Land Rover Series I 80"

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From 1948 until 1951 the iconic Land Rover was only available with an 80" wheelbase and a 1.6-litre petrol engine. So basic was it that tops for the doors and a roof (canvas or metal) were optional extras.

In 1950 the lights moved from a position behind the grille to protruding through the grille. From 1952 the engine gained an extra 2bhp and was usefully more torquey thanks to an increase to 1,997cc. The 80" carried on until 1954 when the longer wheelbase 86" came along with its extra carrying capacity, the design remaining much the same until the arrival of the Series II in 1958 with its distinctive curved shoulders to house the wider track axles.

First registered in London in 1952, this 1,997cc 80” is in excellent condition throughout following a total nut-and-bolt restoration by Williams Classics of Conwy which was completed in 2015 after it had been off the road for many years. Although there are no bills to document the works carried out, the results are plain to see and the Land Rover speaks for itself.

The current owner acquired YVL 184 from Williams Classics in September 2017 as a gift for his wife following a long search to find one that met the standard he required, paying £36,500 to secure the vehicle (invoice on file). A garage proprietor with many years’ experience of Series Land Rovers, he improved the car still further, including fitting a bespoke steering rack made by ICS Steering of Woking to cure the wandering that is so characteristic of these early models (invoice for £514 on file).

Regrettably he was only able to enjoy the car for a short while, covering only 50 miles before illness intervened. The last MOT expired in September 2018 with no advisories recorded and the Land Rover has been in dry storage since.

Starting promptly and running sweetly as we moved it around for these photos, it is being offered here with an estimate substantially lower than the price paid only two short years ago.