Range Rover is heading to Monterey Car Week with a display that speaks directly to the growing overlap between modern luxury, nostalgia and collector-car culture. The brand has revealed a specially commissioned 1993 Range Rover Classic designed to match the first Range Rover SV Ultra built for the U.S. market. The pair will be shown during Monterey Car Week, bringing together two very different interpretations of the same idea: a refined, go-anywhere luxury vehicle with unmistakable British character.
The modern Range Rover SV Ultra represents the current peak of the brand’s luxury SUV lineup, but the more interesting piece for classic-car fans may be the 1993 Classic created to accompany it. Finished in a bespoke specification inspired by the new model, the older Range Rover was tailored with a matching exterior color, upgraded interior materials and custom details meant to visually connect it to its modern counterpart. It is not simply an old truck parked beside a new one. It is a deliberate heritage statement.
That matters because early Range Rovers have moved from used off-roaders into serious collector territory. Once simply practical, boxy and expensive to maintain, first-generation Range Rovers are now increasingly appreciated for their clean design, upright greenhouse, comfortable cabin and foundational role in creating the luxury SUV segment.
Why the Classic Range Rover Still Works
The original Range Rover debuted in 1970 and changed expectations for what a four-wheel-drive vehicle could be. It was rugged enough for difficult terrain, but far more comfortable and stylish than traditional utility vehicles. Long before luxury SUVs filled suburban driveways, the Range Rover established the idea that an off-road vehicle could also be aspirational.
By 1993, the first-generation Range Rover was near the end of its long production run, but it had gained more refinement than the earliest models. Later Classics offered improved interiors, more features and the familiar V-8 character that helped define the model. They still looked purposeful, but they were no longer purely utilitarian. That balance is exactly why they appeal today. A Range Rover Classic feels old enough to be charming, useful enough to enjoy and recognizable enough to draw attention without shouting.
Pairing a 1993 Classic with a modern SV Ultra also highlights how much the SUV market has changed. What began as a relatively simple luxury 4×4 has evolved into a high-end global status symbol. Today’s Range Rovers are filled with advanced electronics, luxury materials and powerful drivetrains. The Classic, by contrast, reminds enthusiasts that the formula was once much simpler: boxy shape, commanding seating position, V-8 power and the promise that one vehicle could handle both a muddy trail and a formal arrival.
Heritage Becomes the Selling Point
This Monterey pairing shows how automakers are increasingly using their own past to support their future. At events like Monterey Car Week, heritage is more than decoration. It helps explain why a modern luxury vehicle deserves attention in a crowded market. By placing a custom Range Rover Classic beside the new SV Ultra, Range Rover is inviting buyers and enthusiasts to see the new model as part of a longer story rather than just another expensive SUV.
There is also an auction angle. The matched Classic and modern SV Ultra are being presented as an exclusive pairing, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own two vehicles connected by design, brand identity and event history. That kind of storytelling matters in today’s collector market, where provenance and presentation can be nearly as important as the vehicle itself. MORE: Walter Chrysler’s personal car to be auctioned.
For classic-car fans, the takeaway is simple: the Range Rover Classic has fully crossed into collectible territory. It is no longer just an old SUV. It is a design icon, a luxury landmark and now a vehicle worthy of bespoke treatment at Monterey. In a world where nearly every automaker sells an expensive SUV, the original Range Rover still has something many newer vehicles are chasing: authenticity.
