On the day when you're either rejoicing or receding into a dark corner for a cry at the thought of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone's existence, Kinglsey Cars has seen an opportunity. It has launched the ULEZ Reborn Range Rover series - although this isn't going to end up as a technical deep dive into venerable V8s gaining petrol particulate filters and high-pressure piezo injectors. Oh no. You see, while your ULEZ Reborn Range Rover can breeze though London without charge, it's probably more accurate to say it's ULEZ 'exempt' rather than compliant, because the mules are all pre-1981 Classics.
Still, Range Rover Classics are cool, so let's look at what you get. Firstly, it's a choice of a two- or four-door bodyshell that's been stripped to the bare bones. From there, any rust is cut out and new sections seam welded in, with the welds sealed for rust resistance. The body also receives a rubberised coating and layers of high-quality solvent paint.
Two versions of the Rover V8 are available - the 4.0-litre with 220hp or the optional 4.6-litre with 270hp. Naturally, these have been fully rebuilt, as has the Borg Warner transfer box and the four-speed ZF 4HP22 automatic gearbox. Kingsley Cars claims you'll see 25mpg, which will no doubt please Mayor Khan enormously.
To improve the ride and handling, regardless of whether you're within or without of the ULEZ, options include a Fast Road Suspension Kit with uprated anti-roll bars, six-pot calipers at the front and four-pot calipers at the rear clamping down on larger discs and lightweight forged aluminium wheels. Those reduce the unsprung mass and, let's face it, there's a lot of that in the Classic's twin live axles.
Inside, you get a rejuvenated interior that can be trimmed in your choice of tweed and leathers. There's also more than a splash of modern living in the form of LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. You can even have wireless smartphone charging and Apple CarPlay integrated into a 700-watt sound system with rear entertainment screens.
How much does all this cost? Well, prices for the ULEZ Reborn Range Rover start from £125,000 and you'll need to allow six to eight months for the build. Too much or too long to wait? Then keep searching the PH classifieds, where rather lovely, pre-81 ULEZ-compliant Range Rover Classics often surface for rather less than that.
1 / 13
