Range Rover Two-door Classic

There is a simple elegance about the original two-door 1970 Range Rover that makes the current generation of luxury off-roaders appear almost absurdly overblown by comparison. Designed by Spen King, it’s boxy, minimalist yet perfectly proportioned form was so fundamentally 'right' from the outset that it remained in production virtually unaltered for the next 25 years. The bodywork was not substantially redesigned until the second generation model of 1995 which was an altogether heavier and more complex vehicle than its rugged forebear. All versions are hugely capable machines that are equally at home on the motorway or the school run, or clambering to the top of a mountain.

Built on a box-section ladder-type chassis, much like the contemporary Land Rover, the Range Rover had more sophisticated all-independent coil spring suspension, permanent four-wheel drive and disc brakes all round. Power came from Rover’s light-weight all-alloy 3.5-litre V8 engine, detuned to 135bhp. Early examples had fairly basic, utilitarian interiors with vinyl seats and plastic dashboards that were designed to be washed down with a hose. Features such as power assisted steering, carpeted floors, air conditioning, cloth/leather seats and wooden interior trim were only fitted later, when it was realised that it had a far larger market as a luxury vehicle than merely as a more comfortable alternative to the Land Rover Station Wagon.

Dating from February 1974, this Sahara Gold example is a nice early vehicle that has only covered some 75,000 miles from new. It is unusual in having factory air conditioning fitted and may have been exported originally (parts of the air con system have been removed but remain with the vehicle).

The vendor states that the bodywork is “presentable without being wonderful” while he rates the cloth interior as “fair”. Mechanically it is said to be in mainly good order throughout and has just had a £400 brake overhaul. The vendor further states that: “there is slight play in the steering and the clutch pedal is a bit lazy returning but the gearbox is fairly quiet. I have been using it regularly and it goes well once you have got past a slight low speed flat spot which is probably timing related.” Supplied with a good history file, it has an MOT until March 2013, six months’ road tax and is ready to drive away today.