In the world of Land Rover, the spotlight has been directed at the reimagined Defender for quite some time (not that you’ll be able to buy one this summer). It’s understandable considering the off-road legend traces its roots back to the 1940s. But here’s your fun fact for the day: The Defender nameplate didn’t actually debut until 1990. The automaker has a much older model that they’re shifting the spotlight to, for the moment at least: the Range Rover.
Believe it or not, it’s been 50 years since the Range Rover debuted. Back on June 17, 1970, what has now become an iconic SUV was unveiled as a two-door blend of “the comfort and on-road ability of a Rover sedan” and “the off-road ability of a Land Rover,” as the automaker wrote in a press release. Today, interest in the Range Rover has spawned an entire family of off-roaders, grocery getters and gated-community chariots in the Evoque, Velar and Sport lines.
To celebrate the milestone, as automakers are wont to do, Land Rover is offering up a special-edition model called the Range Rover Fifty. Now, there’s no shortage of so-called “limited-run” models — car companies are happy to sell you more expensive versions of their lineup whenever they can — but because this is such a legendary SUV, and an important anniversary, it seems Land Rover has come up with a worthwhile addition to your stable.
The first thing you’ll notice in the promo image is the vibrant blue paint job on the limited-edition Fifty that matches the original model. That particular color is known as Tuscan Blue, and as Land Rover notes, it’s one of three heritage colors “reproduced from the original Range Rover paint palette,” the other two being Bahama Gold and Davos White.
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- The Range Rover Fifty in Bahama Gold.
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- The Range Rover Fifty in Davos White.
According to the automaker, those three heritage colors will be offered in even more limited numbers than the Fifty itself, which will be capped at 1,970 vehicles, a nod to the year the Range Rover debuted. If you miss out on those, you’ll have to settle for Carpathian Grey, Rosello Red, Aruba or Santorini Black.
Color isn’t the only upgrade potential buyers have to look forward to. The Fifty begins as one of the Range Rover’s luxury Autobiography trims, then adds a custom wheel design, exterior accents and plenty of badging throughout the vehicle to let anyone and everyone know only 1,969 other people own this SUV.
OK, OK, so how much will this put me out? Unfortunately, the price range hasn’t been released yet, and neither has the on-sale date. All we know for sure is the full details will be released “later this year.”
However, the standard Autobiography models start at $130,300, so it will be more than that. Also, models like this have a habit of selling out by the time details are fully announced, so if you’re interested be sure to get in touch with a local dealer sooner rather than later.
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