Third-party custom & restoration shops are plenty around the world although it’s rare for original manufacturers to revive one of their old vehicles. Now Land Rover have changed that paradigm.
Calling it the “Reborn” series, Land Rover is issuing a limited release of ten 1978 Range Rover Classics ($169,500). Rather than souping them up, the company is doing a complete restoration back to the original 1978 specifications. This means each of these three-door classics will be powered by the compact V8 aluminum block engine, producing 132 horsepower and a decent 186 foot-pounds of torque (the Rover Sentinel makes 332 but that’s a beast), and the transmission will be a four-speed manual with a lockable differential. All ten of these resurrected machines will be painted in period-correct Bahama Gold, and while the one (acceptable) modification from the original car is the inclusion of velor seats, the original vinyl seats can be made available on request.
Since Land Rover has dedicated a whole new factory to this project it is hoped that the 1978 Range Rover Classic “Reborn” series will be but the first in a long line of restored Rovers. We predict they’ll all sell like hot cakes.
