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2018 Shannons Melbourne Winter Classic Auction
Lot
28

1973 Range Rover 'Suffix B' 2Dr Wagon

$27,000

Sold

Specifications

Engine 3528cc V8
Gearbox Manual
Body Work Two-door wagon
Colour Mustard
Interior Beige
Trim Vinyl
Wheels Steel
Brakes Disc/disc

Description

This lot is no longer available

The Range Rover was launched in 1970 by British Leyland and only available only in a 2-door body until 1981. The original Range Rover was not designed as a luxury-type vehicle. While certainly up-market compared to preceding Land Rover models, the early Range Rovers had basic, utilitarian interiors with vinyl seats and plastic dashboards that were designed to be washed out with a hose. Convenience features such as power steering, carpeted floors, air conditioning, cloth/leather seats, and wooden interior trim only came in later models. The Range Rover was a body-on-frame design with a box section ladder type chassis, like the contemporary Series Land Rovers but differed by having coil spring suspension, permanent four-wheel drive, and four-wheel disc brakes. The Range Rover was originally powered by a detuned 130 hp (97 kW) 3.5 litre version of the Buick-derived Rover V8 engine, which was later increased in capacity to 3.9 litres, then 4.2 litres. Diesel engines joined the range, as did various other model iterations including more luxurious versions built on a longer wheelbase. But it is the original 2-door Range Rover that has now become a much sought-after classic, with prices soaring across the globe over the past five years.