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Land Rover built just 200 Range Rover CSKs, and number 168 is live on Collecting Cars in Rotherham, England. When we checked, the auction had more than seven days left and the bid stood at £5,100.
The CSK arrived in 1990 to mark the Range Rover's 20th anniversary, and it carries the initials of Charles Spencer King, the engineer behind the original. It was a two-door, even though four-door Range Rovers had been on sale since 1981. That alone sets it apart from the family of luxury wagons most people picture.
One color, one body, one plaque
Every CSK left Solihull in Beluga Black. There was no second paint choice. Under the hood sits the aluminum 3.9-liter V8 (3,947 cc) with Lucas fuel injection, rated at roughly 185 horsepower and sending power to all four wheels through permanent four-wheel drive. Most CSKs got a five-speed manual, and just under 50 were built with a four-speed automatic, which makes a manual car like this one the more common spec but still a rare thing to see in a Range Rover of this era.
Land Rover also firmed up the chassis. The CSK has Boge self-leveling suspension, anti-roll bars at both ends, sports dampers and vented front discs. Period testing called it the fastest and best-handling Range Rover to that point, with 0-62 mph in about ten seconds.
Inside, the edition gets hand-finished perforated leather seats with matching door trim, a leather steering wheel unique to the CSK, and American walnut on the fascia rail, console and door inserts. Air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, headlamp washers and extra driving lights were all standard. A numbered plaque sits on the radio panel. One thing missing is cruise control, which was not offered even though other high-end Range Rovers had it.
About No. 168
This car shows 107,353 km (66,706 miles) and is right-hand drive. It was imported from Johannesburg, South Africa, to the UK in 2013 and registered with the DVLA in September 2014. The seller says it has since been part of private collections. It comes with a service book that has more than 17 stamps, supporting invoices and receipts, the presentation box, a period jack and tool kit, two sets of keys, and the import paperwork. The listing shows the wood cappings and a leather interior, and the seller says the car has new Michelin tires.
There are a few things to check. The seller notes professional cosmetic work on the paint and an imperfection on the lower driver's-side rear quarter panel, caused by machine polishing. The V5C also lists the tenth character of the VIN incorrectly (a 6 instead of a G), so it will need to be corrected. Buyers should ask questions in the listing comments before bidding.
Why it matters
The CSK is a Range Rover built for the driver instead of the passenger: shorter, stiffer, finished in one color, and numbered. Motorious has covered other cars whose factory specs tell the story, such as the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus that came only in Moonstone Blue and the manual 996 Carrera 4S Cabriolet with Porsche's factory X51 power kit. The CSK belongs in the same company, and with a current bid that is a fraction of what many collector cars cost, it is an easy one to follow.
See the 1991 Range Rover Classic CSK on Collecting Cars
