Description
7th Dec, 2024 10:00
The December 2024 Auction
1949 Land Rover 80 Series I
Desirable lights behind the grille model, with a twist!
Estimate
£25, 000 - £27, 000
Buyer's premium: 15. 00%
Lot details
Registration: MKX 267
Chassis: R8666618
Odometer: Not Visible
Transmission: Manual
MOT: Exempt
Early Land Rover from the second year of production
Superb ‘Restomod’ fitted with a 300TDi engine, Series III fully synchromesh gearbox, and disc brakes all around
Undrilled front wings
Still retains front spade seats, original specification D-lamps, and twin bench seats in the rear
Highly useable early Land Rover more than capable of keeping up with modern-day traffic
In current ownership since 2015
Subject to comprehensive restoration
Fitted with a brand new Canvas Bikini Hood
Enjoyed and showed doing events such as ‘London to Brighton’ with the Land Rover Club
One of the longest-running success stories in motoring history, the iconic Land Rover was designed by Maurice Wilks and launched to the world at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948.
Until 1951 this ‘go anywhere’ marvel was only offered with an 80-inch wheelbase and a 1. 6-litre petrol engine but a 2-litre unit was to follow in 1952. In early 1950, the lights moved from a position behind the grille to protruding through the grille. 1954 saw a big change as the 80-inch chassis was extended by 6-inches and a 107-inch pick up version was also introduced, all models sharing a sturdy box-section ladder-frame chassis design.
The most desirable of all Series Land Rovers are the earliest models with their simple Butler headlights hidden behind the grille. Their bulkhead mounted sidelights, semaphore indicators and spade-shaped seats are further give-aways that a Series 1 comes from the first few years of manufacture.
This is a superb early ‘lights behind the grille example’ with a twist! Instead of the 1600cc petrol engine and the series 1 crash gearbox, this one benefits from a robust 300TDi engine producing 111bhp boasting over double the power of the original. A fully synchromesh gearbox from a Series III has also been fitted, to help deal with the power and making it much more useable in modern traffic. Disc brakes have been fitted all around for modern stopping power, which perform superbly well.
This Land Rover presents the best of both worlds, offering rustic and original styling with the useability of a modern car. Driving the original 1940s Land Rover can be hard work and tiring, however, this one can easily be used more frequently and for much longer distances.
It is lovely that most of the original aesthetics, such as the undrilled front wings, spade front seats, and rear D-lamps, have not been changed. This probably isn’t one for the purist, but if you enjoy driving your cars and fancy a useable early Land Rover for a fraction of the price of an original one, this is the Landy for you!
