Land Rover begins preservation work on original 4×4

Land Rover has begun restoring one of its first prototypes to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

The public first saw the iconic off-roader at the 1948 Amsterdam motor show, where three of the pre-production models were on display.

Since its unveiling at the show, the rare Land Rover was driven until the '60s, then sat unloved in a Welsh paddock until the '80s. Someone saw its potential and rescued it to restore, but once again, it eventually lay silent in a garden.

Amazingly, it was discovered in 2016 only a few kilometres from where it was originally built in Solihull, UK, after Land Rover dived into its archives to find its ownership history.

In a project Land Rover is calling its most challenging yet, it will be undergoing a preservation instead of an 'as-new' restoration, which will see that cool patina remain.

The project will be undertaken by the same team as Land Rover's Series I Reborn program, and once finished, will no doubt sit alongside 'Huey', the very first pre-production Land Rover, as part of Jaguar Land Rover's Classic Works showroom. 

There are only a few differences between the prototype and production model, including a removable rear tub, chunkier aluminium panels and a galvanised chassis.

The mass production Series 1 model was produced for 10-years and was released with a 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre engine.

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