The first Series I 88” diesel Land-Rover off the production line in 1957 has surfaced on an internet auction site with an asking price of £200,000. No, we haven’t added any extra zeros.
Chassis ‘116700001’ was completed on 15 January 1957 in green, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell from its current condition, which is described generously as ‘unrestored’. With smashed glass and doors of the home made truck cab held on with bailing twine, it’s safe to say any restoration would need to be extensive. The engine, which comes from a contemporary Land-Rover, sits in the rear rather than the engine bay, while the rear cross member is damaged and the bulkhead needs rebuilding.
The car’s green logbook dates back to 1967 and lists two owners, the second of whom used the Land-Rover until 1982, after which the vendor states it hasn’t been used.
