Good morning! To start off this week, I have a very rare SUV for you, and its more modern and more common equivalent. Both are meant to bring a bit of luxury to the hinterlands, and either one will do immeasurable damage to your wallet should something go wrong. But at least you’ll go broke in style.
On Friday, we didn’t do a poll; on “track, daily, burn” days I technically could put a poll up, but it would have nine entries, and even I would have trouble keeping it all straight. Instead, I figure it’s just easier if you all talk it out in the comments. From the sounds of it, the Jaguar and the Flex battled it out for daily driver status, while more often than not, the poor Land Rover ended up in flames.
Well, as I’ve said before, being wrong is your right. The correct answer, for the record, is to track (off-road) the Freelander, daily-drive the comfy Jag, and burn the Ford station wagon with a bazillion miles, because it’s just a Ford station wagon with a bazillion miles and I just can’t get excited about it, at least in comparison to the other two.
Moving on: Most of the cars I feature on here are my own discoveries, but if someone else tips me off about a car, I like to give credit where credit is due. Over the weekend, a young user over at Opposite Lock named Sam Blockhan posted a bunch of cars found in various corners of the web, and among them was a Laforza. More to the point, a cheap, running Laforza. How could I resist? So once again, I doff my cap to you, Sam. Keep ’em coming. You’re like a bloodhound, sniffing out the weird cars.
But what to put up against it? There was only one answer, and Sam and I both arrived at it: a Range Rover. I found one for the same price, and in similar condition. Let’s check them out.
1989 Laforza – $6,500
Engine/drivetrain: 5.0 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, part-time 4WD
Location: Escondido, CA
Odometer reading: 39,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well, has been in storage for a while
What the hell, you ask, is a Laforza? Perhaps you know it better by its European name, the Rayton-Fissore Magnum. That doesn’t ring a bell either? All right: the Laforza was an Italian-made, Ford-powered competitor to the Range Rover, built for nearly twenty years in various forms. It’s built like a tank, almost literally; the basic mechanical design is taken from an Italian Iveco military truck. It was pretty advanced for its time, with independent torsion-bar front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, with a live rear axle on leaf springs for simplicity and strength.
In Europe, the Magnum was available with a variety of smaller engines, both gas and diesel, from Fiat, Alfa Romeo, BMW, and VM Motori. But when it came to the US as the Laforza, there was only one powerplant: Ford’s 302 cubic inch Windsor V8. It drives all four wheels through a Ford AOD automatic and a dual-range transfer case. Like Cadillac’s Allante, the body was built by Pininfarina in Italy, then shipped to the US for engine and drivetrain installation–but I don’t think Laforza had the budget for special airplanes to handle the transport like GM did.
The Laforza’s claim to fame was its ultra-luxurious interior, crammed full of leather and wood and power doodads. This one has held up to the years all right, though it’s a little grubby, and it looks like the rearview mirror is sitting in the passenger’s seat. No word on how many of the power doodads still work, but it’s a thirty-five-year-old coachbuilt Italian car, for sale for only sixty-five hundred bucks, so the odds of everything being fully functional aren’t great.
It does run and drive well, according to the seller, and it has new tires. Someone also outfitted it with a winch, a roof rack, and what looks like a couple inches of lift. It has been off the road for a couple of years, the seller tells us, but is on non-op status with the California DMV, so there aren’t any back fees to worry about.
2008 Range Rover Supercharged – $6,500
Engine/drivetrain: Supercharged 4.2 liter dual overhead cam V8, six-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Odometer reading: 116,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Before the Laforza, there was the Range Rover. These days, luxury SUVs are a dime a dozen, but in the beginning, there was only one. Yeah, sure, you could get a pretty nice Wagonner, or Eddie Bauer Bronco, but they weren’t the same. This third-generation Range Rover took the leap from solid axles to independent air suspension and introduced Land Rover’s “Terrain Response System,” sort of a traction control system on steroids, from what I understand, as well as a whole bunch of other bells and whistles.
This generation of Range Rover was designed while BMW was at the helm, but survived the transition to Ford’s ownership. As a Ford-era car, this one is powered by a Jaguar AJ V8, in this case supercharged. It runs and drives great, according to the seller. The air shocks were replaced recently, and they say everything works perfectly–and “everything” on a Range Rover is quite a lot.
It’s in good condition inside, though not perfect–there is a little wear on the driver’s seat and door panel. But for the price, it’s mighty clean. And if all those buttons and knobs and screens really do work as designed, bonus.
The outside is nice and clean as well, and the styling of this generation of Range Rover has aged really well, I think. But why are they always black?
So on the one hand, we’ve got a rare one-of-about-1,200 Italian/American oddity from the ’80s, and on the other, a British classic updated with a little help from Germany and America. In both cases, the $6,500 price tag is only the beginning; they’ll both need lots of care and feeding. Which one is more worth it to you?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
A freakin’ Laforza??? No other option here. I found a red one abandoned in a rough section of town last fall…that may be the only Laforza I’ve ever seen in real life.
This is a “both” day for me.
I like Range Rovers, but not for the price they usually sell for. I would be willing to risk $6500 on one that is fully functional for the moment. I would drive it until something expensive broke and then sell. I figure there is a chance I could get lucky and have a nice Range Rover for a few months; that is worth $6500 minus scrap/parts value.
The Laforza is interesting enough that it is worth $6500 just to have it sit in my back yard. I would be okay with it being a lawn ornament at that price. That it runs and drives is a bonus.
These L322’s are probably one of the best Land Rovers ever built. That Jag V8 will easily make 200k and more miles with just regular maintenance (yes, seriously). Add to the fact the SC V8 came standard with a rear locker and you have a really capable off road truck, I’d keep the air suspension because most cases it’s easier and cheaper to just fix it rather than going through all the effort of installing coil springs.
You actually ruin the truck off road when you put coils on it, because the air springs are connected so when one compresses it sends that air to the spring on the other side simulating a beam axle. All of that goes away when you put coil springs on it.
are you sure? Usually the reason why Coilovers replace air suspensions is because of lower cost and simplicity on install.
Yes… these trucks were designed to have air suspension so the amount of effort needed to disable every system expecting air suspension AND then having to remove all the air suspension components just so you can make your truck ride like shit isn’t worth it. Especially when you can rebuild an air strut for $300 if you don’t want to spend the $600 for a new aftermarket one (if that’s what you’re into).
Huh. I know several friends who swapped for coils. At the time it was the cheaper choice. It’s not just the struts, aren’t there more parts that fail?
Aside from the 4 struts, you have two filters, two valve blocks, a pump, the air hoses connecting everything, and the 4 ride height sensors. It’s a pretty simple system to maintain, it’s not like SLS on Mercedes that everyone is terrified of. It’s also not like these systems require yearly replacement, my one buddy got 8 years out of his LR3 air struts before they needed replacement.
As usual, when faced with two roughly equivalent (to me) choices, I call upon “the wife factor”. I can imagine her saying “a La-whaaa?” and thus we’re off in the Range Rover.
Yes, but, you will not be off in the Range Rover, for lo, it will be broken. The La Forza ought to at least start and run reliably.
*ostensibly* off in the Range Rover.
Laforza, for sure. If I’m going to go broke, I don’t want to look like just another tosser trying to look like I have more money than I really do.
Range Rover, please!
I don’t mind the 4.2 and this example is old enough and inexpensive enough that I could modify it without feeling guilty. If/when the air suspension breaks again, those bits can easily be replaced with traditional springs, shocks, etc. The wheels would need to go, to be replaced with plain steelies and tires that have chonkier tread. (There may be fitment issues here depending on the size of the brakes, given that it’s the supercharged version.) Add a roof rack, snorkel, and about a 3″ lift and Robert is your father’s brother.
The Laforza is unusual enough that parts availability would likely be a problem – not necessarily for the drivetrain, but for other things like headlights. A quick search on eBay seems to indicate the most common item available specifically for the ’89 Laforza is the original dealership brochure; this is interesting but not useful.
Jag era Rovers are also unobtanium for parts…at least new ones these days. but since so many are Found dead
Lol, wut? Rovers North, Rimmer Brothers, Atlantic British, FCP Euro to name more than a few. All stock everything you need.
I was all set to give the LaForza a chance, but not with a lift and those wheels. I’ll take my chances with the Range Rover. At least parts and support exist for it.
As far as I can tell, those are the stock wheels. I’ve seen photos of them in plain silver, chrome, and black, but always that same style.
Gun to my head on these two… I’m going with the gun.
I’d rather own a Yugo then a Land Rover. Laforza all day, every day.
May Laforza be with you.
I voted Range Rover. The Laforza just looks weird with the lift kit. Plus, don’t mods make it less valuable/desirable?
The Laforza looks like a Fiat Uno’s fat cousin assemled in Brazil, a dude that used to be a TV bodybuilder but has given up and indulged on cheap beer and easy girls (or the other way round). The rear lid looks straight from an ’87 Fiat Uno. The engine comes from the Malaise era, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
The Range Rover looks at least elegant.
When the science project kit car is better than the so-called “real car” LOL
I voted for TheForce
I’ll also go with the Laforza as the better of two questionable choices. I like Land Rovers, but prefer to stay with the older ones, pre-BMW/Bosch and pre-JLR.
The Laforza is built more or less like a classic Range Rover or Discovery 1 — a proto-SUV body atop a truck frame. Land Rover pulled from standard automotive suppliers worldwide to build their vehicles; The Laforza is just a more obvious conglomeration. The Ford powertrain won’t be hard to get parts for. Not sure how hard it will be to find Iveco truck chassis parts, but most likely everything that goes into it is globally parts-bin sourced much like what goes into a contemporary Land Rover chassis. Aside from the frame itself, most everything hanging off of it is probably obtainable or can be retrofitted with modern parts as long as you have the proper measurements and duty specs. However, it will inevitably take a while to track some things down.
My thoughts align with yours. A 302/AOD combo can be kept running by just about anyone and I suspect it uses Ford ECM and all engine electrical. This is before full system integration so most other electrical maladies won’t brick the truck, will just take time to diagnose/repair/bypass/upgrade. Chassis parts SHOULD be available from Europe.
The La Forza is an Iveco chassis and mechanicals, only the engine is Ford. This is it’s military brother…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iveco_VM_90
I’d rather rip of the rear and make a off road camper!
Yep. DIY cut away. Add composite box etc. Great platform for an over lander. Mini-MAN
I’ll drive the Laforza while drinking a Lavazza.
Having put a somewhat modest lift (2″ body, 2″ suspension) on a 1973 CJ-5 I’m always wary about any lift and the subsequent problems that can create. My friend’s Dad would say “They build ’em pretty good at the factory, eh?” whenever we were working on questionable mods.
I wonder why they parked that Laforza after the work they put into it. As cool as the Laforza looks I’ll go with the RR.
I was thinking the other day that I don’t -get- Range Rovers. Especially for Americans. You fought a whole war to get rid of the British. What’s the appeal of cosplaying a viscount on safari?
My old boss’ wife had one and none of the garages in his little town would even work on it. Trust farmers on this stuff.
Range Rover is Britain’s way of getting revenge for the whole “throwing off the yoke of tyranny” thing.
With the choices we Americans are faced with at this year’s election, is it too late to invalidate the Declaration of Independence and surrender? OK, sure, your limeys haven’t had the best track record at the polls in the last decade or two, but JFC! Look at what we are facing!
If that ever happened the resulting combination of Imperial, Metric, and US Custom measures would be so confusing all industry would collapse. Just look at that RX-7!
Range Rover: “Operational status: Runs and drives well”
This feels like a temporary condition at best…
COTD. made me LOL for real!
This feels like a temporary condition at best…
Or the height of optimism. That status should always be presented in the past tense. “Ran and drove well” … the last time we checked. Right now? Who knows?
Very valid point! The operative status of a Range Rover is at best a Schrodinger’s Cat scenario…
A Ford 302 and a Jaguar AJ are on opposite ends of the reliability/repairability spectrum. That RR is gonna be on a lift before the buyer even learns how to use all of those buttons.
That other thing will probably run forever.
Yes but it’s so forgettable that you already forgot what it was. It’s still the correct choice here, but man it’s got to be the most anonymous SUV thing I have ever seen. Especially in white! Maybe, then again I am not sure I remember what it looks like as I have already forgotten it as well.
The Laforza does have a whiff of Grand Theft Auto generic SUV about it.
Hah it really does it looks like the GTA version of a ZJ grand Cherokee.
I didn’t forget, I was just too lazy to spell it.
Too lazy to type “LaForza”, types “That other thing” instead. 7 characters vs 14. Checks out. Just messing with you, I forgot what it looked like as soon as the pics left the screen. I love the idea of LaForza, but man they are so bland!!!
They are distinctive in off the screen in a good way.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Range Rovers, I can smell the hot coolant now. No need for a dome light when the dash warning lights are always on.
They say “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”, but I know the RR is unacceptable to me as transport, so I’ll take the other one and at least be surprised when it fails.
I’ll take the off roader with the Fiat Uno tail lights.
I recall Laforzas having lots of trouble with steering racks. Don’t remember what caused the problems, but anything related to steering issues is enough to make me wary.
On the other hand, the first Range Rover I drove — new at the time, BTW — went full Tango Uniform on me. In the desert. Fortunately, I was able to drive it home, with the windows down, the burglar alarm howling, and the suspension collapsed.
So I guess what I’m saying is “none of the above,” though if forced I’d go with the Rangie, because it should steer even when all else goes south.
Then the choice is preventative maintenance on the steering of one car, or continuous surprise failures of all kinds on the other.
To be fair, continuous failures on a Range Rover are never a surprise.
The surprise is that anything at all can fail, you never know what’s next, you just know it’ll be soon.
I mean…I like the idea of the LaForza; the mechanicals are the same thing you’d find in a Mustang, so there’s a bunch of parts/support/etc. in that regard. But, apart from the uniqueness factor, if you debadged this and told someone it wasn an Izusu, they’d probably believe you. The Range…yes, the repair bills will kill you, death by a thousand cuts style, but at least you’ll look good on the side of the road. Joking aside, it’s easy to locate the deficiencies in these, as most have been addressed by the aftermarket and such, so I have to go with the Range.
Death by a thousand cuts imply lots of little fixes. The LR would be more like death by a dozen amputations. I went LaForza just because… I really don’t know. Let’s be honest, both are terrible choices that will leave you bankrupt and that’s why we love this place!
The entire LF drivetrain being from a Ford truck really makes this an easy decision.
Yes you’ll probably never be able to find trim pieces or interior furnishings, and please don’t crash it, but at least you won’t be stuck on a flatbed waiting on some rare sensor to cross the Atlantic.
I know what I’m getting with the RR and I don’t like it.
I think that’s why I went LF too, but I know I’m still screwed if the PS or anything like that has issues.