The Supercar Fest Sale 18th May 2024

+ buyer’s premium of 12.5% plus VAT (15% incl VAT) on the first £300,000 of the hammer and 10% plus VAT (12% incl VAT) thereafter 95 Registration: Q63 KCY Chassis No.: DVLASWA3971435212 Estimate: £30,000 - £40,000 No Reserve Specialist: Rob Hubbard Telephone No: 07775 511825 Lot 264 1971/2016 Range Rover 3-Door Aston Martin V12 Surely one of the most exquisite projects to reach completion, this Range Rover is unlike any other. The story starts at Bishops 4x4, sitting having a beer after work when a conversation sprung up about what engine to transplant into one of their ‘restoration stock’. With the boss, Chris Bishop, having a huge appreciation for Aston Martin, but at the time without one in the garage, it became almost inevitable that a Range Rover/Aston Martin ‘lovechild’ was on the horizon. The technical specifications see almost every single aspect being improved, upgraded, or strengthened to end up with a fabulous cocktail of Britishness that will likely never be repeated, certainly not to this level. The base car was a 1971 Range Rover ‘Suffix A’, already housing an incorrect engine, and the Aston Martin DB7 V12 powerplant was selected for a few reasons. Firstly it was the biggest and best power unit they could lay their hands on, with 420bhp and 400lb/ft torque and hugely importantly, it was because they were told it couldn’t be done! A monstrous amount of engineering went into the build of the car. Due to the size of the V12, a significant proportion of the engine needed to sit under/through the scuttle in order to fit, which meant measuring, cutting and re- welding for weeks on end, striving for a factory-like finish. Supporting the modified chassis were a pair of stronger Defender-type axles with heavy-duty springs and Bilstein dampers. Over £3,000 worth of AP Racing 362mm grooved and vented discs, with 6-piston callipers are fitted. To assist its breathing, the inlet tubes were made up with free-flowing air filters feeding the inlet manifold, with the in-house custom stainless steel exhaust system fabricated in its entirety from the manifolds back. With the major mechanical complexities dealt with a pair of tuneable ECUs were purchased, one for each bank of cylinders, which were then mapped to the Aston Martin factory ECU. As well as having a ‘Compushift’ mapping session for the 4-speed Ashcroft upgraded Land Rover ZF gearbox. Due to being a radically altered vehicle the DVLA inspected the car and issue a Q-plate to reflect the changes. The exterior was painted in 4 layers of Bishops 4x4’s signature dark maroon colour, with a subtle grey roof. An airbrushed Union Jack flag on the bonnet and trailing up the wings, which took around two weeks to complete, representing the ‘Best of British’ theme. The interior has been completed to an extremely high quality, a blend of original and bespoke. With Range Rover seats retrimmed in soft brown leather and thick brown wool carpeting throughout. A wooden Wood and Pickett dash modified to house an Aston Martin DB9 push button starter in the centre, flanked by a pair of chrome-rimmed gauges. Turning on the radio causes two Aston Martin tweeters to rise out the top of the dash, and the digital dash displays a virtual representation of the instruments from a Range Rover Classic featuring a rev counter, speedo, etc. By pushing the sport button, the dash changes the dials to represent what you see on an Aston Martin dashboard, again all digitally presented. It is not unfair to say that the whole project was brain-numbingly complex, and yet what a fantastically wonderful machine has emerged. The craftsmanship is simply unbelievable and needs to be seen in person. While the phrase ‘unrepeatable’ gets thrown around fairly frequently in the car world, we challenge anyone to say they could repeat this car, to this standard, and offer it at such a reasonable estimate. Please see the website for full details. Quite possibly the most British vehicle imaginable; a Range Rover Classic with an Aston Martin V12 heart. Fabulously detailed, in wonderful condition, a bonkers idea turned into a wonderful reality. More Details Lot 264 Bid On Lot 264