Range Rover TDV8 Vogue | Spotted

To say that Clarkson’s Farm is great TV is hardly the entertainment scoop of the year. It’s been running for three series now, each of them has been very good, and anyone who’s dared swing by Diddly Squat on a weekend will know the appeal extends well beyond Top Gear fanboys. Such a chord has been struck with his exploits that Jeremy Clarkson has become feature-worthy for The Economist. So, yes, in case you’ve been under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ll likely already know that Clarkson’s Farm is well worth a few hours of your time. 

JC is not the star of the show, however. It’s not Gerald, it’s not Kaleb, it’s not the goats and it’s not the mushrooms, either. It’s the veteran Range Rover (in our book, at least). Anybody with a passing interest in cars will have noticed the green TDV8 that Clarkson seemingly uses to get just about everywhere – and how fantastically good it looks doing it. There’s nothing extraordinary about the spec – green, modest wheels, diesel – and yet it’s hard not to swoon every time it’s on screen. The L322, now more than 20 years old, is ageing fantastically well. 

So obviously we had to seek one out in the classifieds. First off, it’s hard to get green with the V8 diesel; probably there wasn’t such a fondness for green earlier in the 21st century. There’s a high mileage (180k) 3.6 TDV8 for an alluringly low £5,995, a couple of very presentable later models then the best of the bunch (to these eyes), a 2011 4.4 TDV8 with 60,000 miles. 

The larger V8 diesel arrived in 2010, the bump from 3.6 to 4.4 bringing some useful extra performance: 272hp and 472lb ft became 313hp and 516lb ft. That 2011 model year update brought the eight-speed ZF auto, too. This is one of them, complete with Galway Green paint, cream leather, small(ish) wheels and clear glass – a dreamy Range Rover, basically. Some will prefer the earlier, slightly less chintzy look, but by today’s standard, this is still a model of restraint. 

Vogue spec is appropriately lavish, and 60,000 miles in 2011 sounds modest for a car so suited to covering the miles. It’s recently had new brakes, pads and tyres (though you’ll probably want to ditch the Landsails anyway) and it’ll be sold freshly serviced as well. The MOT has recently expired, though given its recent history and limited mileage there seems little reason to suggest that’ll be a problem. It’s been for sale for a little while as well, which ought to aid negotiations. 

And what lovely company it’ll likely be for years to come. Nobody, really, is going to need more performance, luxury, or sense of occasion than offered by a Range Rover of this era, which must be part of the reason why people like Clarkson keep their L322s for as long as they do. This one’s probably a bit too nice for life on a farm, although whatever it goes on to do next it’ll likely be perfectly suited. Because that’s what Range Rovers are best at. £23,950 is towards the top of L322 values, and enough actually to get into a later L405 with more power and comparable miles – which speaks to how well regarded they are. Possibly helped along by Britain’s most famous farmer. Or maybe not – those in the know have been keen for a while. 

Engine: 4,367cc, twin-turbo V8 diesel
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 313@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@3,000rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: 253g/km
Year registered: 2011
Recorded mileage: 62,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £23,950