Look back at the birth of the original Land Rover | How Land Rover has driven adventure and scientific exploration | GQ Editor Dylan Jones talks inspiration with Chief Design Officer Gerry McGovern | Exploring the potential impact of electrification and connected vehicles | Tackling the 999 steep steps up to Heaven’s Gate in China
PRE-PRODUCTION CAR NO. 7
PRE-PRODUCTION CAR NO. 7 Top left: Pre-production Land Rover number 7 as rediscovered in a garden by Reg Mason Below left: Classic Works’ expert team will breath life into SNX 910 again “THE PLAN IS TO UNDERTAKE A ‘PATINA RESTORE’ ON THE CAR, WITH A FULL MECHANICAL OVERHAUL” SUSAN TONKS, SENIOR ENGINEER, LAND ROVER CLASSIC AUTHENTIC CARS, ORIGINAL SPECS Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works, the division restoring pre-production number 7, is able to build you a factory-fresh Series 1 as part of its ‘Reborn’ program. Classic Works experts can source a car if required before subjecting each one to an in-depth examination. They then totally dismantle and rebuild it to ‘as new’ specification, with an emphasis on retaining original parts for authenticity. Once complete, each Land Rover that’s been ‘Reborn’ comes with a 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty. Cars are available in the five original period colors, namely Light Green, Bronze Green, Royal Air Force Blue, Dove Gray and Poppy Red. Dedicated technicians at the purpose-built 150,690 sq. ft. new facility, the largest of its kind in the world, also build early Range Rover vehicles as part of the ‘Reborn’ program. They can service your car, too, to high factory standards. On top of that, Land Rover Classic Works is a source of original spare parts. You can also enjoy classic vehicle driving experiences, tours of the impressive facility and classic collection, as well as browse and purchase a wide range of heritage merchandise and branded goods. that was buried, so we’ll have to make a decision on what we do with that. We also don’t know the full state of the chassis before we strip it completely down, but the plan is to sympathetically repair any holes to make it safe and then distress look the repairs back to blend in with the rest of the car.” The original 1.6 L gas engine and transmission, meanwhile, will be stripped and restored to their former glory, with a crack in the engine block needing to be stitch-welded. Both will retain their patina as much as possible to complement the exterior of the car. For safety’s sake the braking system will be completely new, but period correct in operation and appearance, and the correct wheels will be fitted with new tires. The interior will also benefit from new seats and a fully operational instrument panel. It looks like Tonks and her select team of craftspeople have their work cut out, but the experienced engineer isn’t fazed in the slightest. “We think the restoration will take between nine and 12 months to complete, depending on the car’s condition,” she concludes. “We’ll start after the Land Rover 70th anniversary in April, so number 7 should be up and running by the middle of 2019.” HUGE SIGNIFICANCE Tim Hannig, Director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works, who was also at the Onelife photoshoot in the original Solihull factory, adds: “This is the most important car that was lost. All the success that was to come for Land Rover essentially came off the back of this very car. In many respects this was the father of all Land Rover vehicles, so that’s what makes it extraordinarily special to us. Also, while the very first pre-production car, registration HUE 166, is very much alive and well, it is owned by the British Motor Museum. This means L07 will be the earliest Land Rover in our own heritage collection. With Land Rover’s 70th anniversary this year it really couldn’t be more relevant.” And what are the plans for this once long-lost pre-production car once it has been restored to full running condition? “It will be kept and cared for at our Classic Works facility,” says Hannig, smiling. No more hard work, no more decay – after 70 years Land Rover number 7 has returned home to be viewed and appreciated by an admiring public again, just as it was at Amsterdam in 1948. FIND OUT MORE visit: landrover.com/classic 26
Land Rover’s Onelife magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go above and beyond.
Land Rover vehicles go above and beyond, to help you make the most of your world. The latest issue of Onelife delivers this philosophy to your living room with evocative narrative and stunning photography. Experience a rich variety of perspectives from around the globe: from eco-innovators in China to road-testing in Greece and modernist architecture in Germany
Shenzhen by Range Rover Sport PHEV
| A first drive in the new Range Rover Evoque
| Mid-century modernist architecture in Germany
| George Bamford on what makes true luxury
| Meet moon-walker Charlie Duke
| Carnival subculture in Brazil
Share the passion of a Land Rover-loving community in a remote corner of India
| Experience the thrills of driving on ice in the Range Rover Velar
| Explore stunning Donegal with seafarer Monty Halls and his family
| Relive the child-like sense of wonder captured at the Above & Beyond Tour
| See why the Range Rover PHEV impressed mountaineer Jimmy Chin
| Encounter the most powerful Defender: the Classic Works V8 special
Look back at the birth of the original Land Rover | How Land Rover has driven adventure and scientific exploration | GQ Editor Dylan Jones talks inspiration with Chief Design Officer Gerry McGovern | Exploring the potential impact of electrification and connected vehicles | Tackling the 999 steep steps up to Heaven’s Gate in China
2019MY Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles | Why Oslo shines as a beacon of electric mobility | Uncovering Mia Suki’s unbridled passion | How Project Hero is optimizing crisis response for the Austrian Red Cross | A stunning Norwegian drive in the Range Rover Velar
Unveiling of the New Range Rover Velar | Step inside some of the planet’s most exclusive homes | Man’s relationship with dogs | An epic drive through the Isle of Skye | The legendary Beechcraft Bonanza takes to the Skies
Unboxing of the All-New Discovery | A portrait of the sailing legend, Ben Ainslie | Look into the future of mobility and transportation | Copenhagen – probably the coolest city in the world?