1949 Land Rover Series I 80"

Over the years here at Silverstone Auctions, in conjunction with Classic Car Auctions, we have been pleased to offer over 150 Land Rovers including a good number of early vehicles, but it's a long time since we have seen such impressively restored examples as the three Series Is that we have been asked to bring to auction by a Midlands-based Land Rover Collector.

This example is a three-man cab/canvas tilt on an 80-inch wheelbase chassis and was built in early 1949 before being first registered on 30th June 1949 as MHT 270, the registration it still carries today. It was finished in Light Green, the most common colour prior to the arrival of Bronze Green in July 1949 (the introduction of Bronze Green coincided with the first deliveries of a large order for the War Department, who wanted vehicles in this colour). It was powered by the 1,595cc four-cylinder petrol engine and the transmission consisted of a 4-speed primary gearbox with synchromesh on third and fourth gears only, plus a 2-speed transfer gearbox. 

MHT 270 was subject to a comprehensive restoration between June 2017 and October 2020 and has covered about 50 miles since then. As well as being particularly fastidious about the quality of the restoration, our vendor obviously felt the same way about the paperwork, as the car is supplied with a spreadsheet listing every item of expenditure down to the last penny and, in this case, it runs to 62 separate entries totalling £20,135.45. There is no point in listing selected items here as every last nut, bolt and grommet is detailed on the sheet and combined with a full set of receipts and detailed photographs of the restoration, it's difficult not to be genuinely impressed with the effort that's gone into bringing this early, 'lights behind the grille', Series I back to life.

Superbly presented in its original Light Green, with an odometer reading of 61,049 miles and in possession of a current V5C, we welcome and encourage your close inspection of MHT 270 and, indeed, of its two Series I siblings.