The first ever Range Rover built with chassis number #001, will go under the hammer at The Salon Privé Sale on September 4 in London.
Estimated to fetch between £100,000 (€125,725) and £140,000 (€176,000), this Olive Green Range Rover was the first example of the British SUV to roll off the assembly line in 1969.
The car was built between November 24 and December 17, 1969 before being registered on January 2, 1970, nearly six months before the official launch date of the Range Rover. The first owner of the car was Michael Furlong, who produced two promotional films for the model.
In 1975, the car passed onto a new owner and was re-sprayed in Bahama Gold. It couldn’t be traced for a number of years because of changes to registrations as well as color. The current vendor discovered and bought it in the early 1990s and embarked on a ground up restoration that took six years and saw the car return to its original shape, including the Olive Green paint.
Remarkably, the vehicle retains all its “matching numbers” components: chassis, engine, gearbox, and axles, as well as the original aluminum bonnet, and the original body shell. As a result, in 1997 the DVLA reissued #001 with its original registration number YVB 151H.
“It’s wonderful to be able to offer this iconic British model for auction at the UK’s finest concours event. These cars are incredibly popular and we expect a significant amount of interest when it goes under the hammer,” commented Nick Whale, Managing Director, Silverstone Auctions.
PHOTO GALLERY
