The Land Rover brand has for long remained a favourite for all off-road aficionados. It has set a benchmark that newbies in the SUV market are trying to match. Since its inception, Land Rovers were popular enough to be bought by some of the famous personalities. One among them is the 14th Dalai Lama who bought the Land Rover Series IIA back in 1966. The 53-year-old SUV is now going under the hammer at the upcoming RMSothebys auction in August.
The Dalai Lama took delivery of his Series IIA in 1966 when he visited the Land Rover factory in England. At the time, the car was powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that put out 67bhp and 157Nm of torque. It came with an all-time 4x4 drive trains, with a low ratio transfer case making it easy to take on difficult terrains.
After escaping the Chinese army in Tibet, the Dalai Lama made his way into the Indian mountain city of Dharamshala. Having difficult terrains in the region, the Dalai Lama used the Land Rover as his personal vehicles to take him around the mountainous regions. The Land Rover Series I, II and III was so popular that 31 years after its production, in 1992, Land Rover claimed that more than 70 per cent of the vehicles build were still functional.
The RMSotheby this year is expected to be a delight with numerous popular cars that are waiting to be auctioned. One among it is the first Porsche ever, that was surprisingly commissioned before the company started its operation.
Comments
0 comment