Churchill's Land Rover for sale

UKE80 - Churchill's Land Rover Series I

Winston Churchill, Britain's Prime Minister during World War II, was presented with a Land Rover series I on his 80th birthday, in 1954.  That very same Land Rover is being auctioned by Cheffins Auctioneers at the Sutton Saleground, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The number plate is UKE80 and the car was modified by Rover to suit the corpulent statesman.  He would only ever be chauffeured around in the Landy so the passenger seat was made 'extra wide' whilst the middle seat was converted to a padded fold down armrest.  A later addition, and one that early Land Rover owners will no doubt feel necessary, is a truck cab and foot well heater.

The Land Rover was used by Churchill to get around his 300 acre Chartwell estate until his death in 1965.  After that his family owned it for a few years.  It was sold to a private buyer in 1973 for £160.  Thereafter it was put to little use, aside from towing the occasional horse box.  That owner has now put the Land Rover up for sale.

The car comes with a V5 and documentation to prove it's provenance.  It has 12,932 miles on the clock and the sale estimate is £50,000 to £60,000.

You'd better hurry if you want to bid.  The auction takes place tomorrow.  This link takes you to the details.