1949 Land Rover 4x4 Station Wagon, Coachwork by Tickford Registration no. ONU 208 Chassis no. R06200012

* Rare early coachbuilt Station Wagon variant
* Present ownership for 37 years
* Restoration completed in 2010
* Featured in Classic LRO magazine

'A Tickford was built for the landed gentry, for hunting and shooting and fishing, to be driven along a few dirty tracks and then brought home to be cleaned by the chauffeur. It's a coachbuilt upmarket, off-road limo for the post-war big spender.' – Classic LRO magazine.
Introduced in 1948, the very first Land Rover Station Wagon was built by Newport Pagnell-based coachbuilders, Tickford Ltd; it featured an aluminium-panelled, timber-framed body, and was intended to extend the Landie's appeal beyond the agricultural sector. However, the Station Wagon was treated as a car by the taxation authorities, adding a hefty chunk of Purchase Tax to its already considerable cost. In total, only 641 were sold, with most sent for export, and today this early 'luxury' Land Rover is one of the most sought after variants.
This example was purchased in 1981 by the current vendor, a long-standing Land Rover enthusiast, and painstakingly rebuilt over the course of the next 30 years. 'ONU 208' was bought from a farmer in Wantage, Oxfordshire, in very poor condition and with its original engine missing. Although the station wagon looked fit only for scrap, its rarity saved it from that fate. Interviewed for an article on its restoration published in Classic LRO magazine (April 2011 edition, copy available) the owner recalled: '... I assumed it would be my only chance of ever owning one. That's the way it is with Tickfords, if you want one, you have to take what you're offered.'
Despite its dilapidated condition, the Station Wagon was remarkably complete and original, with enough of this rare model's unique parts surviving to facilitate the reproduction of new replacements. The mahogany body frame was sound, with only two sections requiring renewal, while the chassis was sent away for shot blasting before being repaired. Stripping paint from the aluminium body panels revealed the original colour scheme: light green with ivory white window frames. As there was no engine, a period-correct 2.0-litre unit was acquired, overhauled, and installed together with the rebuilt gearbox. The owner enrolled in an evening class to learn upholstery, enabling him to re-trim the interior himself. This marathon project was finally completed in 2010, and the end result is a credit to the owner's perseverance and skill.