Brings back memories...
I remember back in the early '90s Scott and I would go to the Land Rover dealer in Boise and borrow VCR tapes of the Camel Trophy, the Great Divide Expedition, and others so we could copy them and sit around dreaming about doing something on that scale. I still have several of them. Scott and I couldn't afford a Land Rover (and I think the dealer knew it), although we did get to test drive a D-90 off road. I could see Scott doing the math in his head, but the fit and finish of the rig (everything rattled- a lot), the price (you could get two new XJ Cherokees for the price), and the inevitable showdown with Steph probably killed it.
I remember at the time thinking that this expedition wasn't all that incredible, with only a few real obstacles shown. I much preferred the punishment that was evident on the Camel Trophy videos. However, in retrospect I think it was pretty great to take stock rigs over that terrain with drivers of varying degrees of proficiency. It's a shame that Land Rover has abandoned that advertising strategy (in the states at least). I'd like to see them return to that with the new owner. The LR3 is nice and all, but... nothing about it says safari to me. Maybe zebra print seat covers...
As for the Range Rover, it's funny but I've noticed a few popping up around here in various stages of build-up. They certainly are cheap to aquire, but usually they are at the end of their service life when they reach the $3K mark (meaning massive engine and drivetrain repairs). The body styling is what sells a rig that old, and the Range Rover evokes the image of my Mom's AMC Hornet wagon. Just not sexy. True, they're capable as hell and you can always modify it with newer and more durable parts, but it takes a ton of bolt on expedition bling to cover up that grocery-getter styling. The Disco is an easier sell based on looks, but finding manual transmission models with few gadgets is getting harder and harder.
I admit it- I'm shallow. I bought a Series III for the looks (and because I still can't afford a Defender). It will cost three times what it will eventually be worth, and it will never perform as well as a Range Rover or Disco. I'll be uncomfortable and inevitably covered in road dust and grime. However, which rig could you visualize using to hunt game with John Wayne? The Series rig, every time. Somehow I don't think the Duke would spend much time counting cupholders or fiddling with the HVAC zones when there is a zoo in Europe looking for a black rhino.
I could be wrong, though.
