Dalai Lama’s 1966 Land Rover up for sale and here’s how you can buy it

india

Updated: Aug 12, 2019 13:36 IST

A 1966 vintage Land Rover Series IIA car once owned by Tibetan spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama will go under the hammer in the United States.

The more than 50-year-old car has been put up for sale by RM Sotheby’s with its headquarters at Ontario and offices in the US, UK, and Germany. Registration for the bidding was opened in July and the auction is slated between August 29 and September 1.

The Nobel Peace laureate used the car as his personal transport for 10 years from 1966 to 1976.

According to the details posted by RM Sotheby’s on its website, the car, built on the 88-inch-wheelbase chassis, was completed on February 10, 1966, and delivered to Nepal on February 17 in that year.

“It was then driven by His Holiness’s brother, Tenzin Cheogyal, into India, where it entered service as the Dalai Lama’s vehicle. Mostly driven by Cheogyal to ferry his brother along the mountainous roads of the Dharamshala region of India,” the company says on the site.

It was taken out of service in 1976 and looked after by Cheogyal till 2005, when it was donated to the Dalai Lama Foundation in California to raise funds for Tibetan refugees arriving in the US.

The Land Rover was fully restored in 2006 with a complete rebuilt of the engine, original Bronze Green paint scheme, original seats, interior parts, and the tires.

“It is presented today in beautiful condition and wears the classic Bronze Green paint scheme with which it left the factory back in 1966,” the company says.

It is accompanied by extensive documentation, including the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate, original owner’s manual with Cheogyal’s signature on the first page, insurance policies listing the Dalai Lama as the owner and donation related papers.

It also has the original number plate bearing registration number HIM-7555. HIM was previously the registration code for vehicles in Himachal Pradesh.

According to the company, the car also featured on the cover for the Land Rover Lifestyle magazine in 2007.

“For Land Rover aficionados, the combination of a late Series IIA along with incomparable historical significance makes this a very unique opportunity to own a truly special car,” says the company.

One can register to bid for the iconic SUV on the company’s website https://rmsothebys.com.

The initial bidding price has been kept in the range of $100,000 to $150,000 but is expected to fetch much more given its connection with the Dalai Lama.