1980 Range Rover Classic

Finished in what many consider to be the very best colour of them all, this Bahama Gold Range Rover Classic also benefits from having spent the majority of its life in the sunny South African climate.

The vehicle’s previous owner, who lived in South Africa at the time, had always fancied owning a Range Rover Classic and found this one after a long search.

Clearly an astute and experienced classic car owner, he is said to have driven the two-door model for six months before stripping it down to a bare shell for inspection, something we understand he did during COVID lockdowns after bringing it back to the UK with him.

The result is impressive: We’ll go into the full details in the appropriate section, but rest assured that ‘KVO 975V’ is a very cost-effective alternative to paying Land Rover a quarter of a million pounds for one of their rebuilt Range Rover Classics.

The post-stripdown inspection revealed what the previous keeper described as “a perfect chassis in an outstanding condition.” He went on to say that “the only welding required was to the driver’s footwell, a small area at the front of the nearside sill and a small area of the chassis behind the nearside front wing. This was all done by a professional.”

The chassis was then rustproofed, primed, and repainted. Minor rust to the lower tailgate was professionally removed, and the upper tailgate was replaced with a new tailgate from Masai. The vehicle’s interior was then soundproofed using dodo mats, and the final stage was to take the bodywork back to bare metal for a change of colour to the Bahama Gold using modern 2k paint.

Well, we say the colour of the paint is Bahama Gold but there’s no documentary evidence of that, so we took a poll in the office and agreed that it probably is – unless you know better?

The Range Rover was then reassembled using new rubber door seals, quarterlight frames, front sidelight clusters, door mirrors, and a petrol cap.

The windscreen was also replaced, but the decision was made to reuse the original window glass, albeit with new rubber seals, which is a lovely touch as it still shows the Range Rover’s original registration number of ‘CVL 767T’.

The Range Rover’s current registration number is shown on the matching pressed aluminium numberplates, a feature that becomes even cooler when you realise the rear one pivots down when the tailgate is lowered.

It’s often the small things that are the most compelling, isn’t it?

Our man describes the 16-inch steel wheels as being in a “great condition”, a description none of us can recall him using before, mind you, he went on to describe the paintwork as being “in a fantastic condition”.

He’s either sickening for something or the Range Rover made a hell of an impression on him.

But then it is full of nice touches including a simple metal front bumper that incorporates a cutout for the starting handle, exposed door and bonnet hinges, the classic radiator grille, sliding rear windows, rear mudflaps, and the early vertical door handles.

A towing bracket is also fitted, and it just needs a towball bolted if you intend to use it. Single electrics also appear to be fitted, but we haven’t tested them.

As for flaws, the paintwork might be in a fantastic condition but there are a few faint sanding marks on it, albeit slight enough that a good machine polish should remove them.

Other minor flaws include a slight scuff on the front bumper above the numberplate, warped window trims on both doors, bubbles under the vinyl roof to the left of the tailgate, and a crack on the rear of the nearside sill trim.

We also spotted chips to the trailing edge of the nearside door, above the handle on the offside door, and on the tailgate.

The offside door skin is chipped along the bottom where it is crimped onto the inner frame, and on the inner edge above the door handle. Both have exposed a very small amount of rust underneath.

There are also two small holes in the roof, the ‘R’ of ‘Range’ on the bonnet is crooked, and while three of the tyres are a matching Goodyear Wrangler AT/S, the offside front is a Nankang NK 4x4 WD A/T FT-7.

The interior is utterly lovely too, reminding us that true luxury is engineered in, not bolted on.

So, you’ll search in vain for walnut veneer, oversized touchscreens, and chrome gewgaws. You also have to change gear yourself, and wind your own windows up and down by hand. Seats slide fore and aft by pulling a handle and shuffling your bottom, and when it’s cold it’ll be down to you to judge how much choke to apply.

We could go on, but despite sporting a poverty-spec no new car buyer would tolerate, it’s so well designed that you’ll still feel like Royalty.

Part of that is because so much of it is either new or refurbished, of course, with Exmoor Trim and Famous Four supplying a largely brand-new interior.

This includes new herringbone seat covers, a replacement headlining, and new Palomino door trims, armrests, rear quarter panels, B- and C-pillar trims, and front footwell trims, in addition to a Hardura spare wheel and tool kit cover for the original tool kit.

A full set of Bronze carpets were also fitted, and if you’re looking for a pointer as to how well the work was done, how about the fact that a pair of matching rear wheelarch covers are included in the sale but haven’t been fitted because the 1980-MY didn’t have them?

As is often the case with cars that have spent their lives in the sun, the top of the dashboard was cracked, and enthusiasts will know how hard it is to find a good secondhand one – and what a price they fetch when you do.

He persevered though and managed to source one from Suffix Matters and, having been assembled in South Africa, this example also has factory-fitted air-conditioning, which has – and you’re ahead of us here, aren’t you? – been fully restored and is working as it should.

A modern Sony headunit is fitted.

The boot is both vast and beautifully trimmed, and even the back of the rear seat is straight and nicely painted, rather than dinked and scratched. It also folds down of course, turning your luxury SUV into a credible van, while the tailgate offers a handy perch to have a mug of tea while you watch the kids play football at the weekend.

There are a few small jobs for the new owner to do, like getting the oil temperature, coolant temperature, and fuel gauges working. Everything else we tested worked as it should.

As for cosmetic issues, we spotted a stain on the carpet in the rear footwell, a slightly warped headlining, loose nearside A-pillar trim, and small cracks on the panels that holds the oil temperature and voltage gauges, and on the far nearside trim between the two air vents.

The use of Posidrive screws on the steering column shroud grates a little, but replacing those and realigning the two halves should be cheap and easy.

The seller, who’s owned the Range Rover for around ten months, tells us that the previous keeper commissioned a marque specialist to go through the Range Rover’s mechanical systems, repairing or replacing everything that needed it. This work included having the Stromberg carburettors rebuilt and the radiator re-cored. He is also said to have serviced the vehicle, replaced the starter motor and brake master cylinder, and changed the oil twice.

As you can see, the V8 engine starts well, even from cold, and shows good oil pressure on the dashboard. It idles well too, and revs nicely.

The engine bay isn‘t finished to the same high standard as everything else, so if detailing is your hobby, then there’re a few hours of fun ahead of you, although we suspect everyone else will be content to get it professionally valeted and call it good.

As for issues, the relay wiring has been wrapped in electrician’s tape, so you might want to unravel that and see what’s lurking underneath before doing the job properly in the interests of reliability.

One of the caps for the screenwash is rusted through too, and the bonnet is rubbing on the nearside front corner.

As for the underside, it is freshly painted and undersealed, and apart from some perished rubber bushes, it looks good.

The Range Rover doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the winning bidder to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity.

The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

Nonetheless, it did have one, and an advisory-free one at that; the first UK keeper was keen to prove the vehicle’s UK provenance, which he did by getting a ticket it for it on the 20th of December 2023.

As for paperwork, while we haven’t seen it at the time of writing the advert, we understand it comprises:

· A clear Vehicle History Check is clear

· The original and fully stamped "Passport to Service"

· The original sales acknowledgement dated the 20th of February 1980. Addressed to a Mr C. F De Langue of Florida Panel Beaters in Johannesburg, it confirms the Range Rover’s first registration number was ‘CVL 767T’.

We also understand that the paperwork suggests the vehicle had only a handful of owners following the first, and it remained registered in the inland Johannesburg area of South Africa until 2014, when it was purchased by Mr Leigh Briggs and transferred to the Eastern Cape province.

The previous owner reported that Mr Briggs used the 4x4 for fishing expeditions at the weekend until 2021, at which point in moved into his hands.

The previous keeper also said: “The original service history is complemented by maintenance records dating from 1980-1983 and from 2014-2024. There is also limited history from the period 2007-2014.”

With a guide price of between £25,000 and £35,000, you couldn’t buy a two-door Range Rover Classic and restore it to this standard for anything like the same money.

And this is a vehicle you can jump in and drive: no waiting on parts; no need to navigate your way through the inevitable delays every rebuild has; and, perhaps best of all, no restoration inflation, where the price quoted turns out to be a third of the final bill.

No, in this case you just pay your money and drive away secure in the knowledge that few Range Rover Classics as good as this owe their owners so little.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.