Another old V8 Vogue rumbles into the FF car park with a first-time RR owner behind the wheel, hope it won't lower the tone parked next to all the impressive local metal.










As you can see, there's nothing special about this one. It's just an early L322 in a boring colour and a grey interior with the old-fashioned M62 up front... a commonplace used car. At least, I had thought so before trying to find one to buy last Summer...









Having moved from central London to start a new kind of life in the West Country I transformed overnight from a city driver who might not even start their car once a week to a car-dependent villager renovating an old house and needing to carry things, tow things, take people to restaurants and pubs, take dogs to beaches, nip up to London for work, nip down to Cornwall to check on my old parents and drive a teenage daughter and her 37 mates to remote parties. Not to mention thethe various fields, green lanes and flooded farm tracks that my new friends require me to navigate in order to visit their mad houses and barns, and all without looking like a farmer or a builder. I quickly realised I had become a Range Rover driver, but with no Range Rover.

I've always loved the classic Mk1's but I already have a 1969 Triumph as a cherished pet. I never warmed to the P38 (sorry) and there's no way I'd invest in an L405 to use as a work horse. So, an L322 - easy choice.

But not easy to find. As a bit of a purist, I was searching for my personal favourite, a low-mileage clean early petrol Vogue in factory trim and... they don't exist. Disregarding the completely worn-out, rotten and badly broken ones, virtually all the rest have been 'upgraded' with some random mix of grilles and vents, stick-on mirror and handle covers, clear rear lights, pretend face-lifts, dark tints, personal plates, dubious entertainment installations, massive wheels, lairy exhausts and things made of imitation chrome. Some poor cars have all of these at once - they remind me of pet dogs forced to wear a Christmas jumper.

I like it

Great post, car looks excellent

its a beauty, you should be proud...  ... - .- -.




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looks really nice, most wouldn't have sucked up the price of the box . I do agree when all is well they do seem to just be a nice place to be.  Range rover 4.2 SC 06MY.

Great write up  2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue with Ivory and clear glass = "Rory"
New Defender D300 90 on order so "Rory" will be going to a new home....!
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
My preferred specialist: www.glenrands.co.uk
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Looks like a nice example

A nice Rangie, we look forward to hearing about your adventures with it!

fanders

Nice example, V8 as well proper example, keep it original. I had a brand new one of these on an 04 plate in V8 petrol with Blue Leather and it was a great car. Enjoy it.

Well, this is a friendly place - many thanks to you all for your kind replies. You have some pretty fabulous cars between you, that's for sure, and no doubt a massive amount of combined knowledge. Looking forward to posting more, I'll be sure to add pictures when anything 'interesting' happens (good or bad).

Tomorrow the RR is doing load-carrying duty - I started a side business last year buying and selling antiques and so far it's carried all kinds of mad loads, from a taxidermy tiger to a roof-high collection of 1960's Airfix kits - it even swallowed a Chesterfield sofa before Christmas. The nice thing is, it never feels like you're working when you drive any Range Rover...

Thanks again

Although I have a 2012 run-out Westie...I do have a soft spot for the 2002 year cars. There is just something about them, stylistically. Possibly the then ground-breaking design in its first iteration, the flat front bumper, those rear lights... I could go on 😁😁

I used to work next door to TMS Land Rover in Melton Mowbray at the time the L322 was launched. I remember very vividly two black L322s been hurriedly driven across the industrial estate to their holding compound late one afternoon at dusk. Hurriedly driven so no one saw them pre-launch. I did... 2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Baltic Blue, Jet interior
1997 P38 2.5 DSE auto & 1998 P38 2.5 DT Manual
1988 Vogue 3.5 EFI - Manual, gone.
2004 Volvo C70 2.0T convertible, had since new.
2007 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Roadster/Coupé, had since new.
2024 Mini Cooper S cabrio, JCW kit, 2.0, DCT auto

Very nice looking motor. MY 08 L322 4.2 Supercharged, Grey with Black leather, 85k

Lovely write up and fantastic Range Rover Drake.

A lot of your thoughts chime with my own. Whilst one of the great things about Range Rovers is that they are such a broad church and there is a lot of enthusiasm for all sorts of different styles and enhancements, like you, I go weak at the knees for a factory spec machine. Particularly when it is a teenager and still factory spec. A few years ago Pistonheads ran a “Save a Scooby” campaign saying that everyone with petrol in their veins should buy an unmolested 1990s Impreza because they are disappearing. They encouraged people to find £2,000 and buy a Scooby to save it. I think there is a parallel with the early L322s. I looked for ages to find one that was genuinely fsh and not modified.

I ended up compromising and getting one with high miles, but the right spec and every service invoice in the file. I was also tickled to find out that mine was supplied new by a dealer just round the corner from my work in 2004. So whilst I was sat working, the first owner was 300 yards away driving it out the showroom. To that person - thank you for spec’ing it as you did and for running it in!

Great that you’ve got yours and you are using it too. Very best of luck with it. 2004 L322 4.4 V8 Vogue Bonatti Grey
(205,500 miles and counting.......)

Tom - thanks for that.

High mileage isn't an issue if the car's been looked after and the interior hasn't suffered. I've had low-miles cars before with no end of problems because they had been left sitting for long periods or been neglected as second cars, issues that a regularly used and properly maintained example won't suffer from. I would have gone for an example like yours but again, a car with a big service history is also tricky to find.

Bonatti Grey is my favourite paint for a Mk3, it's a perfect mid-tone with a really classy, ageless look. While all the colours are handsome, the darkest colours rob the car of the 'floating roof' 2-tone effect the designers intended with the black pillars, a classic Range-Rover design cue that I really like. Silver's OK, no-one hates it but I don't think it would be anyone's first choice either...

Cheers