1950 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 1s that we have been asked to bring to auction by a Midlands-based Land Rover Collector.

This example is a 'headlights behind the grille' Series 1 80-inch with a full canvas tilt and was first registered on 21st June 1950 as GAV 248, the registration it still carries today. It was finished in Bronze Green, a colour always associated with Land Rovers (the introduction of Bronze Green coincided with the first deliveries of a large order for the War Department, who wanted vehicles in this colour) and is powered by the early 1,595cc four-cylinder petrol engine with a four-speed primary gearbox plus a two-speed transfer box. 

The third of the three Series 1s, GAV 248 was subject to a comprehensive restoration between July 2015 and August 2016 and has covered about 100 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 103 separate entries totalling £35,928.16. 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 in returning this 'lights through the grille' Series 1 to top form.

Superbly presented in Bronze Green, with an odometer reading of 56,289 miles and accompanied by its current V5C, an old-style log book and a full set of receipts and photographs of the restorative work carried out, we welcome and encourage your close inspection of GAV 248 and, indeed, of its two Series I siblings.