Hi All,

I was fortunate enough to acquire this car a few months ago. It's a very early (chassis 205) car in Vesuvius. I've been able to discover quite a lot of its history including the fact it was a Press Car and driven by both Tiff Needell on 5th Gear and by Clarkson on a straight-to-DVD programme called 'Heaven and Hell'.

I'll post bit more about it in due course but in the meantime here's a couple of pics (mods please rotate if poss)

Regards

John

John, if you go into your gallery on the forum you can rotate the pictures there using the "rotate" function and then edit your post with the link to the gallery. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
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Welcome to the Forum John, very interesting car you have there and i look forward to you posting more info on it  2003 BMW M5 - 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black

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Spotted it at Dunsfold on the CVC Register stand. I was going to say hello but you were fast asleep in it  Visitor from fullfatrr.com
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I was. Sorry! I was knackered!

Great show - nice to see Dunsfold's Vesuvius pre-pro.

Now all safely back in York.

Apologies for not saying hello but there was alot to get round!! Your car looked great  2003 BMW M5 - 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black

2013 SDV6 HSE Black Edition- Orkney Grey with Ebony & Ivory. LR Facelift RAI, Genuine G4 Expedition Rack, 4x Warn SBD-160 Spotlights, Warn 9.5XPS Winch, Mantec Underbody Protection and Sump Guard, Full Easy Lift Suspension Module, LR Light Guards, Light Force HTX230 Hybrid spotlights, 18” Compomotive PD1881 on 265/65/18 BF Goodrich KO2, ARB fridge, TuffTrek awning 😎

So, to sumarise what I have found so far. VX54 FAM is a very early Sport; it has chassis number 205. (the first production car was chassis 505). Dunsfold's is 034.

FAM was registered in Feb 2005 but sales did not start until May 2005. The most interesting aspect of its early life is that it was used by Land Rover themselves as a Press Car. It featured in two TV programmes at the time of the launch of the Sport; one was ‘Fifth Gear’ on Channel 5 in which it was appraised by Tiff Needell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oeTVN-byP4 or just Google ‘Fifth Gear Range Rover Sport’) and the second was a straight-to-DVD programme called ‘Heaven and Hell’ presented by Jeremy Clarkson, in which it was driven (rather hard) around the Top Gear test track. This can also be found on YouTube (the Sport appears at about 12 mins 30 into the video).

FAM was one of four factory registered Supercharged Sports used by the factory for press duties (that I have been able to discern). Vesuvius sister FPZ was left hand drive and appeared on the cover of Autocar. FBJ was the Autocar road test car in Silver. FHH was in Black, and used by Clarkson on Top Gear, being stalked by a Challenger tank! None of these other vehicles survive as far as I am able to tell.

After Land Rover themselves had used it they disposed of it in August 2006, but it was not sold to a new owner until Jan 2007. It was sold through the dealer network by Dovercourt in Battersea (whose plates it still wears) and the new owner kept it for around 6 years. A guy in Aberdeen was the third, and I bought it from him.

I am trying to return the car to a good standard. I have replaced the non-original wheels now, with some of the correct type. It has just had four new tyres of the original type re-fitted. I have machine-polished the car and the paint now glows beautifully in the sun. I am replacing the badges on the car (all in quite a poor way) and I am slowly working through it, gently improving and restoring it. It has a few little niggles; the top tailgate doesn't open (so new switch on order); the steering wheel has suffered sun damage and will need refurbishment; cubby box catch is broken and I'm not sure whether the fridge is working properly (switch does not light up) and the number '3' is damaged on the radio/CD panel. However, solving these is all part of the fun!

And finally, (and perhaps most controversially) Vesuvius is not Orange. It's Red. The V5 says so, but more specifically, the paint colour decal under the bonnet refers to it as 'Vesuvius Red'. Who knew?!

If anyone knows anything more or further observations to make then please do let me know.

Regards

John

Very interesting, however when I saw one at Hunters in Kings lynn, the salesman told me it was Vesuvius Orange, he even gave me a showroom book with it in, the paint was listed as a 8k option called Vesuvius Orange, Unfortunately i no longer have the booklet. 07,TDV8,Black, Black Heated leather all round, Rear Entertainment with Headpones & Remote, TV, DVD, Pure Dab Digital Radio, Sidesteps, Adaptive Headlights, sunroof, now working fuel burning heater )))

When I went to see the Velar at the LR factory and they give you a tour they said it is illegal for them to sell the pre-production models, they all get scrapped, so yours must have been before those rules came in. Quite unique really, and the more history you can get the better. 2012 RRS SDV6
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You can read more about the Sport in LRO this month - 2 pages in Your Classics section.

Tks

John

Really interesting read over breakfast. How did you go about finding out so much history?

Number of routes really

1. Google searches for Range Rover Sport + other terms eg 'launch'; 'press'; look in images and videos, not just links

2. Fill in form V888 and send it to the DVLA. Ask for 'complete history held' and purpose 'for historical research'. For £5 it will get you a copy of all the documentation held by DVLA - old V5s, number plate swaps etc.

3. Join the CVC Register (via Facebook). Very knowledgeable and friendly bunch of people.

4. Ebay. Search 'Range Rover Sport' and look in literature (will give you magazines from the oeriod)

All good fun!

Not seen another Vesuvius red RR until now. This is mine which I acquired in November last year. It’s an 05 plate with cream leather interior

So, did Clarkson put it into the 'Heaven' category?