Land Rover turns online auction into one ultimate Valentine’s Day gift

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When four university friends from New Zealand put their beaten and broken 1957 Series I Land Rover for sale on an auction site, little did they know their beloved vehicle, christened ‘The Landy’ would eventually be restored back to its former glory by Land Rover themselves. 

Following 15 years of ownership filled with many adventures, Will Radford, Jeremy Wells, Anthony Dawson and James Shatwell thought they were closing a chapter with the sale, however, fate intervened when the team at Land Rover New Zealand read the ad and hatched a covert operation to give ‘The Landy’ a painstaking ground-up mechanical restoration.

And now, for Valentine’s Day, the four friends have been reunited with their fully restored Series I. 

The guys over at Land Rover fell for the story behind the classic vehicle when they came across the auction listing. After documenting the many journeys and stories this particular Series 1 was part of and knowing just how much the vehicle meant to the four guys, Land Rover bought it and restored it back to its former glory, replacing the broken bits with genuine parts, while retaining some of the dents, dings and even the bumper stickers that made it theirs and gave it its charm – thoughtful little touch if you ask us.