Lot Ended
Description
Known as a
Pre-Series I Land Rover; preserved and owned by the same family for over 75
years; odometer currently shows just 50,166 miles; believed to be the second
Land Rover to be registered in Wales; running and
driving
This remarkable pre-Series I Land
Rover represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the earliest examples of
the marque, with an exceptional history of continuous family ownership dating
back to its first registration in 1949.
Registered as BEP 130 on 27th May 1949, the Land Rover was built and
despatched on 10th May 1949, with Rover Car Number R8665584 and engine number
865521. Originally supplied to D. E. Davies Limited, Barmouth, it was purchased
new from a local garage by Christopher David Fenwick of Llynlloedd, Machynlleth,
for use as a farm vehicle. It is believed to be the second Land Rover ever
registered in Wales.
The original 1949
documentation confirms that BEP 130 was registered under this number from new,
despite the information shown on modern DVLA records. It remained working on the
family farm until around the early to mid-1960s, when it was parked in a farm
building where it remained until its restoration.
During the mid-2010s, the Land Rover was restored by Christopher
Fenwick's son, Julian Charles Dugdale Fenwick, with the work carried out by the
late Ian Corfield of Penrhos Mawr Workshop, Penegoes, Machynlleth. Original
components were retained wherever possible, genuine replacement parts used where
necessary and the original paintwork preserved where practical. Since
restoration it has covered no more than approximately five to seven miles and
has continued to be stored in the same building where it had been kept since the
1960s.
The odometer currently shows just 50,166
miles, although this cannot be independently verified. Now owned by Nicholas
Fenwick, Christopher Fenwick's grandson, the vehicle remains registered with the
DVLA and is currently on SORN. It is accompanied by an exceptional collection of
original documentation, including the original Roads Act 1920 registration
book.
The vendor advises that BEP 130 starts,
drives and stops as expected and it was demonstrated on site during photography
and filming.
With its remarkably low shown
mileage, exceptional provenance, original documentation and unbroken family
ownership from new, BEP 130 offers a genuinely rare opportunity to acquire one
of the earliest Land Rovers, preserved by the same family for over 75 years and
still retaining the character of the working farm vehicle it was originally
purchased to be.
Contact [email protected]