A rare opportunity to acquire an exceptionally original,
unmolested & very desirable 1978
Series III Land Rover 109 Long Wheel Base Genuine 12 Seat Station Wagon
with Safari roof.
Just 50,000 miles from new. 1 owner until 1995 and 1 owner
since. Cherished by both owners who were very local to each other.
Used sparingly around the first owners Georgian Country
House with, open to the public, 27 acre grounds. Dry Stored and hardly used by
the second owner.
Unique in this condition and we would think one of the
lowest mileage best original un-restored 1978 examples available.
The majority of parts
are original and those fitted on the Land Rover assembly line Lode Lane, Solihull
thirty seven years ago.
Retaining all of its original panels and much of its
original paint.
A very rare find indeed and one unlikely ever to be repeated
- truly remarkable!
The Land Rover was conceived by the Rover Motor Company in
1946 during the aftermath of World War II. Rover's usual products were luxury
cars which were not in demand in the immediate post-war period.
Rover's chief designer, Maurice Wilks, came up with a plan
to produce a light agricultural and utility vehicle, of a similar concept to
the Willys Jeep used in the war.
The proto type Land Rover had a tractor style central
steering wheel and used the Jeep chassis. However by the time of its launch in
1948 the steering wheel was mounted off to the side as normal, the bodywork was
simplified to reduce production time and costs. A larger engine was fitted,
together with a specially-designed transfer gearbox to replace the Jeep unit.
The result was a vehicle that didn't use a single Jeep component, was slightly
shorter than its American inspiration, but wider, heavier, faster and still
retained the Power Take Off drives.
The bodywork was hand-made out of surplus aircraft grade
aluminium, mainly an aluminium/magnesium alloy called Birmabright, to save on
steel, which was closely rationed. Paint was also in short supply, resulting in
the first production vehicles making use of army surplus green paint.
Originally the Land Rover was a single model offering, which
from 1948 until 1951 used an 80 in wheelbase and a 1.6 litre petrol engine. It
became known as the series 1.
The successor to the Series I was the Series II. It came in
88 in and 109 in wheelbases (normally referred to as the 'SWB' and 'LWB'). This
was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover's styling
department- Chief Stylist David Bache producing the familiar 'barrel side'
waist. The Series II was the first vehicle to use the well-known 2.25 litre
petrol engine.
Introduced in 1971 the Series III was to become the most
popular of the Series vehicles. The headlights were moved to the wings and the
traditional metal grille was replaced with a plastic one.
The simple metal dashboard of earlier models was redesigned
to accept a new moulded plastic dash. The instrument cluster, which was
previously centrally located, was moved to the driver's side.
Top of the Range in the mid to late seventies and the most
expensive was the Long Wheel Base 12 seat Station Wagon fitted with the double
skinned 'safari roof with vents'
Prices of series Land Rovers have risen dramatically of late
and, as with all classics, it's the un-restored Original condition examples
that command the highest prices from the true enthusiast and investor.
Series III Land Rovers, especially the rare and desirable
LWB Station Wagons, have become highly sought after and are now considered by
many as a sure fire investment.
To find an unmolested example is rare, but to find one that
has had just two owners, only covered fifty thousand miles, retains all of its
original panels, its original chassis and even the vast majority of its factory
paint finish well that's unheard of..............
.............until
now that is!
GVF 595T
On the twenty fifth of September 1978 the first owner of GVF
595T travelled the 20 or so miles from his Georgian Country House home to Land
Rover dealers Mann Egerton in Norwich.
The purpose of his visit was to collect his brand new LWB
Land Rover in the best colour combination of Bronze Green with Limestone roof,
which he had had on order for some time.
The Land Rover was to be used mainly around the 27 acre
Gardens and Arboretum, open to the public, on his well known Estate that
surrounded his home and occupies a stunning position near the top of one of
Norfolk's highest points.