Explore the captivating journey of the Range Rover Classic, an automotive legend that forever shaped the luxury SUV landscape. From its humble beginnings to its rise as an icon of style and capability, discover the timeless design, innovative features, and enduring legacy that made the Range Rover Classic a true legend in the world of automobiles.

A Brief History of the Range Rover Classic

The history of Land Rover can be traced back to post-World War II. The Rover Company, which was originally founded in Solihull, England, in 1878, took on a new project in 1948. Of course, this project developed into the beloved Land Rovers that gearheads still marvel at today. The initial Land Rovers that began rolling off the production line in 1948 were utility vehicles with a design inspired by the British Army Jeeps that were utilized during World War II. While these utility vehicles were initially built for the purpose of handling agricultural workloads, they soon became synonymous with offroading and were exported throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.

After achieving great success and global recognition, Land Rover sought to target buyers with deeper pockets and began the process of adding a luxury SUV line to their lineup. This led to the Range Rover Classic being released by Land Rover in 1970. The Range Rover Classic became an instant sensation, transforming the luxury SUV landscape forever. Land Rover continually produced the Range Rover Classic from 1970 to 1996. During these years, the Range Rover Classic set a precedence of excellence in the luxury SUV landscape that other manufacturers tried to imitate.

How the Range Rover Classic Shaped the Luxury SUV Landscape

There's simply no denying the rich legacy behind the Range Rover Classic. The RRC transformed the luxury SUV landscape in North America when they were first brought to the States in March 1987. At the time of its initial import into the United States, the RRC's key competitors were the likes of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Ford Bronco, and Chevrolet Suburban. While these vehicles served as great offroaders, they simply didn't have the distinctive flare that luxury SUV buyers were after. In addition, the RRC's key competitors were all builds based on pickup truck designs and featured the same basic suspension systems found in their trucks.

Essentially, what made the RRC so special was that the vehicle could double as both an elite offroader and a high-end ride to show off at social engagements. In 1987, a total of 2,586 RRCs were sold in the States with a launch price of $30,850, according to Auto News. The popularity and price of the RRC have continued to increase proportionally over the last 30-plus years, as 18,831 RRCs were sold in the States in 2019 with an MSRP of $88,860. Many celebrities and athletes have helped add to the allure of the Range Rover, with the likes of Michael Jordan, David Beckham, Beyoncé, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Prince William all owning Range Rovers over the years.

Check Out These ECD Range Rover Classic Restoration Projects

The first-generation Range Rover Classics that stayed in production through the mid-1990s holds a special place in the Range Rover lineup and remains one of the hottest collectible vintage vehicles on the market. Today, the best place to source a restored Range Rover Classic is from ECD Automotive Design. At ECD, every Range Rover Classic restoration project is built to each client's exact specifications. Take a look at some of our recent RRC build projects.

Project Gibbles

A 1995 Range Rover Classic, Project Gibbles is a fully custom RRC built to our client's exact specifications. Project Gibbles has finished in full gloss Mariana black with black and silver accents all around. This RRC sits on 20-inch Kahn Mondial Retro Wheels and Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season Tires. This luxury SUV features a Range Rover Soft Dash style, an OEM steering wheel wrapped in black leather, RRC style digital gauges, a SONY Halo Screen radio setup, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, and a 2+3 seat layout where the seats are finished in a horizontal Garrett Sandpiper leather stitched together in black. Under the hood, Project Gibbles is powered by a GM LT1 engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Project S.E.A.

A fully custom Range Rover Classic, Project S.E.A. is finished in full gloss Epsom Green with green and black accents all around. The color combination on this RRC is a true throwback, looking quite similar to what a brand new Range Rover would have looked like leaving the factory over 25 years ago. Project S.E.A. sits on 18-inch black Kahn Wheels with All Season Tires and features two LED running lights on the front bumper with a black grille. When it comes to the interior, this RRC features a black headliner, an all-black steering wheel, Dakota Digital gauges, a Halo Floating Screen, USB ports throughout, and seats finished in OEM brown leather with matching stitch. Project S.E.A. is powered by a 6.2 V8 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Project Ski

The last featured RRC on our list is truly unique as it sits as the world's first electric Tesla Powered Range Rover Classic. Known as Project Ski, this custom RRC is powered by a Tesla Direct Drive EV Powertrain. However, that's not the only feature that makes this RRC unique. In addition, Project Ski is finished in full gloss Alpine White with black accents all around. It sits on 18-inch silver Land Rover Boost 5 Spoke Wheels and BFG Rugged Trail Tires and features a front bumper with LED headlights with a classic black front grille. Project Ski also features a ton of modern tech upgrades like Bluetooth Audio, Apple CarPlay, and USB ports throughout

Build a Custom Range Rover Classic With ECD Today

At ECD, we build each and every Range Rover Classic restoration project to our client's exact specifications. So whatever bells and whistles you envision incorporating into your RRC, the team at ECD can make it happen. If you're ready to start your RRC build, contact us today to learn more. Or check out our showcase or 3D Build Simulator to learn more about the endless possibilities that are available to you with an ECD build project.