Lot 256 - 1961 Land Rover Series II 109

• Single ownership from 1963 to 2015
• Rare Series II in production from 1958 to 1961
• Fabulous history file

The successor to the successful Series I was the Series II, which saw a production run from 1958 to 1961. It came in 88" (2,200mm) and 109" (2,800mm) wheelbases. This was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover’s styling department, their chief stylist David Bache produced the familiar ‘barrel side’ waistline to cover the vehicle’s wider track and the improved design of the truck cab variant, introducing the curved side windows and rounded roof still used on current Land Rovers. The Series II was the first vehicle to use the well known 2.25 litre petrol engine, although the first 1,500 or so short wheelbase models retained the 52hp (39kW) 2.0 litre petrol engine from the Series I. This larger petrol engine produced 72hp (54kW) and was closely related to the 2.0 litre diesel unit still in use. This engine became the standard Land Rover unit until the mid 1980s when diesel engines became more popular.

First registered on 24th August 1961 and delivered new to James Haywood Creswell of Watford, the car was acquired in 1963 by the late Malcolm Saul, who became the third owner until his death in 2015. Throughout his tenure of some 52 years, the Land Rover had been fully maintained with a significant file of papers to substantiate ownership history. The current vendor who purchaesed the car from Mr Saul's estate describes the paint and engine to be in good condition with the interior having been sympathetically reupholstered. A highly usable and charming Land Rover with lovely ownership history, this rare and highly collectable Series II 109 would be equally at home pressed into service on a country estate or simply preserved in a collection. Offered with an MoT certificate until April 2019. Not be mistaken for the more common Series IIA, this model was only in production for three years and to find one in such condition is a rare treat indeed.