BJORN AGAIN ‘Manufactured by the Rover Co Ltd Solihull England’ it still says on this Range Rover’s VIN plate. But what you see before you is the product of a life in Sweden… followed by a new life wrought by a three-year restoration by one of the world’s top 4x4 builders Words: Graham Scott Pictures: Legacy Overland
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t’s easy to get all anthropomorphic about stuff. Does your dog really know what you’re thinking, for example? Of course, that has its downsides. Imagine being able to actually hear what your cat thinks of you. But we take this over into inanimate objects as well, like politicians or indeed this Range Rover. Back in 1975, it rolled off the Solihull production line in England. Then at some point it went to live in Sweden – presumably that was its first destination since it’s always been a left-hooker. Then it crossed the Atlantic to live in the USA. Why did it do that? Was it on the run after not being liberal enough for Sweden? Did it refuse to play Abba on its radio? Who knows. Of course the Americans view it differently. According to them this old Classic was ‘rescued from the northern expanses of Sweden’. Obviously nobody would want to live there; the world would much rather live in the USA, whether people, objects, pets or garden ornaments. ‘The Americans’ in this case are the hard-working folk at Legacy Overland who, in their own words, make ‘new vintage motors’. They’re based in Connecticut, and so not that far from New York, which is actually the sort of location you’d see this gleaming 4x4, amid all the street camps of people living rough, as it burbles through the misery, more than capable of dealing with any homeless debris or obstruction. So much nicer than the frozen lakes and snowy mountains of northern Sweden. But here it is, not far off half a century old, looking way, way better than when it rolled off that production line, even though now it is called The Exeter. After the Duke in various Shakespeare plays who was once played by Brian Blessed, no
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doubt, the man who went on to find fame as the voice of Peppa Pig’s grandfather, or possibly the city in Devon that became known as England’s worst clone town. Or not. They could have called it The Swindon or The Hull or something. Anyway, foreign travel has obviously suited this old Classic. And naturally, it has picked up some foreign parts after travelling in foreign parts. Actually, before we get into it, it’s simply impossible to not stop and stare at that paint job. Even as you get near, your eye is drawn to that lustrous glossy black. The original body sprayers at Solihull would have choked on their Woodbines if they’d seen something like this.
Beluga Black is a Land Rover colour, but we’ve never seen it applied in quite such a glossy way. Obviously various things are Beluga Black, including caviar, a whale and, umm, some lentils, but photographing this three-door must have been tough for the man with the lens as everything is mirrored back to you from the paintwork. Sorry if you think we’re going overboard about it but it really is extraordinary. Of course, one reason it seems so amazing is that it is so evenly reflected. And that requires flat panels, not the usual ones that aspire to flatness. Which is just one reminder that this wasn’t a quick respray and a bit of titivation. This was a total rebuild involving every nut and bolt, everything
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