1951 Land Rover Series 1 80 inch For Sale

This fabulous Series 1 was first registered 16th October 1951 by A S Tilley Garages, Brighton, Sussex and is supported by a BMI Heritage Certificate.

Chassis

Original and excellent with no sign of corrosion or weld. It has a nice coat of black Waxoyl over the original green chassis paint which suggests a gentle and cared for life. Chassis number visible which matches the Heritage certificate.

Bulkhead

This is one of the rare and interesting Series 1’s with an aluminium bulkhead. It was documented that the factory presses for the steel bulkheads broke down in 1951 and to keep production going they hand-fabricated some bulkheads from sheet aluminium resulting in a small number of vehicles with this unique feature. Corrosion is not a problem.

Bodywork

Panels are all nice and true with no nasty dents. The bronze green paintwork presents well with a nice patina with a few spots of bare aluminium showing through which for me looks just right on a vehicle like this. It is smart without looking newly restored.

Mechanical

The 2 litre Siamese bore petrol engine runs extremely sweetly and is quite possibly the original unit. The previous owner but one had the engine overhauled by Cox & Turner and it has not done a huge amount since. I had the carburettor overhauled about 18 months ago which improved the fuelling and the fuel tank and SU electric fuel pump have been recently replaced. The gearbox is in very good working order and is also fitted with a Fairey overdrive which makes road work much more comfortable. Free-wheeling hubs have been fitted, again for improved on-road performance and the original type steel wheels were shod with new Avon Traction Mileage tyres in 2017 so have many years left to run. It was fitted with a new and correct type full exhaust system in 2019.

Interior

Clean and tidy with a pleasant patina. I had the seat base foams renewed last year and the canvas was new from Undercover Covers in 2018. I do still have the previous canvas which has a great ‘worn’ look but is not as good at keeping the weather out. I replaced the door seals and rubbers as well so all as it should be.

History

I purchased GAP from a local Aston Martin specialist in early 2017 and it was the owner’s personal vehicle, however, he had hardly used it in the 10 years he had owned it. Prior to that it was owned by a well-known classic motoring journalist and Land Rover enthusiast. I have conversed with him on a number of occasions about GAP and just last year he told me that the son of the owner from 1954 to circa 1960 had contacted him about the whereabouts of the vehicle and also sent some great old black and white photos of it which I now have copies of in the history file. A telephone conversation ensued and it sounds like a blown head gasket sometime in the 1960s led it to being laid up for many years before being discovered as a ‘barn find’ in the late 1980’s. This could explain how it has survived in such original and good condition.

On the road

My local specialist who has done a couple of jobs on GAP commented that it was amongst the best Series 1 Land Rover’s he had come across when it came to road manners. The steering is nice and true, brakes work well and the handling surprisingly good for what is essentially an agricultural vehicle. I did undertake a 500+ mile round trip to Anglesey in 2018 for the LRSOC anniversary event and it went without fault. Having the Fairy overdrive means it can cruise at a relatively comfortable 50 mph making motorway sections manageable.
It is, however, most at home on a summer’s evening tootling along rural lanes with the door tops off and the canvas sides rolled up. Great fun!

P/ EX? - Looking for an Austin 7 Ulster LWB

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