Cars

With coil springs, disc brakes and a powerful (for the day) 3.5-litre V8, the Range Rover that made its debut over 40 years ago was quite a step forward for Land Rover. Up until then, the British company was known for its hardy but basic off-roaders much beloved by users worldwide, ranging from sheep farmers in New Zealand to Her Majesty the Queen.

To some it was the ugly sister; to others it was a gorgeously eccentric sweetheart. The unusual Gandini styling split opinions like few other cars. Its roots are in the wild 1967 Marzal Concept from which the Espada’s main design cues were taken: that unmistakeable sloping rear roofline, the wide flat surfaces and a huge expanse of glass, among others.

This is the enduring image of the big-engined Healey.

And, looking at the values of Abingdon’s finest, even in today’s buoyant classic car market, recreating such a scene need not be expensive. An Austin-Healey 3000 looks good, performs adequately (124bhp, tested at 116mph with a 0-60mph of 11.7 seconds in 1960) – at a price well short of the equivalent Jaguar XK or anaemic Mercedes 190SL.

Out after 16 hours: Bentley 3 Litre Le Mans