Some 30 years after his passing, Bob Marley is still the first name in reggae. Despite his fame and recognition, he never lost touch with the people of his Jamaican homeland. And he stayed connected with the land by traversing it in his Marine blue Series III 109 Land Rover.
Since Marley’s passing in 1981, his estate has been kept up as a museum, with the rooms and décor maintained exactly as they were during his life there. But the Landy was parked outside and has suffered the effects of 30 years of island weather.
As part of a commemoration surrounding what would have been Marley’s 70th birthday, a large concert was organized, and the Land Rover was fully restored by Sandals Resorts International, which owns the Land Rover franchise in Jamaica, in conjunction with ATL automotive of Kingston and the Marley family. Parts were sourced from all over the globe for the restoration and many parts were simply fabricated from scratch. The Marley family shared many of their memories of the vehicle from the days when it would perform farm duties as well as the school run.
The restored Rover, completed in February and unveiled at the concert, has now been returned to the museum at 56 Hope Road in Kingston. For information on visiting the Bob Marley museum, see their website here. A video about the restoration can be viewed at the link below.
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