What: 1982 Land Rover Range Rover Classic 3.5 V8 Color: Bahama Gold (bahamagold; non-metallic UNI; LRC235; Land Rover) VIN: N/A Mileage: 4250 km, 2,640 miles Price: €59,950 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location:Gallery Aaldering, Brummen, Netherlands Listing:Link
“Monte Carlo Worthy” is maybe the best way ever to describe a pristine vintage luxury car, and that’s precisely how Gallery Aaldering leads in explaining the Bahama Gold example you see here. Why? Well, for starters it spent its last ten years residing in Monte Carlo.
Remember, this is the place where F1 champions valet whatever the hell they want to because they are F1 champions, or cruise the streets of this ultra exclusive town past yachts and casinos. Having the most expensive anything is likely passé, though perhaps so too is going back to Monte Carlo with someone else’s former Range.
So maybe don’t go back to Monte Carlo. Even still, if you’re seeking one of the best known examples of Range Rover’s 2-door early trucks with an incredible specification including manual transmission, we know where you can find one.
What: 1994 BMW 850 CSi Color: Laguna Green (lagunengrün; metallic UNI; B46; BMW) VIN: N/A Mileage: 109,912 km, 68,296 miles Price: €109,950 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Gallery Aaldering, Brummen, NL Listing:Link
Though Laguna Green Metallic was a standard color (in Europe at least) on the E31 BMW 8-Series, we’re going to give this car a pass because it’s decently rare and also because it’s an excellent spec.
Let’s start with the basics. The BMW 850 CSi of this era is a highly sought after car by Bimmerphiles and also purists alike for its relative affordability considering the fact that it boasts a 380 hp V12 engine and 6-speed manual transmission.
As for the specification, Laguna Green is a medium metallic green so not especially remarkable unless you just love green cars. Even still, the car has a handsome period two-tone interior that appears to be Lotus White with Black. We also note the sport steering wheel with BMW M color stitching.
We’re pushing the boundaries with this particular market find. We suspect it’s a specification straight out of the 1981 order book. We can’t confirm the color name or code. And, it’s in Europe, meaning our primarily North American audience would have to import it. Luckily enough, its 1981 model year makes it an easy import. Its excellent specification and remarkably preserved condition also makes it easy on the eyes.
For those not familiar with the Maserati Merak, it’s a mid-engine Italian sportscar from the 1970s and into the 1980s, a halcyon era of that genre. Penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it has all of the exotic feel of more known 70s/80s mid-engine Italian offerings from Ferrari or Lamborghini, but we’d argue it’s just as exotic a look… especially when built to an exquisite specification.
Regarding specification, drivetrain may be arguably not exotic in 2000 GT form. Maserati launched the 2000 GT in 1977 almost exclusively for the Italian market. The Merak 2000 GT was built to avoid Italian customers from being penalized with a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 19% for any cars over 2-liters of displacement. That tax was deflating enough to Italian car manufacturer sales that brands began to specially make 2-liter examples of their entry-level models. Ferrari launched its 208 GTB, Lamborghini introduced the Urraco P200 and Maserati added the Merak 2000 GT.
Unlike today where Maserati and Ferrari can largely pull from the same corporate parts bin, the brand was owned by Citroën at that time. In as much, Maserati developers turned to the French manufacturer to source a workable engine, and for this it replaced the Merak SS’s 2.9-liter V6 derived from Citroën SM’s 2.7-liter V6 with a smaller 2.0-liter V6 also from the SM.
Visually, the 2000 GT is most easily identified for its black side stripes that run horizontally down the mid-section of the body. Over time, a lot of 2000 GTs had their stripes removed to look higher dollar, though its likely that cars still sporting the original stripes as this one does are probably worth more today.
The Merak 2000 GT was offered in just two colors, a metallic blue or this other metallic that is often referred to as “gold”, though we’d argue is a bit more of a light brown. We’re not 100% sure of the name though as we were unable to dig up any confirmation of the paint colors or codes, despite ample searching and the dealer’s own detailed listing. If you know the color or code, drop us a note in the comments below.
Whatever the case of the name, the look of the color is very unique. Browns were popular in that time period though typically fell out of vogue, and certainly weren’t the more usual reds or blues the mass market tends to prefer. In our eyes, that makes it more unique, and it also makes it incredibly paired with the particular highly preserved tartan interior of this car.
Inside, brown leather helps elevate the feel of quality of an era of dashboard and center console that’s not always the most robust. Here, it looks well-kept and well-paired with tan fabric seats and brown and tan tartan seat centers. Whereas the 2000 GT may not be the most preferable drivetrain, this interior makes this car incredibly attractive despite its power deficiencies.
This Merak 200 GT is listed for sale at Gallery Aaldering in Brummen, NL. Yes, that means you’ll have to import it if you want it. It’s logged just 14,925 km (9,273 miles), so it’s practically new by that count.
If you’re interested in seeing more of the car, you can check it out HERE.
