Tuesday 17 March 2015

OUTSTANDING 1978 LAND ROVER SERIES III 109 12 SEAT STATION WAGON JUST 50,000mls 2 OWNERS, SUPERB RARE ORIGINAL & UNMOLESTED CONDITION




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.