Auction Highlight: 1973 Range Rover Classic ‘Suffix B’

In the world of automotive icons, British car manufacturers can boast a number of the most instantly recognisable and sought-after models, from the original Land Rover, to the Austin Mini, and of course the widely renowned beauty that is the Jaguar E-Type.

These British motor cars are notable for having achieved their renown not just for their looks, but for their engineering and class-defining attributes. With this in mind, there is another classic model that gained iconic status courtesy of its ‘go anywhere’ off-road abilities combined with a new level of 4x4 refinement – the Range Rover Classic.

Officially launched in June 1970, the new ‘Range Rover’ received critical acclaim. Rover had succeeded in manufacturing a vehicle that could effectively tackle even the toughest of terrain, while remaining a spacious, practical and comfortable place to be for everything from the more mundane day-to-day activities, to gruelling off-road adventures.

Over the decades, these early Range Rover Classic models have become sought-after by collectors and enthusiast’s alike, and this week’s Auction Highlight represented an especially impressive example.

In January 2021, this 1973 Range Rover Classic was brought to market by the Collecting Cars team in Australia. A rare Aussie-market example, it was a highly desirable early ‘Suffix B’ model built in February 1973, and was offered fresh from a high-quality and comprehensive restoration.

During this body-off refurbishment, the car was completely stripped back, with the chassis sandblasted back to bare metal, and any rust was cut out of the inner structure and subsequently repaired. This Range Rover Classic was then treated to a full respray back to its original Tuscan Blue finish, and fitted with a freshly restored set of Rostyle steel wheels finished in silver.

Under the bonnet, the 3.5-litre Rover V8 was tested and found to have good compression, so was completely overhauled with new seals, a replacement water pump, fresh spark plugs and ignition leads, new belts, and core plugs – as well as the carburettors being stripped and rebuilt. With the engine removed, the four-speed manual gearbox was also inspected and found to be in good order, so was promptly resealed and reinstalled.

The cabin featured handsome Palomino upholstery with ‘Kit Kat’ seats (so named because of the fluted finish resembling the fingers of the chocolate bar), which had been removed and stripped, with the seat frames sandblasted and repainted in their original colours. All the fittings had been re-plated, and the seat frames and cushions were refinished to reportedly showroom-quality condition. However, the cabin did retain some charming originality, with the steering wheel, seat belts, handbrake lever, gear shifter, and dashboard understood to be the factory-fitted items. The factory air-conditioning system had also been refurbished, allowing this Range Rover Classic to retain all of its period comfort features.

At the time of sale this Range Rover Classic ‘Suffix B’ was reported to be in pristine condition externally, with no defects, and showing crisp shut lines and even panel gaps. The seller stated that a significant investment had been made to source correct new lights, rubber seals, a fuel tank, and myriad other items, in order to return this iconic 4x4 to an as-new finish almost everywhere.

Accompanied by its heritage certificate and a good history file documenting the restoration, including extensive photographic evidence of the various stages, this ‘Suffix B’ was a wonderful example of the classic 4x4. Presented with a desirable colour scheme and a Fairey overdrive system, this superb Range Rover attracted over 7,000 views, and sold with a hammer price of A$72,500.