Imagine a world where the Range Rover didn't exist, where that Charles Spencer King idea of a car with Rover saloon comfort and the off-road ability of a Land Rover never happened. Just think what a motoring landscape we might have now. That's not meant in a derogatory way, either; while many will have their views on contemporary SUVs, there's always been something extra special, something a little more desirable, about the Range. Apart from maybe the P38.
Because despite all the bling, despite the ravages of depreciation and despite a now huge wealth of rivals, the authenticity of the Range Rover remains unmatched. It arrived first - in Britain at least - and pioneered the segment. It set the template for others to follow, offering up a whole new idea of what a luxury vehicle might be, and will always be remembered as such. Only one car can be the original, after all.
Now we're approaching half a century of continuous Range Rover production, which is surely as great a validation for a project as there can be. There's not much else on four wheels that's had a run that long, and those cars that have are equally as iconic.
It's perhaps understandable, then, that Land Rover has never missed the opportunity to cash in on the Range Rover's heritage, most recently with the introduction of the Velar - another mid-size SUV, this time named in homage to the original Range Rover prototypes. Now, given there are so few of them around - estimates vary between 10 and 26 - a 'real' Velar is quite rare nowadays. But look what we have here, right on the eve of the 50th anniversary year...
Yep, an actual Velar, a Range Rover before it was a Range Rover. (Note how all the external badges are 'Velar', only the steering wheel and build plaque in these pics saying 'Range Rover'.) YVB 165H is chassis #22, registered on March 3rd 1970 and said to have been a test vehicle for the engineering department for three years in the early 1970s.
It led an interesting life from then, heavily restored at the end of the 1990s for the Range Rover's 30th anniversary bash (but keeping lots of original features), then further tinkered with at the start of this decade to be on display in the RAC Club rotunda in 2012. It's being offered with the original bill of sale, nearly 30 years' worth of V5c copies and a history file described as "substantial." Having covered fewer than 1,000 miles a year in its life, the Velar is surely as fine a specimen as the other 25.
And what a time to purchase it. Or, indeed, what a time to be selling it. As noted in the ad, ownership of a genuine Velar in 2020, 50 years after the car first came into existence, promises to open a great many doors. Chassis #22 will be welcome at every celebration event for this iconic car, and surely parked right at the front, too. It's akin to driving a 1959 Mini, or a 1963 911, to similar events - it'll be a privilege, as well as huge fun.
Which all goes some way to explaining the asking price - this 49-year-old Land Rover is for sale at £215,000. As if to demonstrate the significance of this car, the next oldest Range Rover on PH - a series production car, from 1971 - costs £60,000. Original Classics are, as you'll probably know, available for much less as well. But while the argument over just what a Range Rover is worth can go on until the end of time, that this automotive legend is 50 years old next year is indisputable. Being involved with the celebrations by owning and driving one of the very first promises to be an experience like no other - deciding whether it's an experience worth the cost of two new ones is up to the next buyer...
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