the globe than the Range Rover. Nothing else, for more than half a century, has been coveted by so many, from those on the hunt for a Shed-spec smoker to the world’s wealthiest. It’s some achievement.
For a long time, the first generation was the Range Rover most in demand for classic collectors. To some, it always will be. But with the P38 having enjoyed some time in the limelight as the world obsessed over the '90s, the L322 is slowly becoming the focus of sentimental buyers. It’s 25 years old this year, it’s still effortlessly stylish and, like so much from the era, offers up a lot of modern performance and safety without being a three-ton tank.
On initial inspection, this looks like a perfectly nice one, with V8 power, a classy colour combo and extremely low mileage. But there’s more to this 2003 Vogue than meets the eye. See, it was bought and specified new by a Royal family (it isn’t clear which one), used ‘to transport dignitaries, VIPs and Royals to and from their UK estate.’ It was ordered from Land Rover directly, and whisked straight to SVO upon completion for the fitment of some very special options.
We’re not talking fancy carpets or massage seats here, either - this is a bulletproof Range Rover. Specifically, the option code for Special Vehicles at the time was ‘149AA B6 level armouring’, so this bulked up L322 can withstand rounds from AK-47s, M16s and even .44 Smith and Wessons, should you find yourself in the middle of a duel. The 149AA box tick meant plenty besides as well: driver training, lights, sirens, radio comms, a self-sealing fuel tank, a Kevlar floor (!), uprated Alcon brakes to deal with the extra heft, a fire suppression system and ‘global after-sales support’. The VVIP treatment, basically, for car and owner. Heaven knows what it must have cost to kit out a Range Rover with all that 20-odd years ago.
But it was deemed money well spent by whichever Royal family commissioned the Range, as it was retained by them until 2018, by which time OYS had clocked up 25,000 miles. Since then it’s one more owner, who’s driven just a few more thousand miles. So even aside from the fact that it’s literally bulletproof, this L322 is notable as a low-mileage, pristine early V8. And there aren’t many of those around.
It’s being sold with five new tyres, a recent refresh of the brakes and, hopefully, plenty of fuel in it - the official 17.4mpg will surely take a hit with so much extra weight aboard, plus an SVO tickle to more than 300hp. There’s all the documentation from the original ordering, too, which will surely be fascinating to pore over. As the ad says, it’s ‘about as close to a real-life Bond car as you are likely to find’. At £35k, this is definitely an L322 for the Range Rover aficionado rather than the casual enthusiast, but what a brilliant slice of SVO history. And it’s actually the most affordable armoured car in the classifieds, should that be a genuine requirement. Never say we don’t do proper consumer advice on PH...
Having driven a few armoured vehicles they are quite something to get your head around the weight of. Highlights were a Phantom that weighed over 5 tons & a landcruiser with a "safety cell" for places with to many loose RPG,s. I presume the latest variants will be being tested for fpv defences.
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