Range Rover Matched Pair

The Range Rover Matched Pair offers a modern take on an all-time classic.

With the 2026 Monterey Car Week, and more specifically, Pebble Beach just around the corner, now is the time when manufacturers tease us with all the goodies that will be unveiled on the lawn. One such unveiling is the Range Rover Matched Pair.

As the name suggests, it’s actually two vehicles that come as a matching set. What’s the reasoning behind this? Well its twofold. The Matched Pair features both an original Range Rover Classic and a current L460 Range Rover SV Ultra.

The SV Ultra is the first example built for the US market and is aimed at the type of buyer who finds a converted Sprinter van a bit too ‘common’. While the SV Ultra doesn’t get any additional spec over other models in the SV range, it does feature a curated interior and exterior which is comprised of Titan Silver paint, and a blend of Orchid White and Cinder Grey for the upholstery.

The real focus here is on the Range Rover Classic, though. This has been built by the Range Rover Classic Works division, which now offers completely bespoke custom builds with over 2000 hours of work going into each one. The cause for such a lengthy process is the depth to which that work goes. It’s not just a new coat of paint and wiping away the oil leaks.

Each build from the Classic Works division has the option of custom fabrics for the interior, such as the ‘Ultrafabrics’ found in the SV, and custom embroidery and scripting. Should you want to integrate newer tech into your beloved Classic, that’s no problem either, or how about any exterior colour you want? A choice never given to original buyers of the Classic, as Range Rover’s Autobiography programme was not launched until a few years into P38 production.

To showcase this, Range Rover has created this Classic to go alongside the SV Ultra. Originally a 1993 3.9-litre powered County Edition, it now shares the same Titan Silver paint, which uses real aluminium flake to achieve its finish. The interior gets the same matching treatment with Orchid White and Cinder Grey Ultrafabrics, creating what Range Rover calls “a serene and design‑led sanctuary”, or to you and me, grey.

It’s nothing odd to see a manufacturer having old and new complement each other; in fact, Range Rover has done it themselves in the past with the L405 Fifty edition, which saw a limited run of cars painted in the same Tuscan Blue that adorned the original Suffix cars of the 70s.

The oddity here is that instead of making the new car a throwback, they’ve brought the original car up to meet modernity. A choice I’m not completely sold on. I can get behind the Classic Works efforts; it makes perfect sense amongst the current sea of restomods, and who better to do it than Range Rover themselves. The part I’m not sure about is matching it to the SV Ultra.

Against a back catalogue of pastel and metallic colours, the Matching Pair car just looks monochromatic and a bit dull, akin to some dodgy Botox to seem modern, rather than ageing gracefully. Not only that, but the side mouldings are gone in an effort to look more sleek. Even the front indicators have been washed out too.

Its 16-inch wheels do give the refreshing sight of some actual sidewall for once, but beyond that the choices don’t appear overly complementary to the Classic’s original boxy shape. While the SV Ultras slab sidedness can pull off these shades with ease, the shorter stature of the Classic doesn’t lend itself well to such a minimalist look.

Maybe I’m just too much of a fan of the older Range Rovers to appreciate this Teutonic pair, but if they’re your cup of Earl Grey, then good news! R.M. Sothebys will be auctioning off both cars at its Monterey Auction on August 14th. Personally, I’ll be waiting for one with a splash more colour.