A battered and rusting 1980 Range Rover is being touted to sell for a six-figure sum at a UK auction next month – and it’s all because experts believe it was formerly owned by one of the biggest icons of the music industry.
The beaten-up SUV is thought to have been the pride and joy of legendary reggae star, Bob Marley.
Purported to be one of two Land Rovers he owned, Classic Car Auctions (CCA) says the former luxury motor has been obtained via an agent who dealt directly with the Marley family.
Despite having a smashed windscreen, more scratches than a well-used Bob Marley LP and an engine that’s currently loaded into the boot rather than under the bonnet, experts believe it could be worth around £150,000 when the hammer drops.
Buffalo Range Rover: This battered 1980 4X4 is believed to have belonged to reggae icon, Bob Marley. It will go under the hammer at a UK auction next month
Purported to be one of two Land Rovers he owned, Classic Car Auctions (CCA) says the former luxury motor has been obtained via an agent who dealt directly with the Marley family
Experts believe it could sell for a six-figure sum when the hammer drops at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show on 25 March
The car will be offered to the highest bidder on 25 March at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show Sale held at the NEC in Birmingham.
It will be sold without reserve.
CCA says the Range Rover was originally shipped to Marley from the Solihull factory via Germany to Jamaica.
It was said to have been transported between the UK and Jamaica regularly during the singer’s short ownership, despite this lasting a little over 12 months.
The 43-year-old vehicle would have been a purchase made at the same time as the publication of his ‘Redemption Song – Uprising’ which appeared in 1980, just one year before his death in 1981.
Classic Car Auctions, which sourced the vehicle, says the Range Rover was originally shipped to Marley from the Solihull factory via Germany to Jamaica
CCA says it was regularly transported between the UK and Jamaica during the singer’s ownership
It’s not in the condition of ‘One Love’ ownership, with the interior looking just as tatty as the exterior
Originally finished in Masai Red, the paint that does remain on its panels today is a mixture of black, green and blue, having supposedly been used as a canvas by some of Bob’s eleven children.
The auction house describes it as a ‘collage of Range Rover parts’.
The odometer shows it covering 62,920 miles from new and the original registration document, when found, apparently bore the name ‘Robert Nesta Marley’.
While the auction house says the motor is ‘ripe for restoration’, a Marley enthusiast bidding on the vehicle might want to not tamper with it and retain the Rangey in the currently condition.
The Range Rover is sold with its engine, but this is in the boot rather than under the bonnet
In fact, the engine bay is looking dreadfully sparse without the hulking powerplant in there
The Range Rover’s odomoter is showing it as covering 62,920 miles from new. That would be an average of 1,464 miles per year since it rolled off the Solihull assembly line in 1980
Simon Langsdale of CCA sourced the car.
He said pristine examples of first-generation Range Rovers are selling for huge sums of around £130,000 today, but having Bob Marley’s name to this vehicle could see it far exceed even those top end prices.
With a celebrity surcharge of around 20 per cent, this could see the value of the car hit £158,000, he hints.
Originally finished in Masai Red, the paint that does remain on its panels today is a mixture of black, green and blue, having supposedly been used as a canvas by some of Bob’s children
The auction house describes it as a ‘collage of Range Rover parts’. The windscreen is smashed and there’s barely a glass panel in it
The 43-year-old vehicle would have been a purchase made at the same time as the publication of his ‘ Redemption Song – Uprising ’ which appeared in 1980, one year before his death in 1981
‘We are delighted to be offering this ex-Bob Marley Range Rover at public auction,’ he said.
‘This unique opportunity to purchase not only an early suffix example, but one with history linked to the legendary reggae star – I am sure it will attract huge interest.
‘Fully restored examples have sold for as much as £130,000 in recent years; but with a celebrity link that can add up to 20 per cent in value so this is a great investment option.
‘But for a true Bob Marley fan who is also a petrolhead, owning this Range Rover will be something beyond price and is a once in a lifetime opportunity.’
Classic car valuations experts at Hagerty say the value of a ‘concours’ condition (meaning it would be good enough to be on display) 1980 Range Rover is £63,600, based on recent auction sales and known examples to have changed hands privately.
Simon Langsdale of CCA, who reportedly sourced the car, says pristine examples of first-generation Range Rovers are selling for huge sums of around £130,000 today – but this could make more than that
With celebrity owners typically adding 20% to the value of classic cars, this beaten-up Range Rover could sell for a price far higher than the current condition suggests
No engine, no four wheel drive: The Range Rover will need a lot of work if the next owner is to get it back on the road. One of the first jobs will be moving the engine from the boot to under the bonnet where it belongs
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