Land Rover Series II 88" V8

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You cannot deny that early Land Rovers have huge appeal but barely adequate performance. This one is different. First registered in January 1959, this early Series II has been invigorated with the installation of a 3.9 litre Rover V8. Cubes – you can’t beat ‘em.

The car spent much of its life in original hum-drum mode until it was rejuvenated between 2010 and 2015 when around £7,500 was spent, including, in 2013, that engine upgrade. There are invoices on file for this work and also a type-written account indicating that a total of £18,000 was spent (in addition to the purchase price) between 2009 and 2017.

The car certainly looks good today, with its Bronze Green paintwork and Exmoor Trim soft-top. Who would know that beneath that Farmer Jekyll exterior there lurks a Hot-Rodder Hyde interior? Or do the perky exhaust and chunky tyres give the game away?

LAS 857 is, of course, tax and MOT exempt. Its last MOT was carried out in 2012 (no advisories) and recorded the mileage as 58,127. At the time of writing, the speedo is almost reading 58,128, so it has not been moved much in the last few years. In 2018 £1,200 was spent on a pretty comprehensive service. The car is now said to “drive beautifully with a very sweet V8 purr from a newly-fitted exhaust”.

The car comes with a comprehensive history file and list of previous enthusiast owners. LAS 857 is ready for the next 60 years - whether that includes hard work, green-laning, or adding rural authenticity to your week-end hideaway is up to you.