It may not look like it, but this 1989 Land Rover Range Rover is a rare bit of kit. Sure, we’ve seen many of these “Classic”-bodied examples languishing in garages and driveways, but very few of them have been the “Hunter” edition, a special trim line limited to 500 units. The example shown here on Facebook Marketplace was said to be a runner until a bad starter took it out, and the seller indicates that is all that’s preventing it from being put back into regular use. The seller is asking $8,300.
Now, what’s somewhat hilarious is that the Hunter edition really was just a seriously stripped-down version of the standard model we received stateside. In a nutshell, Americans forked over the dough to get a truck without leather, heated seats, or power controls, all under the guise of the truck being more rugged and suited for off-road use. Now, personally, I love this – power seats are the bane of one’s existence when reviving a long-dormant European project – but it’s just ironic how the truck was perceived against what Land Rover was actually doing at the time.
You can still barely make out the “Hunter” graphics on the body, but all that counts is that they’re there. Given how popular vintage Land Rovers are among a die-hard set of owners, I would not be surprised to see this truck completely restored. While the seller’s asking price is strong, I suspect he is wagering on getting a fair offer from someone who will take this truck down to bare metal and restore it all the way back. The audience that will spend six figures on a Land Rover restoration is similar to the one that will spend that same money on an air-cooled Porsche rebuild in that the price tag matters little against having the best one at the quail hunt.
Now, to the seller’s credit, they haven’t used the truck this way, as its generally rough cosmetics suggest it’s just been used like any other beater, perhaps actually as a hunting vehicle with no regard to preserving the prestige factor that is critical to so many “typical” Land Rover owners. The Hunter edition is a true limited edition with European-market features not found in U.S.-market trucks, so there’s definitely some cache here worth paying attention to – but see if you can get the seller closer to $5,000, or at least repair the starter for his asking price.
One would have to be a “die-hard” to own a vehicle that is constantly at the bottom of any automobile quality ranking.
Classic RR’s time is here. I cannot understand why people spend so much money on tricking up a Defender into something it never can be. Rover itself devided that to develop the original Land Rover to sell upmarket, a whole new approach was needed. Enter the Range Rover…
Best of all is the 2 door, available until 1995 inn some EU markets. I dpn’t like “limited editions” so would pass on this one. In general classic RR daily driver makes sense for some people.
I like Rovers but they’re not reliable at all after they hit 100k miles. I had a rare 1999 Overfinch Range Rover (actually, Overfinch is an aftermarket bespoke mod company, but even then, there are not alot out there). Other rare Range Rover editions from the ’90’s are the Rhino edition, upholstered in Rhino leather, and the Holland & Holland edition which has made a comeback in the new Rover.
A very nice vehicle and if you Americans don’t want it se d it back! The Classic has a very strong following here and reliability isn’t such an issue. I’ve seen many of these go way over 100000 miles on original engines. What kills them and let’s be honest it will kill any car is lack of maintenance. Lots of people who like to cut corners financially on servicing. All comes back to bite you in the end. I’d be more concerned about rust and this one seems to have a decent tailgate which is rare in the UK with our damp climate. Fair price as well
I disagree. I’m not a purist by any means, but a Ford F150 will last ten times longer than any Rover. My F150 had 400,000 miles on it when I sold it, and I would still drive it across the country with no problem. All I did to it was oil changes, belts and tires. Try putting 400,000 miles on a Rover without putting $50k in maintenance into it. It’s not going to happen. I have a beautiful Tambora Flame Rover in my driveway right now, but it has gremlins that are causing to stall out while driving. After putting thousands into it to try to find the problem, I threw up my hands and bought a Ford instead.
Love your Jag’s
No need to restore it; the world doesn’t need another shiny Land Rover. Just clean it up, make sure it’s safe, and drive it. I bet the owner would bend on the price, especially via a neat stack of greenbacks. Driving it home from Montana would be fun!
The bad starter is only the tip of the iceberg in regards to the number of potential problems this Rover has. The late 80s-early 90s were the nadir of British automotive reliability and anyone unfortunate enough to have owned a Rover, Jaguar or Sterling from that era will grudgingly agree with that. Lotsa luck to the seller.
Not true. My father had a fair few Rovers and Jags (Sterling was a US name only for the Rover 800 series) here in the UK and none of them gave any trouble at all. Just simply routine servicing.
I owned a Hunter Range Rover Classic. It was a fun truck to drive for the ten or so years I had her. I had wanted one since I was a kid forty years prior. It was surprisingly easy to work on. I ended up rebuilding the entire rear axle assembly. I knew what I bought and never relied on her for primary transportation. My daughters took turns driving it to high school. It was one sturdy, heavy truck. The engine was the Buick design and the keys were made from General Motors blanks. Fun truck with
good memories.
Met a guy with a gorgeous 2 yr old Range Rover that he bought really cheap because the lobes wore off the original camshaft. He put in an isky cam but was planning on regular breakdowns and repair.
These were garbage cans, right off the boat. But I love to see the rich guys throw money at these things.
Bwah ha, ha, ha, another tow trucks best friend and a great row warmer at every pick-a-part. In fact there is one this body style there now in black. I knew plenty of , well stuffy folks with these. It’s pretty bad when a Chevy Cavalier is your backup and you spent more time driving it while you dump $$$$$$$ down a dry well living this dream. Having one of these is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Rovers are in the same vehicle category as the Maserati bi turbo of the 80s, pure overrated…..junk!