Beautifully refurbished from a straight, rust-free example, it has been finished in a lovely color combination and with a luxurious, hand-stitched interior, and looks stunning from every angle.
The chassis and bodywork are entirely straight and entirely rust free. No rust or damage anywhere. The bodywork, free of filler, has been backdated with body-color C-pillars and bobbed silver bumpers - both nods to the earlier "suffix" models. Paintwork is Marine Blue with silver rostyle wheels. A relatively common color on older “series” Land Rovers, Marine Blue was never offered on the RRC, but the color works extremely well on this body style. Less primary than Tuscan Blue, it is a deeper, more elegant shade that its radiant in bright sun yet takes on grayish tones in low light.
Inside, the seats and door panels have been refinished with the seats in hand-stitched tan leather, offset with dark green piping, new hand-cut tan carpeting, and a tan alcantara headliner. The result is luxurious and striking, with a perfectly age-appropriate appearance and feel throughout. The dashboard is in excellent condition with no warping, cracks or other damage.
Easily one of the best-looking RRC's we have built to date.
Decades on, the Range Rover's reputation has (like all SUV's, frankly) evolved into one of a luxury boulevardier. So it's sometimes good to remember that the original Range Rover Classic was one of the most potent off roaders of its time, and one of the most capable off roaders ever built. It was a Range Rover, after all, that was the first motor vehicle to cross the dreaded Darien Gap. It was an RRC that won the first ever Paris-Dakar rally. And then won it again. It was an RRC that was selected for the 1981 Camel Trophy across Sumatra. These trucks are no joke, and driving one in the rough stuff makes you realize that they are every bit the off road equal of the much more storied Defender models. I proved this to myself, actually, when I entered an essentially stock Range Rover Classic in a 3000km high-speed road rally across Morocco in 2015. When the going gets rough (and few goings get as rough as the off-piste terrain of Morocco) a Range Rover Classic is a pretty darn reassuring place to be sitting.
That said, the RRC was also conceived as an "all roader," and one that asked its owner to make relatively few compromises. On-tarmac performance and comfort is magnificent, and fully modern, with precise power steering, a comfortable interior, astonishing visibility, and effective climate control.
This example, with original miles and benefitting from a full major service, drives as you would expect. The trusty 200Tdi turbodiesel fires immediately and idles smoothly, with no smoke, noise or clatter. The clutch engages firmly and at the correct height, and the gearchange is light, direct and positive, exactly as it should be. Acceleration is brisk and the vehicle will cruise happily at modern highway speeds, with more in reserve for overtaking, and the brakes are strong with no noise, vibration or pulling. The factory air conditioning has been recently serviced and blows ice cold.
With full-time AWD, performance in all condition is effortless. In difficult terrain the 2-speed transfer case engages with no balkiness, and both low and high range work perfectly with no noise. All gauges, lights, switches and locks function as intended and it needs nothing for daily use without concern.
It is as wonderful to drive as it is to look at, so use it as you see fit. Commute in it, take it on long-distance tours, explore the backwoods, go fishing, surfing, or camping on the most remote mountain trails. It will swallow large amounts of gear and get you anywhere you need to go (and then back again) in style and comfort. That's the Range Rover way.
For more information, includingadditional photos and videos, visithttps://www.autologymotors.com/rrcmarine4dr