In 2019 Land Rover celebrate a few milestone anniversaries. The first one is the 25th anniversary of when the Range Rover P38a hit the UK market. We take a look at the Range Rover P38a.
Range Rover P38a
Looking at the iconic bodywork it may not seem like 25 years since the first Range Rover P38a was launched. Taking its unusual name from the number of the building where it was developed at Solihull, the P38a had big boots to fill thanks to its role as successor to the Range Rover Classic.
With its angular bodywork, it looked remarkably familiar, while the front headlamps had become rectangular and housed within an imposing grille.
The P38a received mixed reactions, it was a remarkably proficient performer off-road despite its hefty dimensions and internal emphasis on refined luxury. The P38a defied the age-old thinking that in order to successfully traverse difficult topography you somehow had to compromise on comfort and features that make day-to-day driving more pleasurable.
Comfort and performance
With the P38a, you could literally climb mountains while kicking back in comfort on the best seats the motoring industry had to offer. Pair that up with air conditioning, an expensive stereo and premium trim you had the perfect off-road vehicle!
The motoring press eagerly lapped up the chance to test the new Range Rover whenever they could. Advertisements showed the P38a driving through a brick wall as if it simply wasn’t there and Land Rover keenly demonstrated their new height-adjustable air suspension, which now came as standard.
Sales were strong, but every now and then, there was a grumble that it wasn’t the original Range Rover, now commonly referred to as the Classic – Land Rover simply took the fact that their initial offering had stolen hearts so effectively, as a compliment, as this affection temporarily blinded some to the technological advances in the P38a.
Unfortunately, the P38a hit some bad press with some electrical niggles, resulting in the model temporarily carrying a somewhat undeserved reputation for poor reliability. However, with some time and patience, the vast majority of those issues are now understood and are able to be remedied with relative ease.
As the P38a gains its classic status, there is a renewed appreciation for its impressive capabilities on and off-road, as well as its remarkable comfort levels and that perceivably charismatic persona.
You can find out more about the upcoming Land Rover Legends at the Land Rover Legends show in Bicester 25-26 May
What do you think of the Range Rover P38A? Let us know in the comments box below
I was working for LandRover at the launch and my family and I went to Solihull for the official launch.I have had 3 P38s my latest is an Autobiography model. I think they are fantastic,comfort,safety,style,go anywhere,versatile and will lift there skirts and take off when the pedal is pushed.Cant think of any other make that does it all.
All what you have to tell is that p38a it’s a best machine ever with style, for any road.