1979 Land Rover Series III 88"

Not every Series III came out of Solihull. From 1958, Rover licensed Metalúrgica de Santa Ana in Linares, southern Spain, to build Land Rovers for the Spanish market and for export to Latin America, Africa and beyond. Santana didn't just assemble kits — over two decades it developed its own engines, its own gearbox refinements and a reputation for trucks that were, if anything, tougher than the originals, built for the heat and dust of Andalusia and the countries it shipped to.

This is one of those trucks. The original Santana data plate is still riveted to the seat box, in Spanish, spelling out how to engage low range and four-wheel drive, and the Veglia-Bressel gauges carry the Santana star. It is a Series III 88" short-wheelbase in the classic form: soft-top body, canvas tilt, drop tailgate, inward-facing rear benches, and the three-lever transmission that makes a Series Land Rover feel like a Series Land Rover.