Churchill Land Rover

Are classic Range Rovers going up in value? Find out what effects the value of a Range Rover Classic. We look at what you should be aware of when buying or selling a classic Range Rover.

The Range Rover Classic

Even if you only have the most passing interest in the value of early Range Rover Classics recently, then you will know that the three-door models have significantly shot right up in price. The value of the vehicles is greatly enhanced by the undeniable useability of the vehicle itself. These days, the Range Rover is seen as an icon among luxury vehicles, but this was far from the case when the brand was first introduced.

The car was seen as rugged, tough, and rough around the edges, even if it was generally considered to be a step above the rest of the brand's agricultural rivals. As we are sure you can imagine, the designers of the original Range Rovers did not expect the vehicle to become a collectable classic. The initial brief that was given to the designers was to create a Land Rover that would be viewed as more "user-friendly" rather than a car with the associated prestige that Land Rover later garnered.

The Range Rover's initial genesis came in the form of a realisation that the original Land Rover was actually quite limited in its ability as a road car. Even when the Land Rover came in the Tickford-developed station wagon design. In fact, a Rover P4-based model was prototyped in the year 1951 under the name Road Rover which was meant to be sold as a more high-riding estate car rather than a serious off-road country vehicle. But due to the sales of the Land Rover remaining high, the idea was never properly pushed.

This idea was once again considered in the early 1960s when Rover management was hoping to enter the US market. This thrust into America was due to the growth across the US in sales of leisure-orientated four-by-four vehicles such as the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wagoneer. So the Road Rover concept was discussed again, but in order for it to compete in the US market, the vehicle would need the popular all-wheel drive.

It was around ninety kilograms lighter than the Rover's old straight-six engine, as well as offering a huge boost in torque and power. There was also a lot of marketing appeal that surrounded the V8 engine, so this could be used in order to achieve commercial success overseas in the US market.

Funnily enough though, the Range Rover still wouldn't even go on to be sold in America until 1987. Many years later, Spen King said that this was down to the high expenses required to engineer the vehicle, so it met all of the country's incredibly strict safety and emission regulations.

Of course, the V8 engine was not quite in full production here in the UK yet, so this meant that the early prototypes had to turn to the imported Buick engines. The engines were modified with the original Rochester carburettors swapped out for those of Zenith-Stromberg due to the American carburettors not being able to handle all of the highly steep angles that this new vehicle was capable of withstanding.

The prototypes also used incredibly basic but utilitarian bodywork that was praised by all of the higher-ups at Rover management. They liked it so much to the point that famous stylist David Bache was only told to "tidy up" the design, refining the body's iconic features such as the split tailgate and castellated bonnet. 

What is the Value of a Range Rover Classic

With Range Rovers becoming a robust part of the Jaguar Land-Rover range of products and consistently having very successful sales figures, the vehicle continues to be an absolutely massive hit. It has been proven through the decades that car brands that are big hits always become classics.

Range Rovers have gone through a lot of different periods, including their used period, not worth fixing up period, going for absolute pennies period, and sold in the classifieds period. 

But now, the classic Range Rover has begun to start building up value on the market. After previously hanging around the below-£5000 range as recently as a decade ago, the value of vehicles produced from 1970 to 1995 can now run up to the £15,000 mark.

Of course, the earlier vehicles, such as pre-Vogue and three-door cars, are the ones that have appreciated in value first. They represent the early genesis of the Range Rover, and this shows in the figures as the values of cars produced between the years of 1984-1995 are significantly lower, even if they are growing.

Over the last five years, the models that have come to represent a large chunk of the classic Range Rover market have appreciated in value by fifty per cent, with even run-of-the-mill examples selling for just under £7000 and good models selling for around £10,000. Special edition Range Rovers have been selling for just over £20,000.

Classic Range Rover Bodywork

The Range Rover Classic's construction means that the majority of what you can see from the outside is made of aluminium. Unfortunately, this means that even the most worthless, damaged, and faulty examples can seem highly presentable at first glance.The car's aluminium outer panels are linked to a steel central structure, and this can rot at an alarming rate.

The door shuts are highly visible, and this should be able to give you a good first impression of the quality of the vehicle you are looking at. Other key areas you should be looking at are the floor panels, inner arches, and the sills. We would also recommend taking a look at the rear seatbelt mountings extremely carefully, as this is prone to be an area that leads to the failure of MOTs.

Much like the original Land Rover, the bulkhead should also be carefully inspected.Weirdly, specialists in Land Rovers will tend to agree that the later-made 'soft dash' cars rust at a much faster rate than the older productions. Regrettably, they rust in all the same spots as the earlier Range Rovers do, but they also tend to rust in the bulkhead area too, as well as the corner of the vehicle's scuttle.

It is not at all an easy repair, and in order to be fixed satisfactorily, then there will have to be a lot of dismantling. This, of course, raises the price of the repairs. The steel upper tailgate window frame is famous at this point for corroding down. The same goes for the frame of the lower tailgate.

Thankfully, these days, there are aluminium replacements available that can be used for creating a permanent solution. The vehicle's chassis will also need to be checked, as major rust can build up here too. You should also look for bodged patch repairs. Fortunately, the Range Rover Classic's ground clearance is sizable enough that you can crawl right underneath without the need for a common workshop lift.

There are no particular spots that tend to rust more than any other, but it is always wise to take a look at the area above the rear axle and give it a poke. The best advice here we can give you here is to ensure that you check the whole structure, and when doing so, you will be able to notice if the vehicle was used excessively off-road. 

Classic Range Rover Interior

The vehicle offers an excellent combination of simplicity and comfort that should be familiar to anyone who has spent any time sitting within or driving one of the higher-spec Discovery models.

It feels fantastic and commanding to be sat in that raised position looking out over the now iconic squared-off clamshell bonnet. Enthusiasts have come to adore the sheer sense of security and protection that the car's extremities provide.The interior with a Range Rover Classic is a do not miss, but as mentioned earlier, you should always check out whether the parts that need replacing are purchasable first.