“When the original Land Rover had been drawn up, there had been no proper styling team at Solihull. The appearance of the vehicle had been dictated partly by its intended function and partly by manufacturing requirements, and nobody had worried too much about what it looked like. This was, after all, a commercial vehicle and buyers were unlikely to set too much store by aesthetics as long as it did the intended job.”
— Land Rover: 65 Years of the 4 x 4 Workhorse by James Taylor (Amazon)
I received this as a Christmas gift. I don’t know if you would have to own and drive one of these old trucks to appreciate the Land Rover story. Maybe. Packed with history.
The Land Rover brakes have been feeling a little spongy so today Mechanic George put it up on jacks to take a look and he let me watch.
You can adjust brakes without removing the wheels but for this first look George wanted to pull the wheels and drums.
He made some minor adjustments to the shoes and bled some air from the brake lines. Noticeable improvement.
In the photo above George is adjusting the emergency bake. Land Rovers of my vintage have a transmission brake. Works like drum brakes by keeping power from getting to the rear prop shaft.
“An 87-year-old woman received the reunion of a lifetime when she got to spend time in an original Land Rover she worked with 70 years ago.
Dorothy Peters told her story to Land Rover, which in turn granted her time with the car she kept pictures of for decades to come. According to the woman, she and her mother went to the Land Rover factory (then called Rover) as she looked for employment opportunities in July of 1946. She was 15 when the automaker hired her as part of the service department at the Lode Lane factory working alongside the first series Land Rovers to be built at the site.” Motor Authority
I found what must be the largest collection of vintage Land Rovers in mid-Missouri. (The owner prefers to remain anonymous) His shop(s) is filled with Land Rovers waiting to be restored and while he identified the model and year of each truck, I was so mesmerized I didn’t take notes. In addition to Land Rovers he had a 1970-something Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. I hope he invites me back (when it’s warmer) so I can get a bit more info on these beauties.
Everybody jokes about the heaters in old Land Rovers. Mr. Wolf told me to expect the amount of warmth one feels holding a hand over a toaster. It was cold and rainy today but once the the motor got warmed up I had just enough warm air to give me a little visibility. Don’t know how this is gonna work come January and February.
“Used examples of the North American Spec (NAS) Defender can cost between $70,000 and $150,000 while the same car in Europe can be had for as little as $10,000.” (CARSCOOPS)
When I started lusting for a Land Rover it was the Defender the turned my crank. I was completely unaware of the Series Rovers but SO glad I got nudged in that direction.
George K. spotted this beauty in Columbia, MO yesterday. I had heard rumors there were some older Land Rovers up there but this is the first sighting.
UPDATE: Got in touch with the owner of this 1969 Series IIa. “It is largely original except the frame has been replaced and the charging system upgraded with an alternator. I just use it around the farm and for hunting and fishing. I bought it off the estate of an obstetrician in Pennsylvania. The doc used it to get around the mountains to deliver babies.”
The history of Land Rover is rich and long and you can read about it here but the video above tells you all you need to know. My truck was assembled in Spain by the Santana Motor Company (which makes it something of a bastard to Land Rover purists). Over the last 18 months I’ve come across the abbreviation “CKD” but never knew what it meant until I found the following reference in the latest issue of Rovers Magazine:
Santana, or more formally, “Metalurgica de Santa Ana, SA,” started in 1956, and by 1958, had signed an agreement with Land Rover for CKD [Completely Knocked Down] kits; literally, a shipment of parts from Solihull that when assembled at their Lenares factory, avoided steep tariffs. Given their contemporary road conditions and weaker economy, the “Land Rover Santanas” provided the country with a workhorse that could tackle the challenging environment.
As Land Rover wound down Series III production, it chose to end its CKD agreement with Santana in 1983, just prior to the introduction of the 90/110 coil sprung models. Santana continued to manufacture its own version of the Series III with worthwhile enhancements. Santana introduced comfort features, such as better seats and a more stylish fascia, and by the 1980s, had created more contemporary styling than just the plastic grille and “safety dashboard” of the Series III. As Spain attracted more ex-pats and vacationers, Santanas became more lifestyle vehicles, although the Spanish police forces retained them for their use.
Ed Starr, the owner/operator of Resurrected Rovers, Chocorua, MM, has worked on them and become a fan. “Santana made some needed modifications to the Series Land Rovers to make them even better,” Ed noted. “They put an oil cooler on the base models before Land Rover introduced them on the MoD ones. A different sized oil bath filter made it easier to service. And, of course, they went to parabolic springs to improve the ride over the standard leaf spring. They’re just as easy to work on as a UK Series Rover.”
If your truck wasn’t one of the first hundred to roll off the assembly line in jolly old Solihull, England, well, it ain’t a real Rover, mate (to The Purists). You’d have to sneak in to the Tri Delt house to find a snobbier bunch of ladies.
I’ve become acquainted with some really great people thanks to the Land Rover project. A few I’ve met, most I have not but feel like I know them. Charlie has been encouraging me to take some road trips in The Truck.
I took my Rover on a 4 day road trip up north to VT a few weeks ago. Had a blast – put about 400 miles on her and she ran like a top. I use a windshield mounted phone holder (suction cup) and set my iPhone’s Google maps APP to “avoid highways” and see a lot of towns/back country that way. Takes a lot more time but way more fun that trying to keep up with traffic on highways (and a lot more safe). forces you to slow down and actually see things you would otherwise blow past on a highway. This year was my 4th time doing the trip – you meet some great people and I stay at some nice Inns along the way.
That “slow down” thing is big zen mojo for me. Here are a few pics from Charlie’s trip.
Looks like they’re still making Land Rovers. Just not for me. From Digital Trends:
It will be available with features like adaptive cruise control and hill descent control, and you can safely bet your next paycheck on the fact that the Defender will have a massive touchscreen in the center console. Bluetooth connectivity and voice commands? Check and check. Well-equipped models will even boast creature comforts like leather-upholstered heated seats and, possibly, a digital instrument cluster, features the original truck could only dream of.
What, I wonder, is the essence of a Land Rover? Is there such a thing as essence for a vehicle. It’s like going to see a legendary rock band whose original members are all dead. All that’s left is the name. Can you really say you saw the Rolling Stones if Mick and Keith are gone?
“When the original Land Rover had been drawn up, there had been no proper styling team at Solihull. The appearance of the vehicle had been dictated partly by its intended function and partly by manufacturing requirements, and nobody had worried too much about what it looked like. This was, after all, a commercial vehicle and buyers were unlikely to set too much store by aesthetics as long as it did the intended job.”
