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1994 Range Rover LSE Autobiography

Lot Number: 442

1994 Range Rover LSE Autobiography

Direct from 28-year family ownership, subject to a 7-year chassis-up restoration and one of just 25 models.

Sold for: £60,750

LIVE AUCTION: This lot was auctioned on Saturday 27th August, 2022 at 10.30am BST at The Wing, Silverstone Circuit, NN12 8TN

BODY COLOUR
Green
DRIVE
RHD
REG NUMBER
L15 PUR

SUMMARY

Direct from 28-year family ownership, subject to a 7-year chassis-up restoration and one of just 25 models.

DESCRIPTION

Launched as the upmarket equivalent to the Land Rover in 1970 the Range Rover’s interior was somewhat behind that found in the contemporary Austin Maxi, at half the price. Interior refinements were added incrementally and it is perhaps inconceivable that a leather interior was only first introduced as an option in 1988! By the 1990s however it was clear that the smart money, both old and new, saw the Range Rover as a dual-purpose, luxury motorcar.

The Autobiography Scheme was launched at the London Motor Show in 1993 and for the first time buyers could specify their Range Rover, available only as the long wheelbase 4.2-litre LSE, in any colour and interior trim they chose. Demand far outstripped supply and it was decided to limit the Autobiography option to just 25 cars, for the simple reason that there weren’t enough bare-shell LSE models available. Many retail-ready LSEs were re-painted and re-trimmed at Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Department, leading to production delays, late deliveries and cancelled orders. Leaving the production line in 1994 as an LSE in Beluga Black, this very special car was sent for Autobiography upgrades on the 7th February 1995 and re-finished in British Racing Green, with magnolia leather and fitted with a TWR body kit, a precursor to the Brooklands body kit of the later soft-dash Range Rover.

It caught the eye of our vendor, Mrs Cook, who convinced her husband to exchange their bright red, six-month old, Autobiography for this car, a far classier alternative and benefitting from the same exclusivity. As lifelong Tottenham Hotspurs fans, the private registration number “L15 PUR” was applied to the car on the 12th October 1995 and is included in the sale, preserving the car’s history. The Range Rover was used regularly by our vendor’s late husband but, and despite meticulous in-house care and maintenance, the usual issues commonly found with the Classic started to show by 2006. It was then used sparingly until taken off the road in 2011. Easing into part-retirement Mr Cook now saw his beloved Range Rover as a restoration project worthy of his time and money.

What followed was a seven-year odyssey involving expert structural and panel works, meticulous cosmetic preparation and specialist mechanical attention leading to significant improvements. The accompanying photograph album shows the thorough preparation and painstaking re-assembly of the Range Rover, a standard so high that it was often trailered to classic car events and mirrors placed underneath. The full schedule of works is simply too vast to include but in brief we start with the chassis which was shot-blasted, powder-coated, primed, hand sanded, primed again, painted black and lacquered. The bodyshell received remedial attention, replacement sections added where necessary with Waxoyl rust-proofing treatment to all vulnerable areas. The body panels were either shot-blasted or hand sanded back to bare metal and laboriously prepared for the several stages of painting.

The axles were shot-blasted and thicker diff pans were welded on whilst new bearing housings and swivels were fitted. The braking system received new EBC discs, ventilated and grooved up front and grooved to the rear, whilst the callipers were rebuilt using stainless steel pistons. Specialist attention was directed to the air-suspension with new air springs fitted together with Koni dampers whilst “unobtanium” parts were manufactured specifically. The gearbox and torque converter were overhauled by the noted Midland Automatic Transmissions of Kettering. Mr Cook commissioned ADR Performance Engineering of Northampton to rebuild the engine with instructions to improve performance. A Tornado tune and ECU remap combined with forged pistons, reground crank, larger inlet valves and a Piper camshaft increased the brake horsepower to 265, a substantial increase from the standard 200bhp. Twin Kenlowe fans keep things cool and modern Bosch fuel-injectors have vastly improved start up and tickover. Ceramic-coated stainless steel headers replaced the cast-iron exhaust manifolds and the rest of the exhaust system was naturally upgraded to stainless steel.

The sound-deadened interior was refreshed where necessary, inevitably receiving a new headlining, whilst the most significant upgrade saw dashboard and door caps stripped of their basic veneers and re-veneered with symmetrically cut American Burr Walnut, coated with multiple layers of polyester lacquer. Nationwide Trim not only supplied the headlining but also supplied new carpets with green over-mats piped in magnolia leather which matched the leather now covering the A, B and C pillars. Non-standard additions include new dark green webbing for the seatbelts, professionally fitted sound system and front and rear parking sensors. The extensive history file includes handbooks, service book, invoices, photographic record of the restoration and a copy of the Land Rover Owners International magazine from January 2019 which features this Range Rover’s restoration in far greater detail and poignantly showcases Mr Cook’s pride in his achievement.

A Range Rover LSE is a rare car today, an early Autobiography is rarer still, very few come direct from 27-year family ownership and anyone wishing to replicate this superb restoration would need to budget at least £100,000, an estimate on file quotes £120,000. Offered to auction at a keen guide with a fresh MOT and a largely immaterial odometer reading of 106,698 miles at the time of cataloguing. We welcome and encourage your inspection of this remarkable Range Rover.

SPECIFICATION

Lot Number: 442
Make: LAND ROVER
Model: RANGE ROVER LSE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Registration Number: L15 PUR
MOT Expiry: 22/08/2022
Chassis Number: SALLHBM33KA638550
Engine Number: 40D06206A
Transmission: Automatic
Body Colour: Green

GALLERY

CONSIGNOR

Arwel Richards
Car Specialist
07434 960868
arwel@iconicauctioneers.com

For further information regarding this lot please contact Arwel.

CONTACT

SHARE THIS LOT

Vehicles can be collected from The Wing, Silverstone Circuit, NN12 8TN, on Monday 29^th August between 9am and 2pm.

Our transport partners, EM Rogers, can assist with collection and delivery. Please contact them on 01604 755511 or trafficdesk@emrogers.co.uk for a quote.

Any vehicles not collected by 2pm on Monday 29^th August will be taken to EM Rogers storage facility in Northampton for a fee of £175 plus VAT. Storage will be charged at £10 plus VAT per day from Monday 29^th onwards.

Automobilia can be collected from the Wing on the day of the auction or Monday morning between 9am and midday by prior appointment. After this time it can be collected from our offices in Warwickshire or shipped to you at your expense.

Did you know that you may be able to finance your upcoming auction purchase? Our exclusive finance partner Apollo Capital are able to organise fast pre-approval for car funding on the latest interest rates and terms, minimum £50k lend.

An agreement in principle could see you arrange a finance package so the funds are ready to be paid out when you’ve bought your dream auction purchase. Please speak to their experts for a quote on 01423 590242 or visit apollocapitalgroup.co.uk/iconicauctioneers/.

A classic car or motorcycle is a source of great pride and enjoyment but, whether your car or motorcycle is in storage or on the road, you’ll need a specialist insurance policy. We have partnered with Howden Insurance a leading insurance brokers with a team dedicated to classic cars and motorcycles. They cover a vast array of classic and vintage models and only work with insurers who provide a great service and share our passion for the classic motor industry.

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