Full Circle

DEFENDER engineer Greg King was on holiday with his family in Portugal in April 2018 when he spotted a distinctive Freelander 2 as he was driving into the seaside town of Vilamoura on the Algarve. Having joined Land Rover as an apprentice at the age of 17, Greg certainly knows his Land Rovers, and he recognised the significance of the UK registration number immediately.

“I knew that VX56 DBV was one of the numbers allocated to the pilot production Freelander 2 fleet,” says Greg. “The ultra-rare Tambora Flame paint job was a dead giveaway as well, because this metallic orange colour was applied only to a small number of very early vehicles to make them stand out and attract attention. The colour was quietly shelved a few months after production started.

“As we drove by, I could see that it was also left-hand drive and I guessed that it was probably owned by an ex-pat from the UK. A left-hooker would make a lot of sense if you owned a holiday home in the area. Later that day I saw it again parked at the side of the harbour, and I took a few photographs as well as having a sneaky peek at the VIN plate at the bottom