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Land Rover S1 80 inch

Land Rover S1 80 inch

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Land Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inch
Land Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inchLand Rover S1 80 inch
Lot number 53
Hammer value £7,400
Description Land Rover S1 80 inch
Registration NFO 130
Year 1952
Colour Blue
Engine size 2,000 cc
Chassis No. 36101956

Post-war, Rover continued to make their quality, if rather staid range of cars. Beautifully engineered, they had relied heavily on their middle class home market before the war and were suffering with steel shortages, the Ministry of Supply allowing only a certain number of home market sales per year in a bid to boost exports and claim the much needed influx of foreign cash.

It occurred to Maurice Wilks, Rover's Managing Director, that they should use more aluminium in their vehicles. There was plenty of that around thanks to wartime aircraft production and Wilks had also been toying with design ideas to replace his trusty Jeep that was used as a work horse around his Pembroke Estate. The combination of a simple robust chassis and aluminium panels in a Jeep-like vehicle was a masterstroke, the resultant vehicle still remaining in production some 65 years on.

This lovely original example was purchased by the vendor in August last year to add to his collection of early Land Rovers. As soon as he clapped eyes on it he knew he had to have it, its sound but scruffy originality being very much his thing, and he is only offering it for sale to help fund the purchase of some land that has suddenly become available next door.

First registered on 2nd October 1952, the V5 states that it has a later 2 ¼-litre engine fitted but it appears to have a correct 2-litre unit in place. The vendor has fitted a new exhaust manifold and the chassis appears to be excellent, so good in fact that it may well have been replaced in the not-too-distant past.

The bulkhead has been patched, but this merely adds to the shabby-chic charm of the vehicle which remains in wonderful ‘oily-rag’ condition. It runs sweetly and has been used locally, proving to be great fun to drive and a real talking point wherever it goes. 

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