Number '141' of 200 made

1991 Range Rover CSK 3.9-Litre 4x4 Estate

Registration no. H109 BPN Chassis no. SALLHABM7GA463597

Footnotes

An outstanding landmark design that almost single-handedly created the booming market in dual-purpose 4x4s, the Range Rover was greeted with universal acclaim on its arrival in 1970 and has remained the class leader, despite ever increasing foreign and domestic competition, ever since. The idea of a more road-biased 4x4 had been around since the Land Rover's arrival in the late 1940s, but it would be some two decades before the concept crystallised in what would end up as the Range Rover. 'Spen' King and Gordon Bashford were responsible for the initial conception, with final detailing entrusted to David Bache. A separate, Land Rover type chassis was employed to carry the enclosed aluminium body, while long-travel coil-sprung suspension ensured that the ride would be more saloon car than utility. Rover already possessed an ideal power unit in the form of its 3.5-litre light alloy V8.

The Range Rover was greeted enthusiastically by both press and public on its arrival in 1970, offering comfortable cruising at 90mph and a greater off-road capability than most of its customers would ever need. The fact that the original lasted in production for an amazing 24 years before being replaced in 1994 only serves to illustrate the soundness of the original concept. Indeed, the 'old' Range Rover - evocatively renamed Range Rover Classic - did not disappear immediately but continued to be built for another year alongside the new version.

A few years before the new version's arrival it had been decided to build a limited edition of 200 two-door cars to celebrate 20 years of the Range Rover. Appropriately, this new model was designated 'CSK', these being the initials of the concept's originator: Charles Spencer King. All 200 were finished in black with silver coach-lines and had beige leather upholstery. But whereas many run-out limited editions feature merely cosmetic differences, the CSK's arrival marked a significant technological development for the Range Rover: the adoption of anti-roll bars front and rear.

Number '141' of the 200 built, this rare and historic Range Rover variant was purchased by the current vendor from the official dealership Harwoods of Pulborough in April 1991. The original bill of sale is on file and the car also comes with full service history, all its original instruction books, and every bill accumulated since it was new. Very well maintained, this CSK has been kept in a heated garage all its life and been MoT'd annually, covering a mere 47,500 miles over the course of the last 27 years. Presented in beautifully original condition, it drives well and would be a credit to any private collection.