· Paris presentation of factory-restored 1978 three-door Range Rover Classic marks evolution of the successful Reborn programme by Land Rover Classic

· Land Rover Classic will comprehensively restore an initial ten examples of the luxury SUV at launch

· Jaguar Classic will also give a European debut to the ‘New Original’ XKSS at Salon Rétromobile

· First Series I Jaguar E-type Fixed Head Coupe restoration – a privately-owned ‘barn find’ completely reconditioned to original specification – will be available to view on the Jaguar Land Rover Classic stand

(Oxford Rd, Coventry, UK – 02 February 2017). Salon Rétromobile 2017 will see the world debut presentation of the next in the ‘Reborn’ series of expertly sourced and comprehensively restored Classic Land Rovers.

Range Rover Reborn is a new programme offering prospective customers the unique opportunity to purchase an original and highly collectible vintage Range Rover, direct from Land Rover Classic in the UK. The launch of Range Rover Reborn builds on the successful introduction of Land Rover Series I Reborn last year.*

Another highlight for show visitors will be the European debut presentation of the ‘New Original’ Jaguar XKSS. Following its successful introduction to media at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles in November 2016, this stunning XKSS finished in Sherwood Green is the engineering blueprint for nine cars destined for delivery to customers worldwide in 2017.**

Also showcased by Jaguar Land Rover Classic at Salon Rétromobile – held in Paris, France from 08-12 February 2017 – will be the first fully factory-restored original E-type Fixed Head Coupe. This privately-owned, French-registered 1962 E-type, presented in Opalescent Gunmetal Grey, is presented complete with reverse-engineered body panels, manufactured in-house to ensure best fit and finish, and with its original 3.8-litre engine and transmission – also completely reconditioned.

Land Rover Classic’s expert team has drawn on decades of engineering and design expertise to complete the first Range Rover Reborn – a carefully selected 1978 Classic Range Rover.

Specification overview

– Colour: Bahama Gold

– Engine: 3528cc V8 Petrol Carburettor Zenith-Stromberg 175CD type

– max. power 132bhp at 5000rpm

– max torque: 186 lb ft (251 Nm) at 2500 rpm

– 4-speed manual transmission, lockable central differential

Every Range Rover Reborn will undergo a complete restoration according to the company’s original 1970s factory specification and using Land Rover Classic Parts to preserve and protect the vehicle’s authenticity. Land Rover’s experienced restoration team will advise customers of the best options for base vehicles – in terms of collectability, preferred chassis numbers and unique characteristics. Prices for completed Range Rover Reborn restorations from Land Rover Classic will start from £135,000 GBP.

Tim Hannig – Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Range Rover Reborn is another showcase of our dedicated in-house engineering expertise. It underscores our commitment to nurturing the rich heritage of Land Rover, and is a rare opportunity for customers to own a valuable and genuinely collectible automotive icon. It is a wonderful way to preserve the much sought after three-door original Range Rover from the 1970s, from period-correct colour ways to interior trim and accessories.”

The Range Rover was launched in 1970, originally in two-door configuration only, up to 1981, when the first factory four-door was introduced, and remained popular right up to the end of the first generation’s production in 1996. So popular, in fact, that production of the first generation continued alongside the second generation for almost two years, and the name Classic Range Rover was introduced to distinguish this model from its more modern sibling.

Believed by many to have launched the SUV sector, the Range Rover certainly defined the genre of the luxury 4×4 vehicle, and has been the vehicle of choice for members of the Royal household, politicians and superstars across the world. It has maintained its most credible position as the ‘ultimate SUV’ to this day, with a number of world firsts and records in its long and distinguished heritage. During the 1970s, the Range Rover also became the first vehicle to be exhibited at the Louvre in Paris as an ‘exemplary work of industrial design’.