The Drayton Collection of rare Range Rovers will form part of Classic Car Auctions’ sale at the NEC this weekend – and all of them are no-reserve
A haul of 17 unrestored classics – including a 1960s Range Rover prototype believed to be the second example made – is going under the hammer this weekend.
Classic Car Auctions is bringing the unrestored off-roaders – billed as The Drayton Collection – to the NEC in Birmingham for its sale at the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show.
The sale also includes Land Rovers includes a number with Royal connections, such as the 2007 Land Rover Discovery supplied new to the then-Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. But it’s the Drayton Collection prototypes listed that are arguably more interesting. Top billing must surely go to a Range Rover Carmichael six-wheel
Fire Tender – a rare vehicle in its own right – but also Range Rover chassis number two Velar – where the entire Range Rover story began. Originally assembled as a pre-production prototype at Rover's Solihull plant on 12 December 1969 and finished in Lincoln Green, the car was despatched to Land Rover's own engineering department and became one of the vehicles to star in the company's promotional film ACar For All Reasons. It was then selected for conversion to a prototype rapid-response airport fire tender, which is how it appears today.
Fans of performance-orientated 4x4s will note the 1986 Range Rover Overfinch prototype. The car, which was first registered 64 SPL – but is currently registered D884 RJW – was Arthur Silverton’s personal development vehicle and played a part in every subsequent Overfinch Range Rover model. As a test car it was used heavily in the company’s publicity material.
Classic Car Auctions’ MD and principal auctioneer, Rob Hubbard, told CCW: ‘The CCA team has put together another fantastic catalogue of more than 220 cars for this two-day auction on 23-24 March.
‘Every type of car is being offered from British classics such as Bentley, Land Rover, Jaguar and Triumph to continentals such as Alfa Romeo, BMW, Porsche, and Peugeot. With cars guided from no-reserve to £120,000 there will be something for every budget.
‘This is an exciting opportunity to own some of the rarest Land Rovers on the market. The Drayton Collection consists of 17 Range Rov
