CHASSIS NUMBER. 35500015A

REGISTRATION NUMBER. YVB 162H

ENGINE TYPE. V8 PETROL

GEARBOX TYPE. 4 SPEED MANUAL

VEHICLE SPEC.
THIS IS ONE OF THE 28 RANGE ROVER PRE-PRODUCTION PROTOTYPES BUILT IN 1970 PRIOR TO ITS LAUNCH IN JUNE 1970. DEVELOPMENT OF THE RANGE ROVER STARTED IN NOVEMBER 1968. MOST OF THE PRE PRODUCTION CARRIED A NAME V.E.L.A.R., WHICH WAS A CODE NAME FOR RUNNING ON THE ROAD IN DISGUISE. DESPITE SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS OVER THE ORIGIN OF THIS NAME, IT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED FOR THE ROVER P6 BS SPORTS COUPE, TO BE BUILT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALVIS. THE PROJECT ENGINEER (MIKE DUNN) CREATED THE NAME, COMBINING LETTERS FROM BOTH ALVIS AND ROVER. PROTOTYPES CARRIED NO LAND/RANGE ROVER BADGES. VERY LITTLE CHANGED FROM PROTOTYPES TO PRODUCTION, SMOOTH DASH TO GRAINED, ALLY BONNET TO STEEL, WHEELS WENT FROM CREAM TO SILVER. MOST OF THE PROTOTYPES CARRIED A 'YVB' REGISTRATION LETTER AND HAD AN 'H' SUFFIX. A BATCH OF 20 PRESS FLEET VEHICLES WAS BUILT THESE CARRIED REGISTRATION MARKS NXC231H TO NXC250H. AROUND 38 OF THESE PRE-PRO’S STILL SURVIVE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 1N THE EARLY 90,S AFTER SUFFERING A BAD ENGINE FIRE, AND WAS FULLY REBUILT KEEPING AS MANY ORIGINAL PARTS AS POSSIBLE, BUT SADLY THE ALLY BONNET WAS BEYOND REPAIR. YVB IS A WORKING VEHICLE, USED IN MANY PHOTO SHOOTS AND IS DRIVEN OFTEN.