The Golden Egg: Range Rover discovered in CHICKEN SHED sells for staggering six-figure sum
AN HISTORIC Range Rover discovered in a barn with CHICKENS living inside sold at auction last night for a staggering £115,000.
The 44-year-old classic vehicle, dubbed 'Chassis No 1', was the first pre-production model of the marque, a favourite with everyone from farmers to footballers and royalty.
It was found by Peter Garside, who reckoned the final selling price was "as cheap as chips".
London-based Silverstone Auctions saw a number of bidders compete for the rare car, driving the price up from £80,000 until the hammer was brought down on the final six-figure sum.
The total price reached an astonishing £132,250 when including the buyer's premium.
Somebody's got a bargain there
Mr Garside did not attend the auction but said: "Somebody's got a bargain there."
The Land Rover enthusiast said he had felt a tinge of emotion as he drove the old car away for the final time.
"It was a wreck when I found it," he said.
"It had chickens living in it.
"Now it's just as good as the day it drove off the assembly line.
"I'd never thought about selling it but Silverstone Auctions contacted me after they saw it in a magazine.
"It sent my mind ticking and I thought, I've looked after it for 25 years, it's time for somebody else to have a chance. It's been a labour
of love and when it came to driving it down there I was a bit weepy."
'Chassis No 1'was made at the Rover factory in Solihull in late 1969 and registered on January 2, 1970.
It still has its original engine with 86,000 miles on the clock.
Michael Forlong, producer of two Range Rover promotional films - 'A car for all reasons' and 'Sahara South' - became the first private
owner of 'Chassis No 1' on 8th April 1971.
The car was then considered lost for a number of years after its original green paintwork was resprayed gold and the number plate was changed.
However, it was eventually found in the farmyard in Kent in 1985 by Mr Garside and his then business partner Chris Greenwood.
Mr Garside, boss of the Huddersfield Land Rover Centre, undertook a six-year-long "nut and bolt" restoration project and returned it to its classic olive green colour.
