A 1966 Land Rover Series IIA once owned by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama and used to ferry him around the mountainous roads of the Dharamsala region of India is going to auction.
Celebrity cars are big business and they don’t get much ‘bigger’ than this one, a 1966 Land Rover Series IIA once owned by the current Dalai Lama which is going to auction via Sothebys. The vehicle you’re looking at here was completed on 10 February 1966 and delivered brand new to Nepal on 17 February 1966; it was then driven by His Holiness’s brother, Tenzin Cheogyal, into India.
After 10 years of hard service in Dharamsala, the Land Rover was cared for by Tenzin Cheogyal until 2005 when it was donated to the Dalai Lama Foundation in Palo Alto, California, with the goal of raising funds for Tibetan refugees, arriving in the United States in December of 2005. It underwent 12 months of restoration with receipts for USD$49,000; indeed, the original, replaced parts are also included in the sale. And it’s still wearing its original Bronze Green.
“Mostly driven by Tenzin Cheogyal to ferry his brother along the mountainous roads of the Dharamsala region of India, the Land Rover saw hard use for many years as His Holiness continued his work while in exile from Tibet. Today, the Land Rover is accompanied by original parts, including original seats, interior parts, and the original tires, all saved during the restoration,” Sothebys said.
Sothebys expects the Series IIA to fetch anywhere between USD$100,000 – $150,000.
