FF Mk2 (127/219) Reg. XEA935H interesting old trade-in doc spotted

[Revocet]

Just watching this weeks Late Brake Show on youtube - part 2 of a Welsh family's eclectic car collection. They're driving a Maserati Indy which his dad bought new in 1971. I did a screen shot (posted here) of the purchase invoice as it reveals a very new 1971 Range Rover and 1970 FF Reg. XEA935H covered a large chunk of the £9,406 purchase price as trade-in. Just another £2,000 of cash to seal the deal.
The Calver bible reveals that FF to be chassis 127/219 which spent the first 6 months of its life as a factory PR & demo car. The first owner only had it for a year before trading it for the Indy. Hopefully some interesting info if the car still around & the owner on the forum.

[kenny38]

Calver's bible says nothing about range Rovers and Indy Mazzas. An oversight, surely. However can some one run the ruler over prices for these cars today in average condition? Back to the porrige and some Allbran. Kenny38

[nrb993]

I saw this too and there were photos on the wall too including the FF. But would love to know why a virtually new RR and an FFII were traded in. That must have been a real loss in value, especially as an FFII was like £7700 new at the time.

But what needs must and the Indy was a real need.

XEA 935H is not known to the JOC but does not mean it is around in the world driving happily and safely.

[Series3Jensen]

Hi

In respect of XEA 935 H - Chassis No 127/219
Ex Factory / Registered 22/23.01.1970
This was referred to in JOC Magazine 123 - September 1995 by Francis Pullen as now being in Sweden and wearing registration number HED 315
Still Cassis in colour
The Car is recorded as being registered as a Press and Factory Demonstrator and being sold on 14.08.1970
So the pain of the reduced part exchange value will have been carried by two

I have no further information on this car, post September 1995
Is it still in Sweden?

Kind regards

Jim Smith
Mem No 1639
136/8791 RJF 17 Owned since September 1978

[johnw]

But would love to know why a virtually new RR and an FFII were traded in. That must have been a real loss in value, especially as an FFII was like £7700 new at the time.

This was due to the Labour supertax, which ran to 95% for the highest taxed earners. So all cars were religiously swapped every year as they were tax deductible if profits were left in the company. Note the August 1st delivery date. There would be an annual party August 1st at the dealer, you would see the same people there each year. Even the gardener would get a new Mini van each year. However, like all things there is only so much tax offset available, so maybe the subordinates had to drive Rover's during a lean year, then the Masser was sold, hived off, given, or otherwise taken off the books and handed to the director. Perhaps the dealer providing the most expensive car the next year got to see the company fleet and make offers on the cars they could move on easiest. The Rolls would typically have been used to drive important customers, to/from the airport etc.

If you carefully spec'd the Rolls with a view to resale, due to the long waiting list at the time you could get close to your money back, but only if it had very low mileage. 1971 on the Rolls Royce backlog started to disappear.

[John Staddon]

Ulric Woodhams believes the car survives, though in Norway now. However it is one of the FFs that was involved in the scam of many years ago when the identities of several cars were swapped, I can't remember the details but FF owners will know what I am talking about, and it carries a different chassis date plate - it has assumed the identity of another FF, and the other FF now has the chassis date plate from this one. I thought the true identities of all the FFs involved in the scam had now been resolved, but just in case it is still a sensitive issue I won't give the chassis number of the other FF.

John

[Series3Jensen]

John

I remember seeing some details of this scam but details of Chassis Nos involved were not that clear from the report that i saw

Kind regards

Jim Smith
Mem No 1639
136/8791 RJF 17 Owned since September 1978