Well, just when you thought a Range Rover couldn’t possibly get any more expensive or exclusive, the good people at Land Rover have found another way to separate wealthy Australians from their money.
Range Rover has officially opened its first Australian Bespoke Commissioning Suite in Mascot, Sydney.
And this isn’t your average dealership experience, where some bloke offers you a coffee while you choose between black leather and slightly darker black leather.
Oh no. This is an entirely different level of indulgence.
Customers can now personally specify virtually everything on their Range Rover, from individually selected leather and exotic timber veneers to custom paint, embroidery, precious metal accents and even personalised badges.
Essentially, if you’ve ever wanted your Range Rover’s interior to match your favourite handbag, your superyacht or possibly your Labrador, this is the place to do it.
And because selecting the exact shade of beige for your seat stitching is apparently exhausting work, Range Rover will even put you up for two nights at the rather magnificent Capella Sydney, complete with private Range Rover transfers.
It’s a tough life at the top.
To celebrate, they’ve created something rather special.
The Range Rover SV Bespoke Pioneer 1972, a one-of-one tribute to the very first Range Rover brought to Australia back in 1970, two years before the official local launch.
That original vehicle, finished in Davos White, has remarkably survived with its original patina intact.
The new interpretation is rather different.
It’s finished in a special metallic white inspired by snow on Mount Kosciuszko, rides on enormous 23-inch wheels and features a cabin swimming in Caraway leather, Ebony trim and handcrafted details.
Under the bonnet sits a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing a whopping 452 kilowatts.
That’s an extraordinary amount of power for a vehicle whose primary duties will probably involve driving to lunch in Double Bay.
And here’s the thing. The original Range Rover was designed to cross muddy fields, climb mountains and tow things that were generally quite unpleasant.
Fifty-six years later, its descendant comes with embroidered cushions, illuminated personalised door sills and a luxury hotel experience.
Progress, ladies and gentlemen.
But joking aside, there’s something genuinely impressive about Range Rover celebrating its Australian heritage in this way.
The Pioneer 1972 is a beautiful piece of automotive craftsmanship, and the fact that the original 1970 vehicle has survived makes the story even better.
Although I do have one question. If you spend all that money creating your own bespoke Range Rover, are you actually going to take it off-road?
Or will the most challenging terrain it ever encounters be the speed hump outside the yacht club?
If something a little more sedate and less dare we say expensive is more your pace then RRAuctions currently has this 1992 Aus delivered Range Rover Vogue at Auction.
