It was just the other week we had confirmation the Heritage operations of Jaguar and Land Rover were being rebranded into a
new Classic department
. Shortly after we had news of its first project, an
XKSS continuation
following on from a similar series of newly constructed
E-Type Lightweights
. Now we have a Land Rover spin on the theme, the Solihull wing of the Classic business confirming it will rebuild 25 Series I Land Rovers to factory condition and sell them as fully restored vehicles as close to 'new' as is possible.
If Land Rover did 10 Years Younger...
The idea is to showcase what can be done using Land Rover Classic's combination of original parts support and in-house restoration expertise, picking 25 Series I chassis from around the world, restoring them to 1948 specification using original parts and then selling them on. Customers will be able to "select their preferred base vehicle" with the help of the department's experts, choose one of five original colours and then follow the restoration on the old Defender line at Solihull.
As the press release has it, "Reborn offers 25 prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectable Land Rover Series I directly from Land Rover Classic."
How much for a 'new' Series I then? Land Rover Classic isn't saying but a quick hunt around online reveals prices start from anything in the few thousands to as much as £45K for something like this immaculate looking
1949 80-inch
, two-owner Series I with a John Brown 4x4 in North Yorkshire. A quick chat with the chaps there suggests this is nudging the top end of the market for such cars, begging the question how far Land Rover can push the price with the cachet of limited availability and factory restoration. The Lightweight E-Types were reportedly £1m-plus - place your bets on Land Rover pushing for six figures by the time your Series I rolls off the Solihull line for the second time in its life.
But now the really thorny question. In the pictures supplied with the release Land Rover Classic has supplied a taste of 'before and after', the latter polished, burnished and, yes, as new. Would it not look more interesting and authentic restored to running order but left looking the way it is? Over to you...