Spotless P38 Range Rover 4.6 HSE for sale
The '90s are back. What better way to relive it...
Land Rover, clearly, has enjoyed better autumns. While it is now (slowly, painstakingly) on the mend from a cyber attack that is estimated to have cost the UK as much as £1.9bn - considered by some to be the most economically damaging cyber event the nation has yet endured - the road to complete recovery is likely to be long and winding. And it will face scrutiny over the vulnerabilities that led up to its shutdown, not to mention the knock-on effect of the time and money lost.
But the manufacturer has been in tight spots before. Not everything has always gone to plan. Unfair, of course, to call the P38 a failure - even if BMW was minded to do so once its takeover was complete. After all, the model had the unenviable job of replacing an icon, a task that Land Rover approached diligently and intelligently, if not ambitiously. In its prudent attempt to replicate the original Range Rover’s charm, the manufacturer retained too much of its DNA without fully exorcising all of its demons.
Nevertheless, when it launched in 1994, the result still seemed to have ticked the most obvious boxes, chiefly thanks to a styling overhaul that cemented the model’s upmarket positioning. Granted, the L322, the much-improved replacement that BMW oversaw and hurried to fruition, is the older Range Rover that buyers have tended to covet - but a resurgence of interest in everything to do with the ‘90s has cast new light on the P38 and its prospective value as a modern classic.
Thanks to a regiment of electrical gremlins and suspension issues— not to mention less than sturdy residuals— it can be tricky to find a good one. Accordingly, this example, with just 48,500 miles on the clock courtesy of a single previous owner, and in 4.6 HSE spec, is a rarity. The larger flavour of Rover V8 ought to be good for around 230hp and 280lb ft of torque, sufficient to make the P38 waft without overly challenging its separate chassis or the balloon-like tyre around its 16-inch alloys.
From where we’re sitting, the Epsom Green paintwork presents beautifully and complements the car's straight-edged design far better than many of the more common silver or black examples. The interior was criticised at the time for not moving the game on compared to German execs, but it’s a veritable treasure trove of ‘90s chic now, not least because dark grey leather and burr walnut trim strike a nice balance between country estate capability and Kensington kudos.
At any rate, it presents as a perfectly usable daily, and while its £20k asking price is decidedly punchy, it is significantly less than you’ll pay for a similarly well-kept L322. And practically nothing compared to the ballooning money asked for its predecessor, the Classic. Broadly speaking, the P38 will be nicer to drive on the road and still heroic off it. Obviously, there are less thirsty, hefty, and perilous cars from the ‘90s that you could buy— but few that convey the charms of the era so completely. Long may Land Rover’s knack in this respect continue.
The main issue other than electrical gremlins would be the suspension, and that’s sorted by putting some springs.
Can someone with a bit more knowledge about them tell me if, once sorted, they’re more reliable than the L322?
The main issue other than electrical gremlins would be the suspension, and that’s sorted by putting some springs.
Can someone with a bit more knowledge about them tell me if, once sorted, they re more reliable than the L322?
I’ve owned three p38 s - they are relatively easy to fix because all the faults are known and well documented - there’s stuff on my website about my ones.
air suspension is usually a seal in the compressor, leaking lines, bad height sensors or split bags - i bought one that had been bypassed with shrader valves, presumably because the owner gave up on it - i reinstated everything and it worked perfectly.
I would recommend that people look at the later facelifted vogue p38’s with the thor engine - they are much better to drive (due to the thor manifold, better (canbus) control of the autobox and bmw ecu)
wouldn’t touch a pre-facelift, i had two of them - the late facelift was far better.
But, keeping up with the faults is like a never ending game of whack a mole.
The community is excellent with a wealth of knowledge on how to fix things. My favourite is when the remote locking sensor fails and you have to go through a safe cracking sequence to bypass the imobilsor. The micro switch in the door locks also fail which will scupper that!
Eventually though it all gets a bit tedious so I gave up on mine. Wouldn’t want to go there again.
I'd much rather have a half tidy Classic for that money.
I used to detail one of these in the early 00s very regularly and my mate who owned it always had issues.
Still looks good after all these years.
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