67 minute read
Letters to the Editor
ENTHUSIASTS / SPREADING THE WORD
Send submissions to: editor@roversnorth.com
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Dear Rovers North,
On behalf of the Rover Owners of Virginia, I want to commend Rovers North’s support of the ROAV, which has been steadfast and truly appreciated over the years. This year was no exception. The Rovers Northsponsored RTV course has become both a mainstay and a highlight of the ROAV Mid Atlantic Rally. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help out Rovers North at any time!
David Short, President, ROAV Sterling, VA
[Thanks for letting us be a part of your terrific event. See the article on p. 38 -ed.]
Dear Rovers North,
I own three Range Rover Classics and have invested considerable time and funds into their restoration. I love Rovers Magazine, but it never really shows any Range Rover Classics. Any thoughts about increasing coverage of these Range Rovers? Thank you and keep Rovering!
Craig Penardo Coventry, RI
[We’re big fans of Range Rover Classics, and we’ve covered their role in Land Rover’s corporate history in recent articles. We’re always looking for stories from Range Rover enthusiasts, such as yourself! -ed.] Dear Rovers North,
The Series 2 Club in the UK is determined to expand its global reach as part of its commitment to aim for bigger and better things in 2022. Specifically, we’re looking to expand beyond our current 2,000 members. As part of our growth, we welcome Larry Simpson, Belle Plaine, KS, as our North American representative. Larry is an ardent Anglophile who bought his “Grover,” a ‘63 Series IIA, in 2004. That effort alone required a trip of 800 miles to view it and buy it! If you’re interested in our club, contact Larry at usa.series2club.co.uk or visit our website at www.series2club.co.uk.
Larry Simpson, Belle Plaine, KS Vicky Turner, Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK
My boyfriend (now my husband) once owned a ‘97 Defender 90. I had the privilege of taking care of it (driving it all over the city and through wintery, frozen Indiana corn fields) for several months when he was overseas. I have a special affection for the Defender 90 and always have my eye out to see one on the roads. So you can just imagine my total surprise and delight when I spotted this beaut in our church’s preschool classroom. It was life-size for the 4-year-olds! I especially love the gas tank on the top and the aqua paint job – clearly not factory spec.
Lisa Ritchie Upland, IN
[I want to sit in it – am I too old to attend preschool? -ed.]
Dear Rovers North,
I want to thank Dan Ratcliffe and Jeff Aronson for their help as trail spotters helping me at the URE! 17 event last October. After reviewing some of the video footage my son recorded, I was able to to see how much effort went into getting us all safely down the trail with its significant rock wall.
Mark Hemingway Raleigh, NC
[On your Discovery 5, the biggest obstacles were the front valence and the lack of rock sliders on the sills. Moving rocks to elevate the vehicle proved the correct solution. See the article on p. 16 -ed.]
Dear Rovers North,
It was so nice to see Rovers Magazine at the URE! 17. Thanks for the hospitality and the warm welcome. I can’t wait to see the shots of my “bloodstained” LR3. When we’re up north I’ll definitely reach out!
Rickie Tyler Raleigh, NC I would not be able to enjoy my 14 Land Rovers if not for Rovers North and Eric Brennan. Every time I’ve needed something, he’s always been very pleasant to speak with and answered every question; it’s as if he’s a Southern gentleman! My most recent purchases are a ’93 NAS Defender 110 with only 43,000 miles, a showroom-condition ’95 Range Rover Classic and my Discovery 5 TreK.
Of my three dogs, TJ truly loves riding in a Land Rover, particularly my Land Rover Double Cab 110.
Todd Whiddon Thomasville, GA
[We look forward to learning more about your remarkable collection, and we’re delighted to hear of the continued success of the Red Hills Rover Rally in your hometown -ed.]
Dear Rovers North,
I’ve been a member of the Classic Rover family now for two years. This is my 1985 Series III ex-MoD war wagon that served In the UK. Thank you for always having what I need to keep her going!
Jon Powell Plantersville, MS
[The ex-MoD Land Rovers are some of the most interesting and best-maintained. Congratulations on yours! -ed.]
Dear Rovers North,
I put my Range Rover Classic to work and wonder if there are other readers and enthusiasts who use their Range Rovers as working vehicles. I would enjoy seeing them in the magazine.
Geoff Jackson San Jose, CA
[It’s been a long time since we put the call out for photos of “working Rovers.” We invite readers to share their photos with enthusiasts here -ed.]
Cape Cod Rovers Story, photos by Mark Lambton
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, comprises a sandy spit that stretches into the mighty North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded on all sides by the sea. Each of the Cape’s 15 towns are anchored in their English heritage; our ancestors named their towns after those “across the pond.” It’s easy to find narrow roads that divide fallow fields, thatch roof barns and British livestock (Old Town Lane in Dennis Village, for example). I can’t think of a more appropriate setting for owning a Land Rover stateside. Despite the shortcomings of our salty environment and the resulting oxidation, I’ve found the Land Rover to be the perfect vehicle to tour our sand bars.
Above L-R: Reese (4) and Asher (6)
Over the past few years, I’ve seen many more Series Land Rovers, along with a growing number of recently-imported Defenders. What makes the Series Land Rover the ideal Cape Cod car is that you can fold down the windscreen – for three seasons a year, I find an unreal amount of joy in driving with no windscreen protection.
My Land Rover ownership began with a ‘92 Range Rover Classic SWB that I absolutely adored. The previous owner had used it to explore the off-road sand beaches of Cape Cod Bay. This soon became evident as the frame turned to powder. The Range Rover and I shared some great years together though, and I’m hoping that one day my family can enjoy another (Hunter Green preferred).
Following the Classic, an ’02 Discovery II SE7 stole (and eventually broke) my heart. The ultimate in comfort for my two-hour daily drive,
I never had to worry about not making it home during snow storms. Although economically the worst car to use for commuting, I loved the Disco. This was the Rover that turned me into a mechanic. I fixed/replaced numerous parts in my quest to remedy the overheating engine. Ultimately, not even a head gasket replacement could repair what had already been broken – the cracked engine block. It only had 120,000 miles but we parted ways reluctantly while I transitioned to a more dependent/affordable/economical vehicle (aka a non-Land Rover).
Those few months without a Land Rover were dark. Our driveway was absent of oil and engine coolant. We had more money in our bank account and we were able to fit our two Japanese-made vehicles in the garage (like I said, a very dark time). In the following few years, my wife Meagan and I welcomed two amazing children into our lives (Asher 6, Reese 4), and “Winnie,” a ‘69 Series IIA that came into our family via a friend who imported her from Princethorpe, a hamlet outside of Coventry, UK.
The previous owners had discovered her “retired” in an overgrown field and tracked down the owner, a local sheep farmer, from whom they procured Winnie for the price of a bottle of red wine.
In 2014, we paid more for Winnie than a bottle of vino, but she was still a great deal. Over the next few years, I spent a few hours tinkering here and there while juggling a demanding new career in law enforcement and raising our family. I had learned how to turn wrenches while working aboard several tall ships (Woods Hole, MA and Rockland, ME) before working in mooring operations at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. And another acquired skill set has been incredibly important as a Land Rover owner: the art of troubleshooting.
My love of Land Rovers has necessitated a growing collection of tools and handbooks. Our family’s garage is now half devoted to the art of Land Rover ownership – filled to the brim with various spare parts, floors stained with rust and an ever-present odor of petrol, gear oil and IPA. A certified YouTube mechanic, I’ve been able to overcome most of my Rover’s problems through various online bulletin boards, videos and advice from Rovers North and articles in Rovers Magazine.
Although Winnie sat dormant while we figured out how to parent, I started up the @CapeCodRovers Instagram account. Admittedly, social networks have turned into mass advertising sites, but this account helped me reach out to so many Rover owners, many of whom call Cape Cod “home.” In addition to our shared knowledge, we’ve created a good trading network that has proven useful over the past few years. These friends also provided me with that extra courage I needed to wake up Winnie for her first, multihour trip around Cape Cod.
I did a fair amount of preventative maintenance to lessen the odds of a failed trip; changed all the fluids, adjusted the brakes and inflated the tires to equal pressure. I overhauled the ignition system and finally got around to swapping the dynamo for an alternator. An old Zarges aluminum case sat in my garage, a gift from a retired State Department friend who had done extensive work in reforestation efforts in Ethiopia. He often commented that the Department’s use of Land Rovers was the most useful asset they had in-country. The case’s engineering resembles that of our Series Land Rovers: incredibly simple aluminum construction, smart design with near-endless uses. As Winnie typically goes topless from May–October, the case provides the only weathertight compartment. Packed with various tools and spare parts, it fits perfectly between the folded rear bench seats.
A windscreen-down trip around Cape Cod gives you a whole other perspective on driving. You. Are. Out. There. As a right-hand drive vehicle, I drive past pedestrians uncommonly close. Their initial amazement at Winnie is usually followed by a big smirk or a thumbs up. (Often, I get a “Hey, nice Jeep!” to which I roll my eyes.)
Did I mention any disadvantages? There is only one: the chance of getting hit by a June Bug or other piece of shrapnel. To date, I’ve been lucky. I may have swallowed a few flies, but none that required chewing. I always wear sunglasses to protect my eyes unless it’s far too dark out. In those case, it’s best to just squint and pray that the overwhelming intensity of Winnie’s headlights doesn’t attract swarms of moths.
The scenic NNE-SSW trip from Dennis to Woods Hole took me on back roads through a handful of Cape Cod villages, each with its own unique traits. The 18th–19th century homes of North Dennis and Yarmouthport turned to the old farms and grass runways of Marstons Mills. Here, the traffic became increasingly congested as I approached the busy rotary of Mashpee Commons and, eventually, entered the town of Falmouth. In addition to being home to the largest private oceanographic institution in the world (and the best), Woods Hole village is home to several other scientific schools and organizations, a Coast Guard station and the Steamship Authority, which provides ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Driving Woods Hole Road into the village, you see a wide range of ships: research vessels, a schooner or two, several “Island Class” Coast Guard Cutters and a handful of fishing trawlers. Traffic came to a standstill as I approached the ferry terminal, so I took a series of side roads to park in a vacant lot to grab a bite to eat. The trip from Dennis Village to Woods Hole has been a success.
The return trip would take me along the numerous shore-side roads of the “south side” of the Cape. At times, I sat idling in traffic as beachgoers returned from the serenity of the rolling surf, allowing me to enjoy that distinctive Rover exhaust rattle and the scent of carbureted gas. With the windshield down, there was little to hide my smile. I headed north and eventually rejoined Route 6A (otherwise known as the “Old King’s Highway”) and made my way home.
At some point over a Rover owner’s lifespan, we “evolve” from just looking at the parts in Rovers Magazine to actually reading the articles from beginning to end. These articles have pushed me to start dipping my toes in the water of Land Rover-based adventures. Sure, a multihour drive on paved side roads may not seem like much to most of you, but I like to think that any drive in a Series Rover is an adventure. Next time the weather is warm and the rain clouds absent, consider lowering that windscreen. You may find some real joy (and hopefully, no June Bugs). ///
90
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Story by Jeffrey Aronson, Photos: Jeffrey Aronson, Bill Rickman, Land Rover Media
Back in October, I spent 1,100 miles in a 2021 Defender 90. Confronted with tight dealer inventory and reduced rental car fleets, I had torque at only 2,000 rpm. The 8-speed automatic transmission shifted smoothly and imperturbably in Drive, and with vigor in Sport mode – aided by its electronic sushamelessly begged Jaguar Land Rover for the use of percharger. I also appreciated achieving 23 mpg at 70–80 a press vehicle to drive to the Mid-Atlantic Rally [see mph highway speeds. Braking via 4-wheel discs on the stanp. 38 in this issue]. To my delight, I came away dard 19” wheels, enhanced by autonomous braking capabilities, with a Defender 90 First Edition – provided I would built additional confidence. These assets demonstrated their imporpick it up at their headquarters in New Jersey. tance during my 8-hour drive south to Pembroke, VA.
While a heritage Defender confronts significant I-81 in Northwestern Virginia becomes very hilly but has only two challenges as a daily driver today, the new Defender 90 (actually 101.9 inches) successfully addresses contemporary driving. My First Edition came with the Ingenium inline Petrol 3.0-litre, six-cylinder MHEV lanes, both packed with trailer trucks inching ahead of one another. Their tonnage and the steep climbs tax their drivetrains, so I wasn’t surprised to see one double-trailer semi in the breakdown lane ahead 6-cylinder (I6 MHEV), with 396 hp @5,000 rpm, and 406 lb-ft of of me. The line of trucks in the left lane meant I could not move over
Background: (L) Defender 90 First Edition, (R) Defender 90 Coil-spring, modified
when the semi suddenly pulled into the right lane. I hit the brakes and in what seemed an instant – and without drama – the Defender slowed to an indicated 10 mph. As we progressed up the hill at 12 mph, I waited for a window of opportunity. Car after truck poured into the left lane for a while, but when I saw a small opening, I put the Defender into Sport mode and accelerated into traffic.
Land Rover claims 0–60 mph in 5.7 seconds – it felt faster. Throttle to the floor and the Defender’s front end lifted slightly as the supercharger kicked in; in seconds, I reached the appropriate and likely illegal speed. Let’s agree that no stock heritage Defender ever accelerated this quickly, or reached an rpm-limiter top speed of 119 mph. Acceleration is not an attribute of a stock heritage Defender, but in the new Defender, the experience proved so exhilarating that later, I took several MAR attendees out for demonstration rides on empty highways. (When I shared this experience with enthusiast John Kooistra, Windham, ME, he said, “The only time I’ve felt the front end of a classic Land Rover elevate like that is when it’s attached to a tow truck.”)
The new 90 will seat 5 [6 with the optional front jump seat] but as with any Defender, it helps if the occupants are close friends or family. The infinitely adjustable seats and steering wheel provide the right positions to see over the hood and even with the 60/40 rear seats and their headrests up, the minimal overhang enables you to sense the rear of the vehicle. The rearview mirror incorporates the rear camera in one setting, so you can see what’s behind you clearly. Impressively, the seats proved supportive and comfortable for an 8-hour drive – a statement you’re unlikely to hear from a heritage Defender enthusiast. The interior still features useful grab handles on the dash and above the doors. The instruments can be read easily and you can engage features through either touch buttons on the center console or via the center screen. It’s also very reassuring to find a robust gearshift lever rather than a gimmicky rotary knob.
On the other hand, Land Rover, since you designed and built the fabulous front seats, why would you give them a seat motor that last
saw service in a Lionel electric train? To access the rear seats, you need to move the front seats forward. They do move, but at a glacial pace, sure to be unpopular when you’re standing outside in inclement weather, waiting for the seat to allow your passengers access to the rear.
While I’m whining, why don’t those rear seats fold flat instead of at a 15 degree angle? Even JLR staffers quietly agreed this deserves consideration for a change. Even with their funny angle, I admit that there’s plenty of gear stowage space with the seats folded down. (Why not make the center jump seat standard as part of the base price if I choose to have no rear seat?)
Off-road, the new Defender proved as capable as you’d expect from a Land Rover. My loaner came without the low-positioned, recessed optional winch (bound to pick up crud when spooling blindly), but it would be unlikely to be needed for self-recovery. Selecting low range and engaging Sport mode, you could choose between eight speeds and several off-road modes, or just let the Terrain Response system select the right torque and speed settings for you. Momentum plays a smaller role with the new Defender; its drivetrain is very reluctant to allow for wheel slip in low-traction situations. The crawl speed in Sport Mode 1 rivals that of a snail. The First Edition uses the air suspension system; coil springs are standard on the base model. Ground clearance is 8.6 inches with coil springs, 11.4 with the air suspension.
Transparency compels me to note that I did not subject the loaner to possible damage on narrow, tree-lined and rocky trails; instead, it became the test vehicle for the Rovers North RTV Course at MAR. Its additional width and length did not cause any problems due to its suspension advances and tight turning circle. On the very wet, tall grass of MAR’s hillside camping location, I did not experience any wheel slippage, no matter how slowly or rapidly I ascended the steep sections.
Ralf Sarek, Richmond, VA, took his coil spring, base level new Defender 90 through nearly every trail at MAR. When asked about his off-road experience, Ralf commented that “wherever I pointed it on the trails, it went. Only the most extreme ones could not be tackled by my Defender. Land Rover did a great job on the spring rates. When I took it out West, such as at Moab, where departure and approach angles are paramount, the air suspension would likely have offered some extra protection (through added clearance) as well as possibly more articulation at individual wheels.” [see Holiday 2021 issue -ed.]
If you use your Defender 90 for work and open/close the doors often, you can forgo your gym membership, as the heavy doors provide a fine workout – especially when on hills. Opening the driver’s door on the uphill of a side slope, or closing the passenger’s door on the downhill side, will bring out the Hellboy or Wonder Woman in you. The floors meet at the sill level and their rubberized surface
New Defender lineup at the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Rally
means you really can hose out in the interior. Or – hypothetically of course – should you leave the lovely fabric sunroof open overnight in a rainstorm, you’ll find the water doesn’t harm the interior and can be mopped out. The difference is that the superb climate control system does help dry out the interior quickly so that, hypothetically, when you return the Defender, the evidence has evaporated away.
The new Defender 90 incorporates much of what enthusiasts love about the previous Defenders, updated for modern driving conditions and distances. If I lived and worked in a less rural setting, I would be quite pleased to own one. Whether it proves as durable and functional as the heritage Defenders will require time to render a judgement. Land Rover advertisements once claimed, “They last. And last. Despite the way they’re treated, they’ve been known to last ten fifteen, even twenty years… Spare a few minutes to chat to the salesman. He’ll probably never see you again.”
Here’s hoping the new Defender will emulate its ancestor. ///
Defender 90 owner
For more real-world experience with the Defender 90, I spoke with enthusiast Seth Velho, Stowe, VT, whose 2022 Defender 90 X Dynamic has accumulated 3,000 miles in three months. His previous Land Rovers include an ’04 Discovery II and an LR4. Seth said, “Mine has the inline 6-cylinder, which I find very smooth and responsive. There’s no body roll and it handles beautifully. I feel like I’m in a mini-tank. I’m running Goodyear Duratrac tires on 20” wheels, and it’s been great in the snow.” Seth agrees that the slow seat movement means it takes a while to get his 4-year-old daughter into her car seat. He also wishes that the front and rear bumper were more substantial and less “plasticky.” He said, “When I tried to avoid a car pulling out in front of me in a parking lot, I put a ding in the rear bumper covering, and I’m still waiting for the part. Overall, however, the 90 is my daily driver, and I’m very pleased.” ///
Early every January, Steven Ratajczyk, Cleveland, TN, wakes up early to sit on hold with the US National Forest Service. He hopes to reserve the Badin Lake Campground for the annual Uwharrie Rover Expedition on behalf of the Old North State Land Rover Society. His efforts ensure that the well-maintained, comfortable campground [with showers and toilets, thank you] will hold the 100 Land Rovers attending the event. The 2021 URE! (Yes, there’s always an exclamation point), the 17th, did not disappoint its hundreds of participants.
Thanks to pandemic regulations, I had not attended a URE! since 2019, so I looked forward to my return last October 15–17. I flew from Maine to Charlotte, NC, where I’d reserved a rental car to drive the 90 minutes east to the Uwharrie National Forest. Charlotte’s rental car terminal always has substantial wait lines, reminiscent of the bread lines during the Great Depression, and once again it tested your endurance. After the l-o-n-g wait, I discovered that having a confirmation number from the rental company’s website did not assure you of a vehicle. (I won’t identify the firm, but there’s a reason they once advertised, “We’re #2.”) I tried two other rental companies, but none had any vehicles available.
In desperation, I debated renting a U-Haul – but instead, I called Steven Ratajczyk for help. “Let me see what I can do,” he said. Within 15 minutes, I got a call from Jeffrey Rice, Fort Mill, SC, just across the state line from Charlotte. His route north would go right past the airport, so he would happily give me a ride to the event. In the early afternoon, Jeff arrived in his Ford Transit-based Vandoit, a compact yet very clever conversion van, along with his daughter Celtlyn and son Bram and their weekend supplies. Together, we headed out for the URE! in significant comfort.
Story, photos by Jeffrey Aronson The Uwharrie National Forest features numerous well-maintained trails specifically for off-roading. Some take you past equestrian paths, small farms and lovely campsites. Others send you through ravines with steep ascents or descents, which can be quite challenging when wet. The US Forest Service maintains the trails, but has left lots of difficult rock crossings and deep crevices untouched. While the club can control the campground space, the trails remain open for any vehicles. This can cause some backups as convoys of various trucks or SUVs run in opposite directions, or as four-wheelers and side-by-sides compete for room on the trails. Southern graciousness rules, however, as one group or another always pulls over to allow passage. Not a few of the dedicated off-road machine owners looked quite amazed at what the stock Land Rovers could accomplish on the most challenging routes. Each morning, trail leaders line up at the El Dorado Outpost Store (food, fuel, clothing, tools, fishing and hunting supplies) at the entrance to the Uwharrie. You’re asked to determine your off-road experience level (novice, intermediate, extreme). Twenty years as a Marine Sargent taught Dan Ratcliffe, Wake Forest, NC, how to make people fall into line and listen up to instructions at the driver’s meeting. Steven Ratajczyk and Dan Ratcliffe Above L-R: Harper and Archer Prudhomme Above: Dan Ratcliffe called upon Corey Rice, Jay Bayer, Jon
Poster design by Steven Ratajczyk
Slater and Mark Hollahan to serve as the lead vehicles and cabooses, and to join others in spotting on the difficult sections of the trails. Many of them also volunteered to help with all the behind-the-scene work, joined by Cyndi Phillips and Rick and Tiffany Prudhomme.
The rolling hills, wide rivers and beautiful lakes encompassing the Uwharrie region feature stunning vistas that come into view as the morning fog dissipates under the rising sun. The Yadkin and PeeDee Rivers, along with accompanying lakes, shimmer in the morning sun. I had the good fortune to observe them through the windshield of Steven Ratajczyk’s loaner P38A. At 166,000 miles, it retained all the majesty of a Range Rover. The landscape also includes fields and trails for off-roading, attracting off-roaders of all stripes. From the newest Defender and Discovery 5s, to the classic Series IIs and IIIs, the Land Rovers never failed to capture the attention of others on the trails, or the admiration of onlookers at the El Dorado Store.
The URE!’s exclamation point is well deserved. URE! 18 will be held from October 10-14, 2022 –you’ll want to be there. ///
Right: Virginians Charlie and Pam Haigh
Up at Growing Uwharrie Story by Eva Grace Knepp, photos Eva Grace Knepp and Reneé Knepp.
My family and I have been attending the Old North State Land Rover Club’s URE! (Uwharrie Rover Expeditions) since before I was born. It’s really somewhat of a paradox you can’t fully understand until you’re there. This October weekend event really starts on the previous
Monday but isn’t over until Sunday. You run around like your hair's on fire for days prior to your departure and beg to get off work early on Thursday or Friday. You pull into the park, onto the gravel road, and feel a smile spread across your dusty face – suddenly, your Rover’s a bit peppier too. At this point you finally stop to realize it’s officially Fall in North Carolina. You pull into your spot at the Badin Lake group campground; like the seating in our Baptist church, it’s not assigned, you’re just always in the same place. You set up camp in a frenzy, like you’re late for supper, and then retire to your chair and time just stops. You relax, and “live as if you’re homeless for three days,” to quote a friend who declined my invitation. You borrow toilet paper from some stranger with whom you’ve exchanged life stories, ride trails, help out people who need it or accept help yourself, and eat great food – doesn’t everything taste better when it’s cooked outdoors?
The author riding along with her dad, Dale
Saturday night banquet and raffle
You meet people from different places. You ooo and ahh at each other’s vehicles. It's like going to a big family reunion full of perfect strangers. Before you know it, a few nights of campfire stories have passed and it’s Saturday morning. The Land Rovers line up in a big parade at the El Dorado Outpost store at the entrance to the Uwharrie National Forest; I run in for a Coke in a glass bottle, dill pickle sunflower seeds, and a new decal to add to the mosaic.
We hit the trails and enjoy some Doobie Brothers on a (sometimes) nice Carolina Fall day. As a kid I sat in a car seat crying like my life depended on it; my brother laughed the whole time. My Mom and I walked more than we rode some days. Now, I just smile from the passenger seat. It's not the size of the rocks on the trail, but who you’re rocking with. We enjoy our time happily, driving at our own slow pace like a herd of mighty turtles.
We devour our trail lunches and bottle up the camaraderie for a rainy day. We slide around in the red clay and ruin some clothes. Then we return to our campsite and try to get the dust out of – well – everything. Each year there’s a big Saturday night feed around a bonfire at which you listen to Dan Ratcliffe call out the winning raffle numbers. You guard your raffle tickets as if they were made of gold foil and urge Dan to shake the bucket of tickets some more. You feel like you win when the guy beside you yells that it’s him and spills his sweet tea trying to get to his newly found prize. The unlucky ones make sounds that remind you of checking coolant while the car’s warm,
but no one pitches a big fit. Saturday night hurts because you know that this time tomorrow, URE! will be another memory, so you soak it up, and stay up late. Every year might seem like a sequel to the original movie, but then you realize, the only thing that stays the same is change. Kids talk about “Remember when?” That enthusiast who brings a new girlfriend to URE! one year announces their wedding at the next. That new youngster who once cried over losing the toy Rover at the auction/raffle, sits at the campfire and pushes their bedtime to the limit, then moves on to sleeping in a hammock and all of a sudden, they’re driving. And wait, is that a girlfriend?! And the circle starts over.
We couldn’t figure out why there were more cars this year and we needed to cook more bacon in the mornings, then someone said it's not new people, just bigger ones! But still, from ages 1–60, everyone smiles when they find Jack Walters’ free stash of old Rovers Magazine issues.
Sunday morning, everyone packs up and lines up for endless group pictures. Then, when you’re back on the pavement, you sigh, smile, and realize that this is exactly how you came in on Thursday, only boasting some new mud, maybe lacking a few parts, and eager for next October’s URE! ///
THE NEWReductive RANGE ROVER
Story by Jeffrey Aronson, Photos: Land Rover Media
very ten years or so, Jaguar Land Rover introduces aE new Range Rover with design and engineering features that link the generations. Last November, JLR introduced the 5th generation Range Rover at the Los Angeles Auto Show for the MY 2022. JLR organized a well-attended “Range Rover Leadership Summit” event just prior to the show’s opening day, featuring luminaries from CEOs (Thasunda Duckett, Andreas Fibig), to athletes (Lindsey Vonn, Gabby Reece), food influencers (Kim Alter), musicians (Wyclef Jean, Biggs Burke), social media moguls (Angela Courtin) and entertainment movers and shakers (James Corden). The large, socially distanced crowd of attendees also got a preview of the new Range Rover. By automotive industry standards, Range Rovers have a long shelf life. The Range Rover line started in 1970 with the retroactively named Range Rover Classic. With the creation of a 4-door version, it arrived in North America in 1987 and remained in production until 1995 [see Summer 2020 issue -ed]. Its successor, the P38A, sold in greater numbers despite a reputation for troublesome electronics (one expat named his beloved Range Rover “The English Patient”). In 2002, Land Rover replaced the P38A with the third-generation L322 series, which grew the lineage to include the Range Rover Sport. By then, over 500,000 Range Rovers had been sold worldwide. In 2012, the fourth-generation L405 series arrived with monocoque construction and significant weight reduction [see Summer 2021 issue -ed].
The design cues of the Range Rover that have been imbedded in previous generations – proportionality, slightly pitched roofline, flowing belt line, clamshell tailgate – remain today. With JLR Chief Creative Director Gerry McGovern’s emphasis on “reductive design,” the newest model flows from engineering and styling emphases first seen in the 2018 Range Rover Velar. Massimino Frachelli’s interior
Above: New Range Rover LWB SV Intrepid
work on the Velar clearly influenced decisions regarding the new Range Rover [see Winter 2018 issue -ed]. One benefit of the exterior design is a .30 Cd, remarkable for a vehicle of its size.
Range Rovers have hardly been exemplars of bling (see Escalade, Cadillac) but this 5th iteration growls “Bah, humbug,” at any hint of exterior trim. Even the horizontal grille and the vertical grilles in front of the A pillar lack adornment. With its striking rear taillights and clamshell tailgate, you’ll instantly know it was a Range Rover that just passed you. The rest of the body looks like a sculptor hewed it out of an ingot.
This 5th generation sits on a new platform, the MLA-Flex, that’s over 75% aluminum, with even greater torsional rigidity than the L405. There are two wheelbases, 118 inch or 126 inch, the latter enabling the creation of Range Rover’s first The New Range Rover Body in White 7-seater; the Range Rover’s market competition, especially in the US, really called for this super-sized version. Land Rover’s engineers managed to add length and width without wildly adding weight; at 5,240 lbs empty, the 5th gen is within 37 lbs. of its predecessor.
Engine choices start with the base 3.0L inline 6-cylinder (395 hp/406 ft-lbs. torque) with a 48-volt hybrid assist, and move up to a 4.4L V-8 (523 hp/553 ft lbs) designed in collaboration with BMW. Future options will include a plug-in hybrid 6-cylinder (434 hp/516 ft lbs) for MY 2023 and later yet, a fully electric version.
2022 New Range Rover LWB SV Signature Suite
An 8-speed transmission and AWD that can disconnect the front axle helps the Range Rover achieve an EPA mpg rating of 18 city/23 highway. The six off-road Terrain Response modes, combined with 11.6 inches of ground clearance and three-foot wading depth, assure that if you wish to risk mud on the carpeting, your Range Rover will tackle off-road challenges as well as any Land Rover.
The Range Rover will be available in SE and Autobiography models. For 2022 only, a First Edition model based on the Autobiography will feature unique specifications. Despite the extra length, the Range Rover has a 36-ft turning circle (versus 40 ft for the L405) due to its new 4-wheel steering. The rear wheels will pivot 7 degrees to make the 197 inch/207 inch long vehicle easier to maneuver. Yes, that’s additional complexity, but it will prove helpful off-road, too.
If neither the SWB nor LWB version offers sufficient exclusivity for its new owners, Land Rover will manufacture the Range Rover SV as a 2023 model. Enthusiasts might remember the stillborn 2018 Range Rover SV two-door coupe [see Spring 2018 issue ed], deemed too resource-intensive even at its projected $295,000 price (but a bargain compared to the $325,000 2018 Rolls Royce Cullinan.) For MY 2023, JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations will create a personalized Range Rover SV from a vast palette of colors, interior leathers or fabrics, wood inlays – even ceramic control knobs. One unique seating arrangement will include a motorized folding table and touchscreens for the rear passengers.
Hidden underneath every Range Rover are innovative technologies to minimize NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), from the body architecture to headrest speakers that mimic noise-canceling headphones. Easing the challenges of voice commands, JLR builds Amazon’s Alexa into the infotainment system, now included in the 13.1 inch touchscreen. Happily, real knobs for routine features like climate control duplicate actions on the touchscreen. New Range Rovers have always fetched a premium price, and in the inflated market of 2022, JLR has kept up with its competition. JLR sold over 19,000 Range Rover in the US until the pandemic and computer chip shortage reduced manufacturing in 2020 and 2021. Given its technical and design enhancements, the 5th generation Range Rover will retain its preeminence amongst the world’s top vehicles. 25 years ago, Range Rover’s winter advertising promised to “Get You to Your Cancelled Flight on Time.” We’re eager for a test drive to see if the new Range Rover can fulfill that promise. ///
2022 New Range Rover LWB SV Serenity
ecades ago, a garage band in South Bend, IN, named The Rivieras, recorded a one-hit wonder, “California Sun.” Nothing like unending Midwestern winters to make you long for the mystique of sunny Southern California.
After all, where else can you go to indulge year-round in a choice of daily drivers like various Series Land Rovers, a Land Rover 90, a ’56 Porsche Speedster replica or a ’73 BMW 2002? Certainly not the salted-road states of New England or the Northeast. That’s why enthusiast Scott Rouleau traded the cold and snow of New England for “The American Riviera,” Santa Barbara, CA.
The move made it possible for Scott to indulge in his twin passions: automotive enthusiasm and communications. In New Hampshire, he had worked to promote timber frame building companies and indulge in his enjoyment of classic BMWs by working at the highly-regarded Bavarian Autosport in Portsmouth, NH. In California, he could rebuild Land Rovers and create his eponymous communications firm.
Born in Hanover, NH, Scott grew up in Norwich and Post Mills, VT, and graduated from the University of New Hampshire.
Story by Jeffrey Aronson, Photos: Scott Rouleau
Above: Series IIA Bugeye frame-off restoration in fast company
In 2001, he set up his first business in West Lebanon, NH, working with log and timber frame home companies. That’s when he bought his first Land Rover, a ’96 Discovery I with only 40,000 miles. He would add another 110,000 miles through numerous trips to Louisville, KY. He traded it for an ’04 Discovery II SE7, “one of my favorite Land Rovers,” but a succession of Series Land Rovers and a Land Rover 90 have truly captured his passion for the marque.
His first Series Land Rover was a ’69 IIA Bugeye. “I drove it for years here in Santa Barbara, and loved it even more after I removed the hardtop, installed a hoop set and ran it as a canvas top. It’s been all over Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Marina del Rey, and interesting people like Martin Gore of Dépêche Mode and Ellen DeGeneres have ridden with me in it.” (Scott noted that DeGeneres bought her wife, Portia de Rossi, a restored Defender as a gift.) Scott sold his IIA to another enthusiast, but at least he gets to see it around Santa Barbara.
It’s not his only Bugeye rebuild, either. “I bought one in Apple Valley, CA, and did a frameoff rebuild of it with the help of Paul Livacz. A doctor in Connecticut now owns and enjoys it. In 2020, Scott found a Bugeye “in parts” in Phoenix, AZ. Then Covid19 hit and an enthusiast from Portland, OR, called him, looking
Above L-R: Ellen DeGeneres and Scott Rouleau discussing his first Bugeye
for a “parts car” he could use for his own rebuild. The pandemic seemed like a good time to send the Bugeye to a new home.
Over Valentine’s Day weekend of 2019, Scott and his wife, Amber, were enjoying a bottle of wine when the phone rang; would he be interested in a ’73 Series III? Scott remem-
bered that he had seen “horrible photos” of the Land Rover, but lowcost airline tickets enticed him to fly up to Bozeman, MT to view the Series III. “The owner met me at the Bozeman Airport,” Scott recalled, “and to my amazement, it was in stunning shape! The current owner had enjoyed and maintained it for 30 years. It was a federal bank holiday, so all I could offer him was a personal check. I rented a truck and trailer and brought it home. It’s now with yet another enthusiast.
Scott also created a resto-mod 109” from a ’64 Series IIA. It now sits on a coil spring chassis and features a 4.2L Range Rover motor and automatic transmission. Once it became known in the Los Angeles region, Scott received requests for it, and the IIA now resides with a soap opera star in Malibu, CA. Additional rebuilds have included a ’63 Series IIA 109” and two Series IIA 109” Military.
His most recent Land Rover is a ’90 Land Rover 90, which began life in Italy with its current 200 Tdi engine and original 5-speed manual transmission. “I got word that it was on a back lot at a Los Angeles movie set,” Scott recalled. “I drove it home; it looked good but it had been sitting for about a year. After a closer look, I decided to to refurbish it.”
“I worked with The Toy Store, Newbury Park, CA, on renewing the paint. I traced the VIN number to discover that it began life in white, and then became Tangiers Orange before its repaint in black.” The handsome results prompted Scott to renew the seats, fascia and sound system.
1964 Series IIA 109” resto-mod with Range Rover 4.2L V8 power
1963 Series IIA 109”
At 174,000 miles, the frame remained solid but Scott decided to refresh the engine. The engine benefitted from new main and rod bearings, new valves and a skim of the cylinder head, a new water pump, timing belt, head gasket and main seals. While the engine was out of the 90, Scott had the shop install a new clutch and pressure plate. Although not required because of its age, Scott stated the 90 would now pass California’s strict smog test.
With its new interior, exterior shine and fresh engine, Scott decided to renew the suspension as well. He entrusted that work to Karl Wesson of Coastline Defender, Hawthorne, CA. The work included new OEM springs, tubular shock towers housing Fox shocks, galvanized spring seats and hardware. While everything was apart, Scott ordered new tie rods and had new bushings installed in the radius arms. New bushings also went into the freshly powder-coated trailing arms. For good measure, the front/rear axles and Panhard rod received the same powdercoating treatment. Finally, brake components and the propshafts were replaced, too. To Scott, “The underside is now better than anything that came from the factory.”
When Scott is not working or building up Land Rovers, he’s hiking the many mountains in his area, recalling his 2019 ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He’ll be the first to insist that the biggest smiles on his face appear when he’s behind the wheel of his Land Rover 90. ///
Above: Previously-owned Series III 88”s
[Scott loves to connect with Land Rover enthusiasts at @scottrulo or RouleauCommunications.com]
Team GEMS – “We’re #3!”
Story by Jeffrey Aronson, Photos: Peter Nelson, Land Rover Media, Jeffrey Aronson
L-R: Jeffrey Aronson, Peter Nelson
Arriving in Asheville, NC, last October for the Land Rover Trophy competition, JLR spoiled me rotten by providing a livery service from the airport to the grounds of the Biltmore estate. “You’ll be sharing the car with one other passenger,” the driver said. “His name is Ted Ligerty. Do you mind?”
Do I mind ride-sharing with Olympic ski champion Ted Ligety? The question should have been, would Ted mind sharing a ride with an OMG admirer?
During the 20-minute drive to the Biltmore I tried to behave as if I rode routinely with Olympians. I attempted (and failed) not to gush as he recounted how much he enjoyed Land Rover’s sponsorship of the US Ski Team, his time with a Land Rover and his visits to Vermont. Olympian Gabby Reece joined the group that evening, as did JLR North America CEO Joe Eberhardt.
Land Rover USA created the competition for the 200 owners of the limited-edition 2021 Defender Trophy 110 to challenge their technical, physical and team communication skills, similar in format to the dealeroriented TReK competition. The overall winner of the day-long competitions would be entered into the international Defender Trophy competition scheduled in the UK this year. Over half the new owners accepted Land Rover’s invitation. Happily, I scored the opportunity to team up with Peter Nelson of CarBibles.com at one of the six qualifying rounds of 28 enthusiasts each at the Land Rover Experience Biltmore.
Lennard Hoornik, Land Rover’s Chief Commercial Officer, said “The famous Camel Trophy demonstrated the capability of the Land Rover brand in ways that we cannot do anymore. We built the Defender Works V8 by Land Rover Classic in the UK, but we can’t sell them in this country, so we built a new Defender Trophy edition for the US market.”
The US-edition Defender Trophy 110 features a distinctive wrap reminiscent of the famous Sandglow Camel Trophy colors, the Ingenium 6-cylinder 395 hp, 406 ft. lbs. of torque, through an electric super-
L: Sean Gorman, Event Leader
charger engine, air suspension and factory winch installation. Land Rover provided each team with a their own Defender Trophy 110.
The Land Rover Experience team at the Biltmore, led by Sean Gorman, created a diabolically clever series of special tasks that would occupy every minute of the 6-hour competition. The timed events demanded physical strength and endurance, off-road driving skills and team communication. You received a trail map to guide you to the 14 different task stations, each with a varying point total and time limit. Only one team could compete at a time at each station; if it was occupied, you had to go find another one. Speed limits and low-range requirements were strictly enforced. Each team had to name itself and create a team flag. As both Peter and I own Discovery Is, Peter named us “Team GEMS.”
Watch the Car Bibles video on your mobile device
While many teams created masterful flags well in advance of the event, our hastily drawn flag demonstrated clearly that neither of us possesses artistic skills. A kindergarten teacher would have urged us to “try, try again.”
Early in the morning, all the teams were taken to a clearing that served as a Start/Finish area, deep within the Biltmore’s 8,000 acres. First, however, you had to find your assigned Defender using GPS coordinates. Peter and I joined the crowd on a downhill run, followed by a mile-long, uphill climb over muddy hillsides and obscure paths to find our Defender. On a hot, humid day, it was a great way to work off breakfast. We found our Defender in a clearing and took off.
Peter strategized that we should find the least-likely-to-betaken station first, and we wound up at “Wide Load,” a devilishly challenging trailering task created by Chris Tefke. You had to secure a 20-ft long, double axle trailer safely to your Defender, back it through a set of narrowly spaced cones, then maneuver it through a couple of semi-circles. Despite my marshaling, Peter did a great job.
Subsequent challenges saw us arrive at Jim Goodrum’s “Puzzled,” which tasked us with assembling a giant jigsaw puzzle that would form the planks of a bridge across a creek. On one side of each board was a small section of the Land Rover Green Oval – or not. The heavy red oak planks ranged from 3 ft to 8 ft in length; flipping them over to find the dimly-painted logo and arranging them properly took time and energy.
Oh, and when you were done, you drove your Defender over the bridge – and then you had to walk back and disassemble the giant puzzle for the next team. We spent too much time trying to navigate in the “Rat Trap,” Rob Austin’s octagon of horrors. You drove your Defender through a gate into a ring of poles whose distance barely exceeded the 197.6 inch length of the 110. You had to turn the Defender 180 degrees to exit. We earned only “participation points” when we should have just moved on. Next, we stumbled onto Jim Swett’s “One Car Length.” The night Team GEMS must find their Defender before, we had watched a demonstration of using a Hi-Lift jack as a come-along or manual winch. On flat ground, it looked easy, but Jim had set up his task on a 20-degree hill. Hand-winching a 5,035 lb. Defender even one car length up a slope made me thankful for all the decades of manual labor and workouts. Even Ted Ligerty admitted that “my hamstrings are going to feel very tired tonight!” (Tylenol sales at the Biltmore skyrocketed during the event.) As the afternoon wore on, we tried to enter Matt Allbritton’s “Spooled Up” winch task, Dave Rees and Terry Troutman’s “Punch Your Ticket” (how close can you get to this tree?), Holly Tabano’s “Back in Time” Land Rover trivia contest, Don Floyd’s “Locked In,” David Nunn’s
Time-Distance Rally and Ramsey Benson’s Trials Course, among others. The competition assessed penalty points for late arrivals back, so we scurried through the woods and returned to the Start/Finish line with only seconds to spare.
Tired and hungry, we met up with the other competitors. Stephanie Hart of Motorweek Television called the Defender “an amazing vehicle, more than capable on the trails.” Andrew Ganz of CarTraders.com said, “I’ve never done a competition like this. I became more comfortable over the 6-hour day the more I drove it. I let the car do what it was made to do. I got worried only when I saw how far we had to walk to get the car!”
In our day of the event, competitors came from a ring extending from Charlotte, Miami and Chicago. For many, their Defender Trophy 110 was their first Land Rover. Hender and Kathrine Gonzalez, Miami, FL bought “the first one sold in Florida. Our sales guide, Marcos Sanchez, at Land Rover North Miami, called us upon its arrival. We literally bought it off the delivery truck!”
Hender, a construction company owner, grew up on a farm in Venezuela. “I was always wearing boots and walking around in muck,” he recalled. “We always saw Land Rovers around. I came to love offroading and the outdoor life.” Kathrine, an immigration lawyer, said, “We want our kids, Eva [13] and Lucas [10] to go on adventures and enjoy off-roading.” Good sports both, they won the “I Can’t Find My Car” award at the closing ceremony.
Dr. Gina Carlotti, who splits her practice between Greenwich, CT, and Florida, teamed up with Paul Kirch, Sarasota, FL. They received their Defender Trophy 110 from Land Rover Darien. Paul noted, “We left our 2020 Defender 110 at the dealership parking lot when we learned they had one. 17 other enthusiasts wanted it!” Gina told me,”I had no idea that the Defender could do all that.” Paul said, “I never get to use all the Defender’s capabilities in daily use. As an engineer myself, I’m very impressed with the engineering of the Defender.”
Brian Eubanks, Plano, TX, a professional structural forensics engineer, and Garrett Ryan, Murphy, TX, formed “Team Paragon,” which won the competition in our round. Brian’s first Land Rover was a Range Rover purchased for his wife, Sarah, and his second was the Defender 110 purchased for his son, Josh. “While I waited for a Defender V8, I heard of the Defender Trophy model when vacationing in Europe; I emailed my contact at Land Rover Grapevine [TX] who had not even heard of this model yet.” Brian complimented the competition. “It was extremely well-organized and well run. The challenges called upon a wide variety of skills and capabilities. I needed a bottle of Advil afterwards!”
After all six qualifying rounds in October, the overall winner was “Team Cody,” comprised of Max Thomason and Jonathan Steppe, Charlotte, NC. They named their team in honor of Jonathan’s 17-year old son, Cody, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma. A long-time Land Rover enthusiast and Discovery 5 owner, Max works as a Diesel engine salesman. His neighbor and family friend, Jonathan Steppe, recently retired from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; he’s on his 7th Land Rover.
Although they were the second-to-last to find their Defenders, they strategized effectively and competed in 12 task stations. Max, “an Overall winners Team Cody L-R: Max Thomason, avid runner,” noted “JonaJonathan Steppe than is amazingly fit and strong.” They moved rapidly through the exhausting Hi-Lift task, and Eagle Scout Max had little trouble with the orienteering, winching and Land Rover trivia challenges. He noted that, “The following day, I was mentally and physically exhausted. It took the weekend to recover.” Jonathan claimed, “I take zero credit for the win,” but Max would disagree.
Following on the heels of the dealer-network TReK competition, the Land Rover Trophy event reinforced JLR’s focus on Land Rover’s adventuresome past and helped bring it into the present. Here’s hoping it continues in the future. Garrett Ryan of our round’s winning “Team Paragon,” put it simply: “I’ve been a Jeep guy most of my life, but after this event, I have new respect for Land Rover.”
Watch the Motorweek video on your mobile device
L-R: Jenny McCoy and Gabby Reece
Team Wahine – Gabby Reece and Jenny McCoy
Gabby Reece, author, model and former professional volleyball champion, teamed up with fitness and health journalist Jenny McCoy, forming Team Wahine [Hawai’ian for “female surfer”].
“The Land Rover trophy event had a wonderful blend,” said Gabby. “You needed physical, mental and communication skills. You weren’t going to win just by muscling it or being over-technical. The participants all possessed such diverse skills that led to an exciting challenge, but one thing they shared in common was a sense of adventure.”
Colorado native Jenny McCoy, whose work appears regularly in SELF magazine, disarmingly said, “I have no experience in automotive journalism, and I’m not a car enthusiast,” but she was delighted to be invited to team up with Gabby. “I thought the event was very intense. I did not know any of the technical skills. The nights before at the tutorials, I felt so overwhelmed, as if I had nothing to bring to the table. It felt great to have Gabby as my partner; she carried the whole team.”
Gabby Reece owns a new Defender. “This is the car that I personally drive; for day-to-day driving, it’s a great vehicle. I can use it for work, family and outdoor adventures. And, of course, I’m impressed what it’s able to do off-road.” Jenny McCoy also professed to being “really amazed at what the Defender could do. I was sure we would flip over on the moguls at the ‘Punch the Ticket’ challenge. The Defender’s capability over boulders and water crossings impressed me.”
While Jenny said that “Gabby did great on the trailering challenge,” Gabby responded, “I don’t want to discuss my trailering skills!” ///
Foreground L–R: Stinson Carter and Ted Ligety
Teaming Up with Ted Ligety
By Stinson Carter
Ifirst met Ted Ligety the night before we were set to compete as partners in the Land Rover Trophy Competition. When we were thrown together into a crash-course in off-roading skills with Land Rover instructors, we decided to stick together and listen to the same lessons rather than trying to divide and conquer. I think we were both channeling the wisdom of our wives, and it certainly upped our collective retention.
When the air horn blew at the Start/Finish gate the next morning, we took off at a flat-out sprint; clearly we were both ready to push ourselves. When we made it to our Defender, we were informed that a camera crew would be following us all day, which added an odd Xfactor for sure. They wanted shots of their Olympian/Land Rover Ambassador behind the wheel, naturally, but Ligety made a point to give me equal driving time.
While driving, we slipped into an easy rapport. Our first task of the day had us following a tulip chart through Asheville, and we got sidetracked in conversation and missed our first big turn. But the competitive edge was never far away, and when we hit the hardest task of the day – manually pulling the Defender up a hill with a Hi-Lift jack, I got to see Ligety pull his other hand out from behind his back. As soon as he grabbed the jack handle, he transformed from a laid-back dad from Utah into an Olympian with the Eye of the Tiger. When we finally got the Defender up the hill, taskmaster Jim Swett clicked his stopwatch and said, “You guys were one second off the top time.”
Ligety shook his head, only half joking – “If I’d known that, I would’ve done it thirty seconds faster.”
We started out as an Olympian and a journalist, both with a wife and kids waiting at home. But for a few hours, we got to be two boys with no responsibilities getting muddy in the woods. When we earned a trophy for our efforts later that night, Ligety handed it to me with a smile and the hint of a wink: “TSA probably wouldn’t let me take it anyway.” ///
Last Train to Wheatland Farm
By Jeffrey Aronson, Photos: Loic Fabro, Jeffrey Aronson, Paul Prosser
ride goeth before the fall,” so warns the proverb. My comeuppance came when I arrived early that October morning at the Mid-Atlantic Rally (MAR) in Virginia after a 900-mile, two-day drive. No one was present at the registration tent, save for a lone Ford pickup with a Range Rover Classic in tow.
I paused from patting myself on my back over my long drive when a tiny dog began barking, waking up its owner from his slumber in the back seat. I should have known better. The strident barker was Violet, a Jack Russell terrier; her sleepy owner was Peter Vollers — who was two hours into a nap after a 22-hour straight, 1,635-mile drive from his home in Placitas, NM. Damn! There went my bid for the “Longest Distance Award.” The Rover Owners of Virginia (ROAV) have organized their MidAtlantic Rally for 27 years with a seemingly endless array of themes
P“ and activities. Participants have enjoyed fantastic off-roading, entertaining camping, draft horse pull demonstrations, black tie evenings, bagpipers, scenic train rides, new Land Rover and off-roading instruction/demonstrations, an “Aluminum Man Triathlon” and the Rovers North RTV course. In 1996, the club took over a nearby drive-in theater for a showing of “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” So, too, it seems, must be the attendees, as the MAR has always taken place during hurricane season, turning trails and campsites into quagmires. Wheatland Farm’s 700 acres includes a working farm, so participants always share the land with hungry, inquisitive cattle. The topography ranges from hillside camping to steep forest ascents and descents, from long green lanes to truly expert trails. Bill Burke, who has run offroad course instruction nationwide, used the Wheatland Farm trails before ROAV moved its event there. Over the intervening years, thousands
Above: Dave Bobeck’s Series IIA 109” with 200 Tdi engine
of hours of volunteer time have helped maintain the varied trail network and, with the encouragement of owner Sam Moore, create new trails. For enthusiasts who attend each year, every trail experience could include a new adventure. This year’s attendees should thank Bob Steele, David Short, Larry Michelon, David Powers, Allen Kidd, Tyler Smith and Doug and Trey Crowther, among others, for clearing trails and organizing the event.
ROAV has instituted some subtle changes to accommodate safety issues related to the pandemic. The organizers separated the campsite locations further than usual, actively discouraged campfire gatherings of different families and encouraged social distancing and mask wearing when appropriate. David Short, the event coordinator and a firefighter/ paramedic, wrote to all advance registrants, “If you are feeling ill or sick – please do not come to the event... We are asking that all participants please wear a face mask when social distancing is not possible and to please get your vaccine for everyone's protection.”
MAR has always endured a wide range of weather conditions, but this year, the warm, dry days and nights assured that the event could remain an outdoor activity the entire weekend. Tyler Smith, a student at nearby Virginia Tech University, noted that “we really were lucky as
it had been raining on campus all week!”
Once again, the off-road trails at Wheatland Farm impressed and entertained enthusiasts. There were drives on forest service roads for mild off-roading, and spectacular vistas on intermediate and extreme trails. This year’s trail leaders included Bob Steele and Tyler Smith, David Powers and Larry Michelon, Tim Coates and Dale Jackson. Michael T. Boggs and Bill Burke led an extreme group.
Bill Burke, the off-road instructor and former Camel Trophy competitor, accepted the invitation to create off-road driving presentations to inform and enlighten; as always, he did not disappoint. I learned and/or
re-learned the importance of proper use of D-ring and soft shackles, assessment and use of tow straps, ropes and chains, and other off-road necessities. ROAV has hosted Bill’s master classes several times over the years and his insightful presentations never fail to impress the attendees. L-R: Bob Steele thanks Gretchen Miller Bill and Patty Cooper, Blairstown, NJ, gave advance notice of their upcoming homage to the remarkable cross-country trip of British adventurer Barbara Toy [see p. 2 of this issue -ed.]. The Series I that will make the trip sat beside the awning enclosure, looking impossibly small for the upcoming journey. The historical information and period photos were a joy to view. Rovers North has long sponsored, created and organized the RTV Trials Course, and again this year, it became my principal responsibility
Above: The Cooper’s tribute to Barbara Toy
at the event. Shamelessly, I’ve become quite skilled at lassoing people – who otherwise had every intention of enjoying the weekend – into the chain gang that designs and creates the trials course [think “O Brother, Where Art Thou” ed]. I’m sure that John Kostuch, the host of the Centre Steer podcast, did not drive all the way from Pittsburg, PA, to pound stakes into the hard ground; most likely, Mike McCaig, Sarah McCaig, Paul Bill Burke off-road driving presentation Prosser and Chuck Yarborough had other plans, too. A trials course tests your knowledge of your Land Rover’s capabilities as well as your driving skills. A series of sequentially numbered slalom poles create narrow, twisty paths through which you must wend your Land Rover. Except in rare instances, you’re not allowed to stop, pause or reverse your Land Rover – you must always maintain forward motion. While you focus on the driver’s side of the Rover, it’s really helpful to have a passenger paying attention to the poles on the opposite side. To add to the challenge, a trials course will include moguls and dips – often hidden from view – alongside the poles.
As usual, penalty points were assessed if you tapped (or flattened) a post, stopped forward motion or had to reverse [exceptions were made for 130” wheelbase Land Rovers]. To make it more difficult, we created an ideal time range for each section; if you drove too fast or too slow, you gained points too. The team that accumulated the lowest point total would win.
ROAV scheduled the RTV for the main event on Saturday afternoon, and asked that we place the course on the hillsides at the event’s campground. This enabled a large crowd to cheer on competitors, lob sarcastic remarks to the course’s organizer, and egg on more enthusiasts to tackle the challenge. The judges of each section spent a lot of time running up and down the hillsides refereeing competitors, but their hard work provided a lot of fun for entrants and viewers alike. While challenging, the trials course was non-damaging (except to egos), so we enjoyed watching a new generation of enthusiasts take the wheel as their parents became the navigators.
MAR has been held in six different locations around the Commonwealth. Last October’s edition ended 14 years at the Wheatland Farm location. Fortunately, several members of the Moore family, who have made the property available to thousands of enthusiasts, attended this MAR to receive the thanks and appreciation of this year’s attendees. Many powerful memories will remain of the enjoyable years spent there. We owe a big debt of gratitude to Sam Moore’s immediate and extended family for all they made possible for Land Rover enthusiasts. ///
The RTV Trials Course winners received Rovers North gi certificates: First: Khalili Alzagga, Mt. Joy, PA Second [tie]: Ed Manus, Arlington, VA Abigail Bang, Staunton, VA
Third [tie]: Grace Michael, Salem VA Mason Hensley, Richmond, VA Loic Fabro, Herndon, VA Ethan Fabro, Herndon, VA Alex Breakell, Blacksburg, VA
Background: Corbin Monnin begins the RTV course
Story by Jeffrey Aronson Photos: ASO, Dakar Rally, Sue Mead
Watch a video of the first Paris-Dakar on your mobile device
It’s December, 1978, and you’re rocking to the Sex Pistols and Van Halen, getting ready to play Atari’s Breakout video game, or watch television programs like SNL’s Blues Brothers or WKRP in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, over 170 cars, trucks and motorcycles have lined up on the Place de Trocadéro in Paris for the start of the first “Rallye Paris Dakar” – 6,213 miles later, after driving through France, crossing by ferry to Algiers, then driving through the deserts of Algeria, Niger, Mali and Upper Volta, the competitors would finish in Dakar, Senegal.
Ruggedness and durability would prove essential in this and every subsequent Dakar. Competitors drove in rough, extreme conditions for a distance similar to a round trip from New York to Los Angeles. A combination of terrain and speed meant fewer than half of the vehicles would finish, and serious injuries – even deaths – would be all too common. Over the two weeks of competition, competitors enjoyed exactly one “recovery” day. In the first year, the 74 finishers included six Range Rovers – one of which was the first car/truck category to cross the finish line – and two Land Rover Series III 109s.
Rebecca Busi, Roberto Musi [Team #734]
Frantisek Randysek, Dusan Randysek [Team #772]
Over the decades, the routes have changed due to political issues or international dangers. Security concerns in 2008 forced the move of the event to South American countries, and then in 2020 to Saudi Arabia, where the latest edition is underway as we go to press. This 44th running of the Dakar includes a “Classic” category, which created a race focused more on navigation and timing than flat-out speed. Any vehicle built before 2000 that ran the Dakar was eligible, and that enticed seven Range Rover Classics, three Series IIAs and one Defender 90 to run this year.
The father-daughter team of Rebecca Busi and Roberto Musi [Team #724] from Italy ran in their ’92 Range Rover Classic; it was Rebecca’s first off-road competition. Diego Ballester and Enrique Conti Penina [#747] from Spain entered an ’80 Range Rover Classic, a tribute to the Range Rovers that won years 1 and 3 of the Dakar. Javier Basagoiti and Alfonso Masoliver [#748] of Spain ran a rare ’83 Range Rover Vogue.
Miguel Angel Boet and Alex Cabarraques Guillem [#776] of Spain entered an ’85 Range Rover Classic that paid homage to the same vehicle that placed 15th overall in the 1985 Dakar. Gilles Espinoza of the Land Rover Experience France [#781] took an ’85 Range Rover that paid tribute to the 1981 winner of the Dakar. Lionel Guy and Isabelle Masse [#789] entered his ’86 Range Rover “instead of my Bowler, as Isabelle is not a fan of extreme speed.” Phillipe Maréchal and Jean-Francois Baud [#802] of Switzerland took an ’84 Range Rover “that had sat for many years” and prepped it for the Dakar. Tommaso Castellazzi and Stefano Dalla Valle [#760] of Italy entered the only Defender 90, a ’94 with an Iveco engine.
Our total admiration goes out to the Czech Republic teams of Vintage Racing in Prague. They entered three teams of Series II and IIAs, ranging from 1960–1964. There were two father-son teams –Dusan Randysek and his son Frantisek, Petr Fiala and his son, Tomas – and a third team of friends Albert Pance and Stepan Pance. Other than adding fuel tanks, their vehicles remained stock, right down to the 2.25L engines.
Once the Rally has ended, we’ll be eager to connect with the Classic teams to share their stories. ///
Diego Ballester, Enrique Conti Penina [Team #747] Javier Basagoiti, Alfonso Masoliver [Team #748]
Albert Pance, Stepan Pance [Team #779] Petr Fiala, Tomas Fiala [Team #807]
Miquel Angel Boet, Aleix Cabarroques Guillem [Team #776] Gilles Espinosa, Laurent Milbergue [Team #781] Lionel Guy, Isabelle Masse [Team #789] Philippe Marshal, Jean-Francois Baud [Team #802] Tommaso Castellazzi, Stefano Dalla Valle [Team #760]
Watch a video of the Dakar Rally (1979–1997) on your mobile device
1981 Paris-Dakar winners René Metge/Bernard Giroux in the car/truck class
