{"id":242785,"date":"2023-10-23T16:19:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?p=242785"},"modified":"2023-10-23T16:19:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:19:02","slug":"range-rover-mk1-1970-1994-icon-drive-britains-first-luxury-suv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/range-rover-mk1-1970-1994-icon-drive-britains-first-luxury-suv\/","title":{"rendered":"Range Rover (Mk1, 1970\u20131994) icon drive: Britain\u2019s first luxury SUV"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>We get behind the wheel of \u2018a car for all reasons\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--jJ4WTAZb--\/f_auto,t_author-mobile@1\/v1677494864\/autoexpress\/2023\/02\/Matt%20Robinson.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--knKG83lr--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1698068579\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Range%20Rover%20Mk1.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no shortage of jacked-up luxury cars on the market these days, but the best of the lot might just be the Range Rover. It\u2019d be our choice not just over all the other pretenders to the posh SUV throne, but also a chunk of the premium saloons out there, such as the Mercedes S-Class.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps that\u2019s because its makers have had more time to perfect the recipe. The first Range Rover rolled off the production line way back in 1970, but the story can be traced back further still, to the fifties and a couple of \u2018Road Rover\u2019 models based on a Rover P4.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The point then wasn\u2019t to make something opulent, but merely a vehicle that was more civilised and road-biased than the Land Rover series. Not exactly the highest bar for one of the most basic, utilitarian vehicles on the market, which was more at home in a field herding sheep than tackling the morning commute.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Those first projects never amounted to anything, but interest in a less agricultural off-roader within the Rover Company was revived the next decade. There were significant corporate shifts during that time, with the Rover Company being bought by Leyland, which then morphed into British Leyland following a merger. But that didn\u2019t slow down the project all that much. By the tail end of the 1960s, 26 pre-production prototypes were built, each badged as a \u2018Velar\u2019 (derived from the Italian word \u2018velare\u2019 meaning \u2018veil\u2019) to throw competitors and the media off the scent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4>More reviews <\/h4>\n<h5>Car group tests<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Range Rover vs Bentley Bentayga: 2022 twin test review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>In-depth reviews<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Range Rover review <\/li>\n<li>Range Rover review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Long-term tests<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Range Rover D350 HSE: long-term test review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Road tests<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>New Range Rover PHEV 2022 review<\/li>\n<li>New Range Rover D350 Autobiography 2022 review<\/li>\n<li>New Range Rover 2022 review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Used car tests<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Used Range Rover (Mk4, 2012-2021) review<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 1970, the newly created Range Rover was ready to say hello to the world, and it had plenty to shout about, from its permanent four-wheel drive system to the innovative split tailgate \u2013 the latter being a defining Rangie feature that continues to this day. The new car ditched the Land Rover\u2019s leaf springs for a fully coil-sprung set-up, and while it was far more road-focused, it still promised mud-plugging ability. \u2018A car for all reasons,\u2019 was how British Leyland marketed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At first it was offered only as a two-door vehicle, with the four-door not arriving until 1981. Three years later, the four-door would become the only bodystyle available in the UK (limited-edition CSK notwithstanding), a move that\u2019d eventually make the two-door much more sought after. Helped, of course, by the fact that it looks far sweeter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--AxyKJ8Or--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1698068580\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Range%20Rover%20Mk1-3.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>The Bahama Yellow model we\u2019ve borrowed from JLR\u2019s UK heritage fleet certainly reinforces this view. It looks positively dainty compared to its modern successor, which is more than half a metre longer and about 40cm wider.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Inside, there\u2019s an abundance of bare metal, a plain dashboard containing only a handful of chunky, function-over-form controls and a big plaque explaining how to use the differential lock. The seats are clad in vinyl, and the floor is coated in rubber so, much like the Land Rover, you can hose it out if you get it muddy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Clipping in the non-inertia reel seatbelt further ages the car, while winding a window up or down is \u2013 for someone with spindly arms like me, at least \u2013 a job which requires two hands. The latches on the little smoker\u2019s windows aren\u2019t that easy to shift, either, while low-speed manoeuvring is hard going, thanks to the unassisted steering. It\u2019s quite a workout!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--2ndlamRb--\/v1683626472\/assets\/partners\/powered-by-motorway_150x70.png\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--_WiPTA0D--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1698068592\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Range%20Rover%20Mk1-16.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps that\u2019s why, with a relative lack of soundproofing, the Range Rover\u2019s soundtrack ends up being one with more than a whiff of Americana to it. At least, up to the point where the also-noisy transmission and engine fan start to compete with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not what you\u2019d call quick. The Rover V8 was detuned for this application, making all of 135bhp by the time it ended up under the Range Rover\u2019s clamshell bonnet. Not that you want to be going particularly fast in this thing, given the vague responses from the huge steering wheel, which has a good helping of play around the dead-ahead. The brakes, at least, aren\u2019t too scary by 1970s standards, so long as you put plenty of pressure on the pedal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Another reason it\u2019s just as well the Range Rover is rather on the sluggish side is that you don\u2019t want to be taking corners too enthusiastically. There\u2019s a whole lot of body roll, which \u2013 combined with a lack of bolstering and those old-school seatbelts \u2013 means it often feels like you\u2019re going to fall out of the driver\u2019s seat. It also doesn\u2019t take much for the front tyres to start protesting as the Range Rover pushes on into understeer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This thing doesn\u2019t feel significantly less polished or refined than typical passenger cars of the era, though, and the straight-line performance is about on the money for the time. Keep the speed down a bit, and it\u2019s a perfectly acceptable way to get around.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not hard to imagine how much of a revelation the Range Rover proved when first launched \u2013 a vehicle that could be used on the road for day-to-day driving, yet still able to tackle the rough stuff if necessary. Up until that point, the only thing remotely like it was the Jeep Wagoneer, which its new British rival arguably bettered in most ways. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--B5-JX4uy--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1698068606\/autoexpress\/2023\/10\/Range%20Rover%20Mk1-22.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>What we now refer to as the Range Rover Classic soldiered on all the way until 1994, improving with ever-larger versions of the V8, more plushness and tech such as ABS. The next Range Rover, the P38, had a much more typical eight-year cycle.<\/p>\n<p>With each generation, the Range Rover became more and more luxurious, while remaining extremely capable off-road. From the Range Rover Classic to the current fifth-generation version, it hasn\u2019t ever stopped being \u2018a car for all reasons\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Interested in buying one?<\/h2>\n<p>The Range Rover\u2019s array of aluminium bodywork removes some of the potential for rust-based financial pain, but the many panels that are steel, the steel frame and the chassis are very susceptible to the tin worm. The front and rear cross members and the inner wings are some of the most notorious trouble spots, but corrosion can strike at many different points.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The V8s are robust, but the earlier, under-stressed 3.5-litre versions are the most reliable. Check for evidence of frequent oil changes and have a good listen for any top-end rattles. It\u2019s also vital that the diesel engines\u2019 cambelt<br \/>\nis changed on schedule.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Any examples costing under \u00a35,000 are likely to be projects, while \u00a310,000 should be considered the starting point for a tidy four-door. Two-doors are pricey, particularly early cars, which can go for more than \u00a340,000.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Model:<\/td>\n<td>Range Rover Mk1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Production dates:<\/td>\n<td>1970\u20131994<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Price then:<\/td>\n<td>From \u00a31,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Price now:<\/td>\n<td>From \u00a310,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Engine:<\/td>\n<td>3.5-litre V8 petrol,135bhp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>0\u201362mph:<\/td>\n<td>14 seconds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Top speed:<\/td>\n<td>91mph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autoexpress.co.uk\/land-rover\/range-rover\/361308\/range-rover-mk1-1970-1994-icon-drive-britains-first-luxury-suv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We get behind the wheel of \u2018a car for all reasons\u2019 There\u2019s no shortage of jacked-up luxury cars on the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":242784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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