The Classic Sale At Silverstone Festival 25th - 27th August 2023

The Classic Sale at Silverstone Festival 2023 Cars 18 Registration: KX21 AJZ Chassis No.: SALEA6AXXN2077836 Estimate: £75,000 - £90,000 Specialist: Nick Whale Telephone No: 07831 440158 Lot 310 2021 Land Rover Defender by Bowler #001 In late 2019, Jaguar Land Rover acquired Bowler to add to their Special Vehicle Operations Division, and there were those who were worried that Bowler may become a rather watered-down wing of the larger company, however that has not been the case with Bowler, still enjoying a pleasing level of independence with the bonus of now having access to some of the extensive test and development facilities of JLR. A good example of Bowler/JLR’s positive thinking was the announcement in 2021 of the Bowler Defender Championship, a new one-make rally series to promote the Defender and allow customers to take part in rallying in a cost- controlled environment. The 2022 Series was over six rounds, all gravel rallies, and covered events in England, Scotland and Wales during the year at well-known and long-established rally events. The ‘Challenge’ cars were based on a standard car which was taken off the production line and hand-finished by a specialist team at Bowler. The 2-litre Ingenium petrol four-cylinder engine (296bhp and 295lb/ft of torque) and the 8-speed automatic transmission both remained largely untouched in order to achieve identical performance in the competing cars. To this they added, a large list of features which can be found on our website. We are delighted to offer, here at the Silverstone Festival 2023, Bowler Defender - build number 001, the first car produced for the Championship and the first Bowler Defender produced for retail, all confirmed by the Bowler chassis plate and the relevant documentation that accompanies the car. #001 was ordered at the beginning of 2021 as part of the Bowler Defender Challenge and, at the time of purchase, was equipped with all the possible options from Bowler including Rally Package One and Rally Package Two. It took part in five rounds of the 2022 Championship, winning the longest and most challenging event, the three-day Welsh Hill Rally. Initially it was retained by Bowler and has been featured in a number of their promotional videos, both for JLR and their own marketing requirements. As part of its high-profile, #001 starred in the car wow ‘tug-of-war’ contest and was used for a full days testing and training in conjunction with Mark Higgins at Walters Arena. A complete new engine was fitted by JLR Special Vehicles around 600-miles ago, with only one event since, and the car is up to date with all the more recent Bowler modifications including the uprated radiator mounting system and the modified torque tube and subframe. It’s complete with a full tool kit, two rally computers, upgraded light pack, twin intercom system and road-compliant headsets plus the aforementioned paperwork. It has been used competitively and therefore does have bodywork in line with a competition vehicle with some inevitable scratches and small dents. The final three rounds of the 2023 Tata Elxsi Defender Rally Series by Bowler await, with a full seven-round championship planned for next year, so what better way to join the fray than in Bowler Defender Number 1, fully developed, an existing winner, with a recent fresh power unit and very sensibly guided given the potential on offer. Build Number 001, the first car produced for the Bowler Defender Championship and the first Bowler Defender ever produced for retail. More Details Lot 310 Bid On Lot 310