Range Rover Rometsch Hunting Car – From Great Britain to GDR

The Range Rover was built for off-road use. Although it was equipped with British noblesse, it was mainly intended to make good progress off the beaten track. However, a few examples could hardly be stopped by any obstacle and even overcame the Berlin Wall. Just like this Range Rover Rometsch hunting car.

The Berlin Wall separated East and West for decades. It was not easy to get through, but hard currency and support from state bodies could certainly make it easier. So it was that the West Berlin coachbuilder Rometsch received an unusual order for the time from the capital of the German Democratic Republic: the conversion of a Land Rover Range Rover.

The coachbuilder Rometsch

Friedrich Rometsch initially worked for the renowned company Erdmann & Rossi, before setting up his own coachbuilding company in 1924, which was active until around the turn of the millennium. Body repairs and special bodies such as an extended Beetle for use as a taxi were one branch of the business, but Rometsch became famous in the 1950s as a manufacturer of sporty, elegant coupés and convertibles on Beetle chassis. They got the names Beeskow and Lawrence – after the designers of the cars, Johannes Beeskow and Bert Lawrence. When the German streets were still filled with Beetles, Rometsch showed what was possible based on the Volkswagen. And he not only won over buyers in Germany, but was also successful in the USA.

Rometsch initially sourced its VW chassis directly from Volkswagen, but by the time the Karmann-Ghia appeared at the latest, Volkswagen was no longer interested in strengthening a competitor. Chassis still reached Berlin-Halensee via third parties, but Rometsch’s sales collapsed. It was losing out to VW’s own coupés and cabriolets. From 1961 onwards, West Berlin also had another political problem. The employees from the eastern part of the city were suddenly no longer available due to the construction of the Berlin Wall.

Range Rover Rometsch Hunting car – From Solihull to the Schorfheide

As a result, the company stopped building its own models in small series and focussed more on accident repairs. Or custom-built vehicles such as the British Range Rover, which was destined for the other side of the Wall.

One of the few hobbies of Erich Honecker, Chairman of the Party and State Council, was hunting. The Schorfheide, an hour north of Berlin, where the Prussian kings used to shoot game, became a state hunting ground in GDR times. An extensive area, a game population that was regularly replenished with new animals from the brother states. And – who would have thought – with a fence around it so that the animals could not escape. So the hunting successes for the members of the State Council and their guests were virtually pre-programmed. Curiously, Honecker was probably a good shot, but the animals he shot never ended up on his plate.

Such a large area requires an appropriate vehicle, preferably with the drive and amenities of vehicles from the West.

Four Range Rovers were ordered over the years. The first Land Rover hunting car was converted in England in 1982 and completed in just 12 weeks so that the car could be handed over in time for Honecker’s 70th birthday.

Apparently, the car was so well received that another one was commissioned just three years later. This time, however, the Rometsch company in West Berlin was commissioned to build it, taking the first British version as a model. At more than 300,000 marks, it was more than 100,000 marks more expensive than the first, but the craftsmanship was much better.

The third – also by Rometsch – was produced almost as a twin of the second in 1987. It is now in the collection of the German Museum of Technology in Berlin.

While the GDR was already reeling, the fourth Land Rover was completed by Rometsch in 1989. The car was lost for a long time, later turned up in Portugal and is said to be back in Germany today.

THis Range Rover Rometsch is for sale

Only one of these four examples is currently for sale, the second overall and the first by Rometsch. The current owner has cherished and cared for his historic Range Rover Rometsch for many years and is ready to pass his vehicle on to good hands.

The care the car has received is evident at first glance. The Landaulet-Land Rover presents itself almost like a new car. The unmodified V8 engine runs smoothly and the automatic gearbox shifts like butter.

The highlight of the vehicle, however, is the interior. The extended wheelbase created space for a whole hunting party to make themselves comfortable on the soft lambswool and stretch out their legs. Honecker is said to have favoured the soft top – which could of course be opened and closed electrically – even at low temperatures. In addition to the warming upholstery, the auxiliary heating also ensured a pleasant climate even on cold days.

The bumper protection and additional headlights are also useful for any other off-road journey and do not necessarily only have to be used in a hunting context. However, this perfectly maintained vehicle with low mileage should not be used for tough off-road use.

Strictly speaking, it is more suitable for enthusiasts who continue to look after it with the same care; or as the crowning glory of any Land Rover collection. Who can claim to own a car that was even able to cross the Iron Curtain, like the Range Rover Rometsch?

Photos Michael Fahrig

Author: Paolo Ollig

As editor-in-chief Paolo regularly writes about all the big and small stories related to classic cars and motorbikes. Classic dreams: Lamborghini Countach and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. View all posts by Paolo Ollig →