For vintage fans, Land Rover to make 25 new ‘Series 1’ cars
07 Apr 2016
Land Rover has announced that it will produce another 25 examples of the original Series 1 version of its famous 4x4 which appeared in 1948.
They will cost between £60,000 and £80,000 depending on whether it's an 80-inch or 86-inch chassis model.
Rather than complete new-builds, the cars will be existing Series 1s hand-picked by Land Rover Classic's team of experts for authenticity and then subjected to a full restoration at the factory to the original 1948 specification.
This includes the choice of five period finishes, including Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red.
The company's Classic division is behind the plan to create the 25 ''new'' cars, which it announced at the Techno-Classica historic vehicle show in Essen, Germany. It has already sold an un-restored car on its stand that's due for full restoration under the Land Rover Reborn banner.
Customers will be able to select their preferred base vehicle in conjunction with Land Rover Classic's restoration team, and they will be able to follow the car's restoration from start to finish at Land Rover's new Classic workshop at the original Defender factory in Solihull. Many experienced workers from the old Defender production line are contributing to the restoration of the 25 Series 1 cars.
If you were to order one now, Land Rover Classic estimates that it would be completed within six to nine months.
Tony O'Keeffe of Jaguar Land Rover Classic said that once the 25 ''new'' cars had been produced, the workshop would take in customers' own cars for restoration or general fettling.
Only two weeks ago, Land Rover's sister company Jaguar announced that it will build nine new examples of its famed XKSS sports car produced in 1957, each costing in excess of £1 million. Unlike the meticulously restored Series 1 Land Rovers, the XKSS are ''continuation'' cars - faithful replicas built using new parts to the original blueprints.
The XKSS isn't the first Jaguar continuation. In May 2014 it announced a run of six Lightweight E-type racers to complement the 12 original cars that left the Browns Lane factory in 1963, bringing the total amount of genuine lightweight E-types to 18, the number originally intended.
In mid-March, Jaguar Land Rover renamed its Heritage business as Jaguar Land Rover Classic. It is a division of JLR's Special Operations and is dedicated to providing cars, services, parts and experiences to owners and fans of classic Jaguars and Land Rovers around the world.
Tim Hannig, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: ''The launch of the Reborn initiative represents a fantastic opportunity for customers to own a valuable and collectable automotive icon. Reborn showcases Land Rover Classic's expertise in restoring and maintaining our loyal customers' prized Land Rovers.''
