65 Years of Land Rover: Thank You for the Inspiration

[Scott Brady]

I have always been a Land Rover fan, from the first 4wd magazine I bought (Camel Trophy article) to the cars I currently drive, I have always loved Land Rovers. Sure, love can be tested, much like the relationship of father and son's or husband and wife, but love is a pretty strong and durable emotion. I also own and drive all other types of trucks and have tremendous respect for Land Cruisers, but it is different. I think Jack Quinlan says it best: "Toyota for work, Land Rover for play"

As I sit and consider the 65 year history of the brand, I would submit that Land Rover has done a better job than all others in inspiring people to explore, and by doing so, they inspire people to buy Land Rovers. Mutual of Omaha, Camel Trophy, G4 Challenge, The Great Divide Expedition, etc.

Land Rover understands the emotional connection we can have with a mechanical thing, what that mechanical device not only says about us as individuals, but where we might be driving too. Sure, it just might be to the local coffee shop, but in a Defender 110, the spectators watching you lumber pass are convinced you are driving someplace interesting, someplace special. I consider the impact that first Camel Trophy article had on me as a young person, a triathlete and college student living in Southern California that was captivated by the images of sand glow Discoveries busting through mud and brush, the competitors participating in the triathlon of driving, combining orienteering, physical challenges and teamwork to overcome the most remote and rugged terrain on the planet - I was hooked. That inspiration changed the course of my life, ultimately resulting in my first trips to Mexico in a Discovery II, all uploaded to my first blog, expeditionswest.com. Expedition Portal and then Overland Journal followed, all influenced in some way by that first article, an article about Land Rovers, about adventute.

That is what I appreciate most about Land Rover - they have inspired me to explore.

Happy Birthday Land Rover. . .




My much-loved 1995 Discovery


The 1997 Camel Trophy application. Still blank as I was active duty military and ineligible.

Have a cool Land Rover story? An old picture of your first Land Rover? I think we would all enjoy seeing it.

 

[ZG]

Great post Scott, thank you! Unfortunately my love for Land Rover only started a few years ago, but every day is an opportunity for a new story with it.

 

[MarkIIa]

"Sure, it just might be to the local coffee shop, but in a Defender 110, the spectators watching you lumber pass are convinced you are driving someplace interesting, someplace special."

Absolutely. The bloke I buy my fuel from always asks where I'm going this weekend, sometimes the kayaks are on the rack, other times its the RTT, or I'll fill up post-trip, tired with car filthy and foliage hanging from the aerial; then he won't see me for a month and think I've been on a long trip and want me to tell him about it.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Scott Brady]

We had this 1966 IIa for a few months and it became impossible to get anywhere in Prescott without at least a few minute discussion. Even people that thought it was a Jeep knew the shape, they remembered seeing Land Rovers in their youth - it left an impression.

I couldn't get the smile off my face when driving it. No power, no brakes, no steering- that is what made it fun.

 

[xCSx]

I'm addicted to rovers and I don't even own one.

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

I took the GTi for service yesterday.

I could have had the nice shuttle man take me straight to the office...but it was a really nice day so I asked him to take me home.

Rolled up the sides on the 80 inch and drove all day

Many thanks to the Wilks brothers!

 

[David Harris]

Well said, Scott. . . Land Rovers are definitely more than just vehicles. . .

 

[Colin Hughes]

Well said Scott. For me, it was watching African adventure shows and Born Free as a young teenager that gave me the bug. It wasn't until 25 years later that I was able to buy my first, a 1995 D1 with 95,000 kms on it. Since then we've had two RR Classics, a P38, an 03 D2 and now I've come full circle, back to a 1997 D1 300TDi. Over that time I've had the opportunity to drive just about every model from a 1950 Series I (through a Scottish farmers fields) to the newer RR and LR4's.
The attached photos are from one of the most memorable trips and really was like a Camel Trophy day. 13 hours, six kilometers, mud, mud, winching, more mud, huge black flies, winching ... and when the end of the trail was in sight, a small deep river requiring us to build a log bridge to drive the trucks over. Ten o'clock at night, guided by flashlights, total trust in the spotter. Scary at the time, stuff of legends now
Yes, we sometimes curse them but I wouldn't have anything else.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Well said Scott. For me, it was watching African adventure shows and Born Free as a young teenager that gave me the bug. It wasn't until 25 years later that I was able to buy my first, a 1995 D1 with 95,000 kms on it. Since then we've had two RR Classics, a P38, an 03 D2 and now I've come full circle, back to a 1997 D1 300TDi. Over that time I've had the opportunity to drive just about every model from a 1950 Series I (through a Scottish farmers fields) to the newer RR and LR4's.
The attached photos are from one of the most memorable trips and really was like a Camel Trophy day. 13 hours, six kilometers, mud, mud, winching, more mud, huge black flies, winching ... and when the end of the trail was in sight, a small deep river requiring us to build a log bridge to drive the trucks over. Ten o'clock at night, guided by flashlights, total trust in the spotter. Scary at the time, stuff of legends now
Yes, we sometimes curse them but I wouldn't have anything else.
View attachment 158495View attachment 158496

AWEsome.

 

[LR Max]

We had this 1966 IIa for a few months and it became impossible to get anywhere in Prescott without at least a few minute discussion. Even people that thought it was a Jeep knew the shape, they remembered seeing Land Rovers in their youth - it left an impression.

I couldn't get the smile off my face when driving it. No power, no brakes, no steering- that is what made it fun.

Indeed. No other vehicles get the same smiles per mile as an old Series Rover.

 

[blue bomber]

I have had my series II for 18 years. With many miles, smiles and hours of work between reiterations, I wouldn't trade it for any other vintage 4x4. Addictive would be a better way explain the obsession.

 

[upcruiser]

My love of 4wd vehicles and exploring came from a young age. Growing up my dad had an old Willy's, an FJ40, and a Volkswagen Thing. Some of the most memorable times of my childhood involved adventures in those vehicles that back then were just camping trips but by the modern definition here in North America would be considered overlanding. I first as exposed to Land Rovers via Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom. They seemed exotic and iconic. Later in the 80's seeing magazines with small blurbs about the Camel Trophy further enticed me. It wasn't till after owning two Land Cruisers long term that I got my first Rover, a 1995 Discovery I 5 speed. It might have been less impressive in spec than my 80 series but was every bit the enjoyable vehicle I had imagined. With a 4.6 conversion, a great sounding Borla exhaust, and OME kit it was nearly perfect in ride and performance. To go along with the cliché, there really is something special about driving a Rover. The engagement, the feel, even the smells.... Mine only stranded me once, after leaving sit out for over a month with excessive sub zero temps while I was abroad. Turned out I had bad fuel from the last tankfull I filled it with and a line froze. Other than that it served me with no issues. Just the occasional drips and leaks. I do miss it, and still peruse for RRC's and D1's from time to time, looking for a nice unmolested and cherry example.

 

[LR110]

I find it hard to go Fly Fishing or camping if I'm not in the 110. There is something different about driving a Land Rover that i just cant explain.

 

[Holland]

I'm on Land Rover number 1. I have to say, like my E30 it has loads of personality if not more. The way it has its quirks makes it seem as if it's possessed. I was originally in the market for a Land Cruiser, and due to prices a Rover better fit my budget. One day I'll have my Cruiser, or five, but I'm sure I'll have more rovers as well.

 

[DividingCreek]

Its hard to explain the pull these vehicles have, to justify the money spent modifying them, or the smile they generate when you drive them. I have had the women in my life demand I explain myself...to no avail.
Like others I grew up watching Marlin Perkins get around in one. We bought our first one in 1978 when I was 16. It was a 71 2a 88. It became mine to drive. We used it for everything on the farm including pulling self powered implements like wheel driven hay rakes. Except for a brief period when I had an FJ55 in college I have always had one, some have had a lot more personality than others. I have had 1 series, 2 Range Rover classics, 2 Discovery 1's, 1 D2. 6 110's (three tdi and three V8), a NAS 90, and two tdi 130's. Fortunately my brother has the same problem and we rent defenders whenever possible when overseas whether that be Britanny, Scotland (had an awesome green td5 5 door last time in Inverness) Iceland, etc. You get the idea.

My infatuation/ hobby became my vocation after the banking crisis in 2008 knocked me out of my 28 year career in banking.
I have driven/ridden/offroaded in a host of other machines but the infatuation stays true. My mission, a defender in every driveway.
Cheers Land Rover