Book delves into past of first Land Rover

The story of the world’s first production Land Rover, which was hidden away in decaying condition for almost four decades, has been told in a new book.  

Built in 1948 and with the chassis number 860001, it was intended for presentation to King George VI but ended up working on farms and mining sites in north-east England. 

After 22 years of hard service, it was sold to Northumberland farmer David Fairless for £15. Fairless could not decide whether to continue using the vehicle or break it up for spares and eventually it was left exposed to the elements on his farm.  

It remained untouched until Fairless took it on a trailer to the Land Rover Series One Club’s 50th anniversary rally in June 1998. 

Despite its ruinous state, the vehicle created such a stir that when Fairless got home, he hid the vehicle in a tumbledown barn and barricaded it behind hay bales and vehicle parts.

Following Fairless’ death in 2017, the Land Rover was sold to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and chairman of chemical company INEOS. It then underwent an 18-month restoration, retaining as much of the original vehicle as possible.  

Author Martin Port’s book, JUE 447, takes its title from the registration number of the vehicle and also looks at how the Land Rover legend was born, giving the UK and the world a Jeep-inspired workhorse.

For more details, visit www.porterpress.co.uk