In case you weren’t around in the late 1940s to pick up a Land Rover Series I when it hit the market and you have a bit of money to spare, the British off-road legends have a brand-new, definitely-not-a-soft-roader for you.
Offering fully-restored-by-the-factory vehicles is a tact many are taking, with the latest being a batch of 25 perfectly restored and reconstructed Series I models, built for customers to original 1948 specifications. Jaguar, the other automaker under a shared corporate umbrella with Land Rover, has been doing this for a few years with great success, so why not offer something new…er…old?
Automakers are now taking a much closer interest in preserving their heritage, with the number of factory-supported restorations and historical initiatives increasing every year. Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz—the latter with a complete record of the cars it has sold, making it a singular outlier among the many factory authentication programs.
With the help of Jaguar Land Rover Classic’s restoration department, you’ll be able to pick from one of five period finishes—may I recommend Bronze Green?—plus any other options or specifications offered. Using original and genuine parts, the company hopes to preserve its heritage for future generations, and remind every other Land Rover owner that the factory will help keep their vehicle, even if it’s not a Series I, going as long as possible.
Even if it’s a bit slow, I have a hard time picturing any modern off-roader going toe-to-toe with a Series I…if you’re one of the 25 lucky ones and the truck happens to have landed in California, give us a call for some dune-bashing—the beer, fish tacos, and drone footage is on us.
