Believe it or not, electric vehicles predate combustion by a few decades, although they didn’t debut in the United States until the end of the 19th century. By the early 1900s, they even accounted for around one-third of the cars on the road. The debut of the affordable Model T in 1908 and the discovery of cheap American oil helped lead to the demise of the electric engine by the ‘30s. However, it would only be a matter of time before we as a society realized the optimal future for automobiles.
As a result, some of the greatest automobiles of all time have had a transitory relevance rendered unto them by this new battery-powered revolution. Classics like the Aston Martin DB6 or the Jaguar XK120 can find longevity under the careful hand and large pockets of a collector, but an electric engine can give these cars many more years with less maintenance. That’s where UK-based firm Lunaz comes in. The electric conversion company upcycles classic vehicles for the modern world.
A few years back, Lunaz released the electric Range Rover Classic, with an open-top version that followed. Now, it’s unveiling the Country edition, a new open-top backroad version, similar to the one first seen in the 1983 James Bond picture Octopussy. While 007’s ride had a brown exterior, this new configuration sports an attractive light blue. Both versions have inside-facing bench seats in the back.
Capable of 360hp and 450lb.ft of torque, the new all-wheel-drive Range Rover Classic Country electromod is expected to roll out sometime mid-2023, with prices starting at £245,000 (~$290,072).