The Landy -July 2023

When it was discovered, this Series I was right on the brink. To restore it, or to break it for parts? That was the painful question. Happily, its new owner decided he had a project in him. It turned out to be the sort of project that’s definitely not for the faint-hearted – but the result was an absolute show-stopper…

Full story: Page 21

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Land Rover relegated to ‘trust mark’ status as JLR announces House of Brands strategy

JAGUAR LAND ROVER, HENCEFORTH TO BE KNOWN AS JLR, has a lot of brands, and there’s nothing cra y about trying to separate those brands out so they stand on their own four wheels. After all, Range Rover is a strong brand name in its own right and so too is Discovery, among others. But you have to think something’s gone seriously wrong when the unday Times writes a feature entitled: ‘LA D ROER BRA D LL OT BE K LLED

O , A OKE ER O ’.

The alarming use of shouty capitals indicates this is a branding and R exercise that has been carried out with all the forethought and skillsets shown by Bud Light. Also, rule one of journalism, is that if something is denied then it’s true. Rule two is that you never repeat the claim you’re trying to refute. More own goals for LR.

This response was caused by headlines which included:

‘Land Rover name killed off after years.’

‘ LR drops Land Rover brand.’

And, our favourite: ‘ LR dealers abbergasted by plan to axe Land Rover brand.’

o what is actually going on The answer is perfectly simple. o long as you don’t think about it too much, just keep moving, nothing to see here.

igh, look, we’ve made it perfectly clear that we’re rebranding under the LR umbrella, making more of the individual brands, and of course we’re not getting rid of the Land Rover brand.

n fact LR has gone so far as to promise the world that: ‘Land Rover will remain the trust mark that underpins the world-leading capability offered across Range Rover, Defender and Discovery vehicles.’

The trust mark, that’s a nice title, with all those vehicles appearing under a House of Brands. That seems sensible when you consider you will now refer to the Range Rover rather than the Land Rover Range Rover. And it’s got muddled over the years with Range Rover port Evo ue and so on. But what about Defender

t looks like it’s going to be known simply as Defender. There may be a small Land Rover badge on the rear.

n a nutshell, it looks like the company – and don’t forget it’s no longer aguar Land Rover, it is simply LR – is

going to make the Defender a brand identity on its own, just like Discovery and Range Rover are. That means a downgrade of the Land Rover element of the vehicle, and its extensive Land Rover D A. or marketers, that’s great. t’s no longer – deep breath – the aguar Land Rover Land Rover Defender. t’s the Defender, made by LR. e hope we’ve clarified this situation for you. And we haven’t even used shouty capitals. ou’re welcome.

As part of this House of Brands, the Halewood plant is to become a facility making only electric vehicles. hat was the Engine Manufacturing entre becomes the Electric ropulsion Manufacturing entre. And that rebranding exercise is to be called the Reimagine trategy.

e’re wondering what their new brand name will be for the people who buy into this utopia. eople formerly known as customers, drivers, enthusiasts. e don’t need to wonder about the name those enthusiasts have come with for said utopia, though, because we’ve heard it often enough. robably best not print it, though.

nverted joins the electric Range Rover market

A‘regeneration specialist’ sounds like a company that puts together deludedly wealthy people and cryogenic tanks. n fact it’s a company that puts together wealthy people with electrified classic vehicles. n this case, 001 is a Range Rover.

The world seems awash with companies ‘reimagining’ or in this case ‘regenerating’ high-end vehicles but there’s no doubt the market is there among the 1 . They’re buying luxury and moral purity – plus they can drive them to their offices in The ity without any worries. lus it’s a way of stopping some venerable old delights, like early Range Rovers, being consigned to the great rustheap in the sky.

This whole area is not without its dilemmas. hould we be gushing over a vehicle that now costs heading towards uarter of a million pounds while other people are desperately trying to get their old motors through their MOTs Or would we rather these old x were scrapped or crushed Or are we overthinking this And what does that mean Discuss noisily in enormous detail over an absinthe in a Left Bank caf in aris.

Oh don’t know. Let’s ask Harry Millington, founder and director of nverted, what he thinks he’s doing. Harry

‘ ith a passion for the classic Range Rover and a desire to future-proof this iconic model and reduce environmental impact, founded nverted. As part of this ethos, made the decision to recycle and re-use existing Tesla batteries, rather than increasing footprint with carbon intensive new modules.

‘Each car is lovingly restored and tailored to the individual customer’s specification. ith no road tax, congestion or LE charges and ero emissions, our

electrified Range Rover lassic offers effortless, comfortable and reliable motoring in town or country. believe we have created the ultimate, luxury forever-classic icon.’

ell, okay, but he would say that wouldn’t he otice though the emphasis on city driving, particularly London. Let’s not kid ourselves these old classics are being restored so they can show off their off-road prowess.

But there’s no doubt that, whatever the use, this first nverted model is right up there for uality and imagination. And indeed performance. There’s now the e uivalent of 0bhp and 0lbf.ft, thanks to a reused Tesla 0k h battery module and Large Drive nit.

All of this means the original axles have been uprated, plus there’s a limited-slip diff. Brakes too have been upgraded to Alcons to deal with the extra performance. This particular vehicle also has an optional extra, the road handling pack, so the shocks are adjustable as are the anti-roll bars plus the springs are stiffer to cope with, yes, life on the road at a fair clip.

aturally the whole thing has been body-off restored and it looks luscious. one of it more so than the interior, which features Harris Tweed and Muirhead Mocha leather. That’s a very fine pairing indeed, and you can even feel good about it since Muirhead make the world’s lowest carbon leather.

The interior is also bang up to date in terms of electronics and all available luxuries. aturally you can choose what and how much you want to add or subtract every vehicle is uni ue and they’re committed to only making six a year based on either the two-door, four-door or long-wheelbase L E, with nverted sourcing the donor vehicle. rices start at ,000 but that doesn’t include AT and it’s obvious where it starts is not going to be where it ends, but if you’re worrying about the price then welcome to our world.

Back in the day, the grasping priests would sell you indulgences for your soul. ow, thanks to nverted and other such companies, you can do it without enriching the church or indeed adi Khan. uch is progress.

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History builds a brand

‘I’M TALKING ABOUT THE “HOUSE OF BRANDS” THING IN MY COLUMN,

but you can have a go at it, too, if you like.’

That’s what the email from Editor Kidd said when nudging me about my deadline for this month’s column. But, since he’s a far better journalist than me, not to mention a more elo uent writer lies will get you everywhere. Ed , ’m going to leave that vexed topic to him. want to talk about uinness and the King’s coronation, instead.

As write, just more than a week has passed since the coronation weekend, when much of the world tuned in to watch the obscure pageantry of a ceremony with roots in the Old Testament.

or the Royal amily, it was very much an on-brand occasion. lowing robes made from dead animals. ugeared aristos looking faintly awkward at being away from the family estate. A subtext of reudian angst. Reedy clerics struggling to keep cool under braided cassocks. ary Barlow in ares. However you feel about feudalism and all that, few would deny that the whole weekend was exactly what anyone with even the faintest familiarity with the Royals would have expected. hich speaks, of course, of the power of history to build a brand. e know what to expect from the Royal amily because they’ve been doing it for generations. ocial theorists talk about ‘semiotics’ – ways of signalling meaning through signs and symbols.

The coronation was shot through with them. And, whether we liked it or not, we all grasped what was going on.

The same was true of the uinness advert that did the rounds at about this time. ive it a oogle if you haven’t already seen it: it’s a pint of the black stuff with a foamy crown hovering above the famous harp. The slogan reads: ‘ ood things come to those who wait.’ ure genius, you might say. Because everyone knows what’s going on here. t a collision of concepts, a symphony of symbols. The meaning, the message, the impact – all are spot-on, and the outworking of a company that has utter confidence in its brand.

The uinness strapline is familiar to anyone who’s ever leaned on a bar and ordered a pint. My local publican says it

every time he sets my uinness before me, having left it a couple of minutes before topping up, to make sure it’s in the very best shape for drinking. ‘ ood things come to those who wait,’ he says. They do indeed.

By standing by its brand, uinness – like the Royal amily – is able to communicate with a rare economy. Through the most ama ing T , print and digital advertising campaigns, and into the every-day conversations that happen in the pub. Everyone knows what to expect. Everyone can spot the semiotics, make sense of them.

As a result, it’s been able to launch other products that people instantly trust, even when – as with uinness 0.0 – they run the risk of challenging the market. t’s not only because it tastes great that the company’s alcohol-free offering has become a bestseller. t’s because it looks like ‘proper’ uinness, too.

o all ’m saying, really, is that if you have a strong brand – perhaps even an iconic one – it would be a pretty extraordinary decision to abandon it. But ’m blowed if know why that’s relevant to any of us right now.

We’re not sure why, but our columnist is thinking about the power of long-standing brands and the dangers of leaving them behind

Words: Tim Gibson

Pic: Guinness is Good, by David Koranda @ flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

A Land Rover will always be a Land Rover

So everybody got their knickers in a twist about Land Rover not being called Land Rover any more, and olihull has to issue a clarification. And now Land Rovers are still not going to be called Land Rovers any more, except they are, sort of, and it’s all clear as mud.

o too is what ‘House of Brands’ even means. LR is going to be a firm with various products, as opposed to aguar Land Rover which was a firm with various products. es, you can see a definite progression there.

Land Rover sorry, LR wants to be seen as a bouti ue car maker. The way the company presents itself makes that abundantly clear, as does the direction its products have increasingly taken.

o too does the way it has distanced itself from its traditional owners. There was the infamous speech by erry Mc overn about how die-hards might not like the new Defender but they were going to have to lump it. Then there was another speech, again by Mc overn, boasting that they were going to put the independents out of business.

t’s hard not to feel that the people with stewardship of the Land Rover brand don’t want it to be associated with its traditional roots. armers, lads going trialling in bitsas, D spanner men on their driveways none of it has a home in the House of Brands. ould it be that they actually find their brand’s history a little embarrassing

’m not one for sneering at Land Rover’s new direction, or the products it now creates. They’re a million miles distant from the vehicles it once made, the vehicles that created a legend, but live and let live.

’d like to say that that’s what Land Rover is now doing with us. Mc overn’s more belligerent claims, and the neverending legal pressure on independent specialists who have done so much to make the Land Rover brand what it is , mean ’m not sure can. But however irrelevant we may be to the House of Brands, a Land Rover will always be a Land Rover – and the heritage within will always be safe in the hands of those who truly understand what it’s worth.

Alan Kidd, Group Editor alan.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk

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User evidence sought in fight to protect byway status for Blind Lane

Blind Lane is an unclassified adopted highway near rindleford in Derbyshire. Also known as Excelsior, it was the subject of a Definitive Map Modification Order claim some years ago – which Derbyshire ounty ouncil has been investigating ever since.

Having established the facts of the route’s history and usage, the authority recently confirmed that sure enough, it should be recorded as a Byway Open to All Traffic – giving official recognition to its status as a right of way to motor vehicles once and for all.

case is therefore set to go to a public en uiry, which will be held on 1 August at Hathersage.

The purpose of a public en uiry is to review the available evidence and make a decision based on the balance of probabilities. Logically, then, it will ratify the conclusion already reached by the local authority. But the capacity for greed and malign in uence to make a mockery of logic runs deep and wide and high, as the House of Lords demonstrated with ER in 006 , so the reen Lane Association is calling on all motor vehicle users to rack their brains as to whether they may have used the lane in the past.

tion’s Derbyshire rep hris Mitchell. ‘ f you have driven or ridden Blind Lane in a motor vehicle or on a motorcycle, especially in the 1 0s, 1 0s and or early 000s, would urge you to contact me derbyshire.rep glass-uk. org so can send you a blank user evidence form to complete.

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The decision was reached on the basis that the lane was reasonably alleged to be a public carriageway, but needless to say the usual selfinterest groups and hate campaigners immediately objected, saying it should only be recorded as a bridleway. The

‘ t’s sensible for us to seek additional evidence and maximise the user evidence available to the inspector covering use of motor vehicles in the 1 0s onwards,’ explains the associa-

‘Any photographs or club records showing vehicles using the route in those days would also be useful,’ hris adds. ‘To help jog your memory, the lane’s D on Trailwise is K 6-0 . LA is also keen to hear from anyone would like to appear at the public in uiry to give verbal evidence regarding use of the route. ‘ uch evidence is invaluable and inspectors often appreciate it even more than signed user forms,’ says hris. t should be an open and shut case – but there’s never any room for complacency.

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nternational field takes on Rallynuts tages as Bowler’s Defender eries returns

If you’re going to position yourself as a company making off-road competition vehicles, what Bowler calls ‘a new breed of all-terrain racing cars’ then you’d better be able to deliver. And Bowler has certainly done that. Last year there was the ‘Defender Rally eries by Bowler’, where the company supported teams in identical Defenders. And this year they’re back, better than ever.

This year it’s the – shuf es papers and checks notes – 0 Tata Elxsi Defender Rally eries by Bowler. This is very on-brand for Bowler’s parent company LR. A long title involving Defender and not a ‘Land Rover’ label in sight.

The latest round of that championship was the Rallynuts tages Rally in Mid ales. t was the second round of the championship but was notable for being the first public round of the Bowler class and also the th running of the Rallynuts rally. n the Bowler series there were five teams entered, but in all there were around 1 0 so it was a packed programme and packed stages as a result.

Bowler certainly lays on a slick effort, with skilled technicians from both Bowler and LR working on the competition vehicles. Bowler also helps train the crews, supplies the identical Defenders – the new model obviously – and generally helps competitors grow so

they can compete in higher and higher levels, even at Dakar level. hich was handy as, by the time they got to start, about other vehicles had already gone through and the cold temperatures meant it was potentially frosty or icy as well of course as now thoroughly churned up by the earlier categories.

t’s basically a gravel course, miles of it, and all the Bowler entrants started the morning fairly cautiously.

ith miles to go it makes sense not to throw it away in the first hundred yards.

By the end of tage our it was time for a one-hour service for both vehicles and crews. The vehicles were basically trouble-free, which says a lot about Bowler preparation. The crews weren’t causing any trouble either.

At this point, Dave Hooper and aul hambers were in the lead of the Bowler contingent, followed by comp safari legend ohn ockburn and hristina Dobloug. But in the afternoon it all got faster and looser as confidence rose and at the finish the innish team of orma and anne okela took the class victory. But close behind were anessa Ruck and hris umming.

Ruck, known as ‘The irl on the Bike’, has come back from fearsome injury to be a long-distance rider, sportswoman, adventurer – and now Bowler four-wheel driver. f you’re going to run a race series then your marketing had better be able to deliver. ith international teams and entrants of this calibre, Bowler has certainly done that.

The

parts, tools, accessories and more for Land Rover owners

new-shape

BULKHEAD REMOVAL BARS ARE

A BIG THING on the original-shape Defender – and now Mud-UK has launched something along the same lines for the Hard-Top version of the new one. This has a much more spacious cabin – but still, removing the bulkhead makes it feel brighter and airier – as well as allowing a greater range of seat adjustment.

‘Removing the full-height bulkhead panel from the L663 Defender 110 Hard-Top is a popular modification,’ says the company. ‘But it leaves the

area behind the seats looking crude and unfinished.

‘Our Bulkhead Delete Kit cleans up the front edge of the load platform and the trim area behind the seats to create a smart OEM interior appearance. The moulded raised lip of the Bulkhead Delete Kit creates a mini-bulkhead that will prevent items in the rear of the vehicle from falling into the void behind the front seats, or damaging the back of the seats.’

Mud-UK says the installation should take around half an hour, and that it uses existing fastener locations – making it completely reversible. The kit also contains blanking plugs for the M6 fixing holes where the bulkhead support brackets attach to the B-post.

Obviously this won’t be for you if you use your Defender as a proper van – Mud-UK points out that its kit is not intended to provide structural strength or offer protection from a shifting load.

If what you see in the Hard-Top is actually being able to afford a Defender, on the other hand, it’s spot-on – though at present it’s only suitable for the 110, with a version for the 90 due soon.

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Many of them have long since started to look dog-eared as a result, and others have just faded with age. But these are still trucks with plenty of life

left in them, and like any Land Rover they deserve to be kept right. These replacement wheelarch kits will help you do just that, whether yours have

been scraped against bushes on the lanes or had their original black finish sucked out of them by the sun. They’re supplied in full-vehicle kits.

Heavy-duty clutch for 200 and 300 Tdi

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THE TDI ENGINE REMAINS A POPULAR CHOICE FOR THE TITLE OF LAND ROVER’S BEST EVER. The clutch behind it, on the other hand, might need some work.

And if you want a clutch that works, you know where to turn. LOF Clutches are renowned for this sort of thing, whether in everyday oad ec or e eavy du y Po er ec e’ve o ere

T is is desi ned or ve icles used as ork orses, e er a ’s as eavy o rucks, o road arriors or e edi ion mo ors. ’s e one o use i you’ve ad your Tdi brea ed on, oo. T is ar icular clu c doesn’ i e 2. TG Brailian’ version o e Tdi does ave one o sui is uni , bu a ’s ano er s ory.

a i does ork i is any in a as ed i a Tdi as s andard. o a ’s e De ender, Discovery and an e over Classic in eac case, e er in 200 or 00 Tdi uise.

The kit comes complete with a heavy-duty friction plate, uprated clutch cover, heavy-duty release bearing, spigot bush and as eners. doesn’ include a clu c ork, bu you’d be mad no o ile you’re in ere and ave ou o that, because they also offer the kit as part of a bundle deal including one of these plus a rear crank seal and alignment took for just a few quid more.

s i is, you e E s i o and ork bus es, a i ensile bol ack ro e cover, a ube o G 0 i em era ure grease and CNC wire formed bearing and pushrod retaining clips. Everything you can think of, basically, and quite a lot besides that you almost cerainly adn’ .

As always, LOF promises a e clu c ’s pedal weight will be no heavier than original. Its lifespan, on the other hand, will be incomparable es ecially if you ask the sort of questions of your vehicle that its original specs would rather you didn’ .

www.thelandy.co.uk

Issue 115: July 2023

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Pitch perfect

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Issue 115: July 2023

Acouple of issues back, and a couple more before that, we featured two Defender 130s which have been converted into highend, boutique style campers by RIG Automotive. They were called RIG 1 and RIG 2, funnily enough. And now, to complete the hat-trick, here’s R .

This is a bit different to the others, in that it doesn’t have a bike in it. eah, what could they possibly have been thinking? But it has something else instead – which makes it potentially the best of the lot.

Just to recap, RIG 1 was equipped with a slide capable of holding two mountain bikes. RIG 2 came with a Super Soco TC electric motorbike – and, in case that’s not enough to keep a person entertained, an in-car cinema. All very cool, statement-style stuff, which

in each case was the jam on top of a very comprehensive high-end build.

A quick recap. RIG Automotive was founded by Richard Gill, who was already successful in unrelated fields of business but has always loved cars.

He’s not just a Land Rover man – he’s particularly into his classic Porsches, but he has also made magic happen with a Mini Cooper S and a Fiat Panda 4x4. Mainly, he takes a very creative approach to restoring vehicles, producing not carbon-copy originals but old motors reimagined with soul. The company is more of a passion that pays than a cold-hearted exercise in making money – he builds the sort of cars you’d like to dream about, if only you had the imagination.

Two or three years ago, he got his hands on a small eet of Defender

1 0s that were being sold on. He’d seen them and come up with a plan, which was to turn them into characterful pop-top campers.

Obviously, lobbing in some sort of two-wheeled fun machine is a very good way to add character to a Land Rover. But RIG 3 demonstrates that a Land Rover can be fun in its own right. ot that we didn’t all know that anyway. t’s also perhaps a little less of a ight of fantasy and a little more of a purpose-built camper – or, if you prefer, a self-propelled office-from-home.

Let’s start with the basics. t’s an ambulance-bodied 130 with the 2.4 TDCi Puma engine and 6-speed Getrag box. It hit the road in 2010 and by the time it emerged from the RIG workshop it had only ever covered 28,000 miles, so to all intents and purposes what you’re

In previous issues, we’ve featured two RIG Automotive 130 camper builds incorporating bike carriers and a mobile cinema. The company’ latest build is a little more of a straightforward camper, ideal for family travels or use as a mobile office – but it’s no less imaginative for all that

Words: Tom Alderney

Pics: RIG Automotive

The camper’s interior has an extremely slick, modern image, with extensive use of matching wood panelling on the table, cupboard door and overhead bed

looking at here is a Defender that’s barely even run in.

n terms of modifications, underneath it’s largely been a case of not fixing what ain’t broke. There are a few choice upgrades here, though, like a Stage 1 engine tune to coax a little more effort out of the Puma lump – you needn’t ever expect one of these to be

fast, but there’s a bit of weight on board and for a lifestyle vehicle it’s nice not to feel like you’re being embarrassed. Most of that extra weight is in the back, so Richard also went to Air Lift for a set of helper air springs to keep the body level and under control. The original wheels have been replaced with 10-spoke gloss black alloys wrapped

in 270x70R18 Cooper Discoverer TT ro mud-terrains, and there’s a couple of extra bits like a steering and sump guard and a DRL front bumper. That guard is in satin black and the bumper carries a soft A-bar in front of the grille, both of which say this is a vehicle built to be enjoyed and admired but not battered through impenetrable

bush or thrown with carefree abandon into a desert full of mad kangaroos. Even here in Britain, a pin-sharp coat of Phoenix orange and a gloss black finish on the bonnet and wheelarches say that while the truck certainly has the skills, you’d choose your battles with care while organising any sort of jaunt on the lanes.

Elsewhere around the 1 0, you’ll spot side-facing LED oods and, clearly the star of the show, a pop-top roof. It might be a bit early to call this an RIG signature, being that it’s only the third Land Rover they’ve built, but the first two had them as well so decide for yourself. Either way, it’s colour-coded too with a gloss black shell and black canvas sides, so whether it’s up or down it dials in to the colour-coded overall look of the vehicle.

And what’s under that pop-top o bikes this time, but one of the coolest interiors we’ve seen in any sort of camper, Land Rover or otherwise.

t’s elegant in its simplicity. There’s a rear-facing two-seat bench on the driver’s side, with a wall-mounted table for eating or working – which then lifts away for when you want to fold out the seat and turn it into a double bed. Up top, a roof mounted bed is built in with an eye-catching wooden lining beneath it – matching the aforementioned table as well as the panels on the side of

the living area which hide a fold-down bench seat on the far side of it. Words don’t really do it justice, but just look at the pictures – between the wood finish, the diamond quilting on the main seat and the black Altro ooring, it looks as slick from the inside as it does to passers-by.

As the pictures on these pages also show, down the other side of the living area there’s a full-length kitchenette with a sink and two-burner induction hob integrated beautifully into a stainless steel worktop. By the back doors, this becomes a full-height cabinet containing a 50-litre fridge.

It all looks very, very slick, particularly when the artistically installed LED lights are on, but of course it needs to be usable as well. This is where the twin leisure batteries, Victron 2000VA inverter/charger and double 2000W solar panels and MPPT controller come in, providing power for the whole set-up (which includes a 240v hot water system with an external shower output). There’s an electric hook-up too, for when your travels don’t take you as fully off-grid as the Land Rover is clearly very well equipped to go.

Further good stuff includes a diesel-fired heating system, Multiplus remote monitoring, USB charging points and wall mounted iPad. On a slightly less high-tech level, there are

With the appearance of a premium hotel, RIG3 is as well equipped as it is stylish – whether being used as a family lounge on wheels, a mobile office suite or a cosy bedroom for as many as four people

four mounting points in the oor and, of course, blinds for all the windows – including those up front, as there’s open access from the cab to the living area.

The cab, what about that? In the main it’s been retrimmed in keeping with the rest of the vehicle, so you’ll find Exmoor Trim’s Elite sports seats, a leather dash and cubby with contrast stitching, aluminium door handles and heater controls, a gloss black facia to the centre console and a Momo Prototipo leather steering wheel. That facia is home to a Pioneer DA130 DAB radio and 6.2” touchscreen running Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which you should actually be able to hear as the oors and seat boxes are sound-deadened.

So is this foremost a camper or a lifestyle Landy if your idea of an expedition wagon is the kind that’s held together with string, the answer will probably be obvious. But while you don’t really need a Momo steering wheel and glossy facia to get you across the Sahara, this is more of a glamper than a lion tamer – and as we’ve said previously about R ’s builds, if it’s right for you it’ll sell itself. ot everyone will get the idea, but those who do will have nothing but admiration for it.

And so you should. There are companies out there which would build something as pretty as this using cheap kit that would last six months, and others that would base it on a crusty shed, but Richard has no interest in being that guy. Having done it right in the first place by finding himself a supply of late, low-mileage Puma 130s, he’s matching the standard of his builds to that of his vehicles. t’s an admirable way to travel – and, whether off-grid or on a campsite, you can guarantee that aboard this Land Rover, nobody’s going to have a cooler home-from-home than you.

Land Rovers are returning to Shepton Mallet this July for a summer weekend filled with Land Rovers. Take your 4x4 around the Off-Road Course with the AWDC, camp over and enjoy drinks and food in the sunshine with old friends.

Exhibitors old and new will join us, selling everything from parts & accessories to tyres, clothing and toys. Talk to overland adventure specialists about your next trip, discuss modification options with companies with the know-how and other experienced Land Rover owners.

ADVANCE TICKETS NOW ON SALE AT

shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk

See website for more details and to buy tickets!

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Retirement Present

he wouldn’t have taken this project on. But now it was different. ‘ was in the process of retiring, after working seven days a week for 0 years, and needed something to occupy my time.’ ot only that, but in that decade or so companies had sprung up who would make you an ‘original’ chassis or whatever whereas before you’d have been scrapping around trying to find one in better condition than the one you had, which was a tall order.

o first port of call was Richards hassis. ome money later, the broken-backed chassis was gone and in its place was a new original galvanised one, completely accurate down to the last detail.

The chassis number was part of the engine mount, which is welded into the chassis. Richards can’t legally stamp chassis numbers on the frames they make, so instead Gary cut out that bit of the old mount and sent it to them so they could weld it in to his new chassis. ow ary had something solid to build on. o, having replaced the chassis, he had a look at the bulkhead. t was in a similar condition to the chassis and re uired a similar response. Only this time it was egasus Bulkheads who provided him with a perfect replica of the original part.

Words: Graham Scott

Pics: Gary Jones

Idid get a bit carried away. I never intended to go to the extremes I have.

But ’m glad did.’

For Gary Jones, this Series I restoration evokes uite a lot of emotion in him as well as others. But, before we can even talk about that, we have to deal with the guilt.

Because the story doesn’t start with the eries although it may end with it. nstead it starts the better part of 0 years ago when a somewhat younger Gary bought a Series IIA. At that time, in the mid 1 0s, he was setting up his haulage business in his native outh ales, and he needed a workhorse to go with the trucks. The IIA took the place of a van, filled with tools, spares, anything needed to keep his show literally on the road.

ast forward some decades and his work has paid off, and he’s retired with his son taking his place running what has proven to be a successful busi-

ness. But before ary retired about 1 months ago, there came one of those moments. A family asked him to drag a wreck out of the garage of the family home that needed selling. The garage was damp and dank and in it was a Series I Land Rover that had been sitting there for 1 years. ou can imagine the state it was in.

Gary had to make a decision as they just wanted it gone. Did he take it for scrap or did he try to restore it? The chassis was rusted, broken in half, everything else looked like it had been sunk in a sea of salty tears while people fired ri es, shotguns and mortars at it. t was clearly too far gone. o ary took it home and put it in his garage. But the garage was where the A lived. Only not now. ow the A, after decades of faithful service, had to sit out in the rain, abandoned, unloved, forgotten. ‘ t was part of the family,’ ary says uneasily. ‘ said ’d never

part with it. t had a lot of love. But, well, it’s gone to a good home. And it got good money. And, yes, still feel guilty about it ’ And the eries simply sat there for a year. Occasionally ary would go and look at it, prod the wreckage, suck his teeth, and then walk out of the garage and turn the light off. And then came Covid and Gary decided to start his ‘Lockdown Knockdown’.

‘ had to make some decisions,’ he says. ‘The chassis was snapped in two, the bulkhead was beyond saving and there was so much that couldn’t be used again. decided didn’t want get the chassis repaired because that rot would just stay there and in a year or two ’d be underneath it welding it up again. And was nearing retirement.’

This is where some purists, when they’ve finished fasting and lashing themselves with nettles, will get upset at the lack of purity. But to ary he ei-

ther went down the route he could see or he scrapped the 0. And he didn’t want to do that.

Timing, as Gary points out, is everything. ive or ten years before,

ow, there are Land Rover bulkheads and there are Land Rover bulkheads. olihull changed the exact spec many, many times over the years of production, which was jolly thoughtless of them. t’s as if they didn’t know people would be trying to reproduce the things seven decades later.

egasus’ Debbie Halley points out that the company has the data for ev-

Being asked to drag an old Land Rover out of a garage is one of those things you get asked to do when you have the right equipment to do it. The only problem is that if the timing is wrong, you end up taking it home and restoring it. Did we say ‘if the timing is wrong?’ In this case, it was very right indeed…

ery individual variant to have emerged from the factory. hich means they can make precise replacements that match the original spec in every way.

or example, this particular eries was known to have been built by Rover o Ltd on 1 October 1 . t was sent just two days later to lovers Ltd in Harrogate. The date is important for two points – actually you could probably rattle off several but ’m sticking with two. irst, it was nearing the end of production for the 0 wheelbase. And second, it saw the initial installation of the new .0-litre petrol engine, replacing the 1.6-litre that had been there since launch in 1 .

There was a time when someone dragging an 0 out of a barn and finding an engine in need of a complete rebuild would have weighed it in a found a willing to go in its place. robably from the same Range Rover whose chassis they used instead of the rotten one. But those times are so far in the past they almost count as heritage

themselves. And ary was definitely not about to be that guy. Originality is a very valuable commodity in this game, which makes a matching-numbers engine worth its weight in gold. Even if it does needs a full rebuild – which this one most certainly did.

So Gary got down to work on the 1 cc iamese-bore unit. Everything got stripped out, heads skimmed, barrels rebored, crank reground, the whole nine yards. He discovered it was jammed in four-wheel drive so the gearbox and transfer case were similarly rebuilt, along with a new clutch, and the engine was good to go – and of course it is still the ‘original’ engine.

t’s a tricky word, that ‘original’ sticker isn’t it ary had to ponder the implications of it when he looked at the rear tub. learly uite a lot of mortar rounds and shotgun blasts had hit that area while it sat in its sea of salty tears. t was, in fact, shot. o ary picked up the phone to KD hop and hey presto, there’s a new one which is an exact replica of the original when it came out of the factory – if not better.

So, what we have is something now resembling a rather fine-looking

eries . But what we’re still missing –as you’ll have been noticing if you’re paying attention at the back – are some important bits at the front. Like bonnet, doors, wings, that minor stuff. And that’s where the ‘original’ tag started to get a bit tricky.

Because ary discovered the vehicle he had in front of him carried the wrong wings. They were in fact from a A, although that wasn’t instantly obvious as they were in pretty tatty condition. hich was a reminder of what happened to early Land Rovers once released into the wild.

ary still has the original khaki logbook and, as we know, this vehicle started life in orkshire in the early 1 0s. t was not an easy time or place. There was still rationing. t appears that A 66 had to work hard for a living on the farms of umbria. At some point either accident or attrition meant two new wings and whatever fitted went on. By the time the Land Rover came further

Land Rover’s exact bulkhead designs changed countless times down the years. Whichever one you’ve got, though, Pegasus Bulkheads says it has the data to let it build an exact match.

south to outh ales in the 1 0s, it was pretty damn tired.

The last tax disc was for 1 in the Rhondda alley, and it’s assumed it was reasonably soon after that it went into its dank and dark garage for the next 1 years.

As Gary has pointed out, timing is everything and nowadays it’s possible to get many parts ‘new’ and entirely accurate, even for the eries . But even in this niche area, market forces are at work. Because Land Rover used a one-piece wing assembly in 1 1 and 1 – but not in 1 , when it experimented with (and then abandoned) the idea of using a two-piece wing. So nobody bothers making new wings just for that one model year for the eries as it wouldn’t make economic sense. obody in the entire world. Apart from one man. A man in his 0s who lives in orkshire, who has a couple of presses in his shed and makes wings for 1 eries Land Rovers. sn’t the world a marvellous and fascinating place

The waiting list was one year, which would have been spring 0 . There’s obviously a waiting list. Obviously. But ary was just thrilled he was going to get them. However he was even more thrilled when he got a call six months later to say they were ready. And they were perfect.

Doors came from KD, and the bonnet was an original that ary found and brought back to its best. Add in a fully restored interior, much of it original, then spray everything that needs spraying with Deep Bronze Green and you have this beautiful result.

ow what ary’s original idea was he was going to restore the vehicle and then maybe do a bit of gentle

green laning and stuff. But the shape of things to come had been set back in une 0 1. Back then it was little more than a drivable chassis. But the eries lub had a rally in umbria and ary wanted to go. So he bought a van, fitted it out, put the eries in the back, drove there, drove it around with some foam on the petrol tank for a seat and then slept in the van, in a sleeping compartment he’d also made.

A lifetime of working with lorries has clearly given ary the tools and skills to do a lot of the work himself. He was only sorry that, when the vehicle started to get built, he could no longer do any spray-painting as he simply didn’t have the space in his garage. But, anyway, once it was heading towards completion, he wanted the big panels sprayed professionally.

The only things missing now are the door tops, but for ary that’s less of an issue as now the Land Rover is a show vehicle. t gets transported to and from events and he wants people

to be able to see in and enjoy what he’s done. Because this isn’t a vehicle that only appears at local events although it hasn’t forgotten its roots but has already been a show-stopper at venues like the E .

Talk to ary now and you’re soon stuck into calendar dates, show times and all the rest. He readily acknowledges that he’s made massive and extreme changes to his Land Rover. But the Land Rover in turn has made a massive change to his life. He didn’t imagine retirement would be like this.

‘ think the eries came along at just the right time for me,’ he re ects. ‘ t’s done wonders for me. t was a lot of work but get the payback. And the payback is going to shows and sharing it with the general public.

‘There’s always someone who starts talking about complete authenticity. But for the vast majority of people, they enjoy the vehicle and the attention to detail. That appreciation is enough payback for me.’

A blast from the past

Words: Tom Alderney

IIf you were to go along to a Land Rover club meeting with a picture of the vehicle on this page, point to the tidy, full-bodied Range Rover parked outside and announce that you were going to do that to it, wouldn’t put much on your chances of making it out alive. Not unless it was the Complete Idiots Land Rover Club, though even then there’d almost certainly be someone with enough compassion to try and talk you out of it.

Range Rover Classics are just that now, classics. Obviously they weren’t when Land Rover started calling them that, they were just old, because a car can only become classic over time, but time has passed really quite a lot since then and what Classics are left are indeed classic. t’s just that some of them are classic cases of what happens when you cut one up.

That’s what happened to this 1 ogue, sometime around its 1 th

birthday. It was a time when the L322 was new, there were still a few late s that hadn’t yet driven their owners to the brink of madness and turning a Classic into a bobtail or pick-up didn’t seem any more remarkable than running a without actually owning an oil well.

This one ticks all those boxes. It been bobtailed and pick-upped, and it’s powered by a . E i with an auto behind it. And while you’d only build one

like it now if you were the bloke who got kicked out of the Complete Idiots

Land Rover Club for not being sensible enough, as a relic from times past it’s got off-road toy written all over it.

This is a good thing because we came across it while compiling this month’s classified ads. hich means that at the time of writing, at least, this was a Range Rover you could buy.

Turning it back into an original-spec Vogue would be fabulously expensive

and, even with the money such things can fetch now, never stand a chance of paying for itself. o it you’re looking on and fancying it, that’s because you’re in the mood for a toy.

Some have been done with more mods, but the build spec still sounds good. As does the engine, because said build spec includes a cherry bomb on the exhaust as well as twin snorkels, s, a acet fuel pump, twin electric fans and a rear-mounted 0-litre tank.

The latter sits in a pick-up bed skinned in ally che uer plate. ‘Really nice job,’ says the Rangey’s owner obviously, it’s a cold day in hell when anyone says ‘really crap job’ about their vehicle, but it does look like it was done right back then – and as we all know, a good job lasts.

Above it, you might notice something particularly unusual. The Range Rover windscreen is there, and so is the cab… until suddenly, when you look at it from the back it’s the rear portion from a Defender 0 truck-cab, complete with quarter lights and a sliding rear window. Clever thinking, there, and it’s been nicely done – to the extent that you might not notice it without having it pointed out to you.

ith a big lift and tyres, steel bumpers and epic approach and departure angles, this is definitely an off-road motor with potential. And it’s still a Range Rover inside, too, making it a supremely comfortable way to get your kicks.

‘ used it religiously every weekend, hammering it around alisbury lain,’ says its owner, adding that it’s been laid up since then because his mates all started having kids instead. Tut.

t’s not far off being an MOT pass and it’s even less far off returning to its days of being more fun than a box of monkeys. t won’t even be a lassic again – but it has a whole lot left to give and at 1 , you’d struggle to get more laughs per pound anywhere. ou’ll find it on page of this issue.

Being asked to drag an old Land Rover out of a garage is one of those things you get asked to do when you have the right equipment to do it. The only problem is that if the timing is wrong, you end up taking it home and restoring it. Did we say ‘if the timing is wrong?’ In this case, it was very right indeed…

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The Landy Buyer

All the information you need – in one place – to buy your perfect Landy

The original

If you’re into your classics, you’ll know that sometimes a vehicle that wasn’t actually very popular can make the perfect collector’s item. Low sales back then e uals rarity now, obviously – adding to a vehicle’s value both as a car and as a talking point.

That’s why the eries Tickford tation agon is more sought after now as a classic than it was when it was new. t’s a bit of a funny looking thing but it’s very distinctive tick , seldom seen tick and, most of all, it has a significant place in Land Rover’s history tick . The latter

comes from the fact that two decades before the Range Rover, it was olihull’s original luxury x .

The luxuries in this case included things like a roof. The notion of soft-tops being cool didn’t come to Land Rover until much later, and the standard eries didn’t have one at all. o with its station wagon body, this was a big deal. Owning one today is a big deal too, because they’re so rare and collectable.

Series I (1948-1958) £5000-£85,000

But if that’s what you’re about, one of these would be the jewel in the crown of any collection.

Insure a Series I Tickford with Adrian Flux from £105

• Based on a restored 1951 example. Valued at £45,000, up to 2000 miles per year. 50 year old driver, fully comp, £250 excess

Series II/IIA (1958-1971) £2500-£45,000

The eries , particularly in its 0 guise, is the most sought-after of

all Land Rovers. ts engineering and design give it real charisma, but parts aren’t readily available. Restoration projects re uire deep pockets, but see it through and the result will be worth mega bucks. one are the days where you could use a eries as an actual Land Rover. Because with restored examples changing hands

Series III (1971-1985)

terms, keeping the same . -litre engines throughout the length of its production run.

for millionaire money, preservation is the aim of the game.

The earlier the vehicle, the more it will be worth. The sky’s the limit – but can you really put a price on such an icon Pros: Heritage, charm, a true classic, the original Land Rover Cons: Availability of parts, price tag on early 80s

£2500-£30,000

The eries wasn’t too dissimilar to the eries A in mechanical

n 1 0, the engines switched to a more durable five-bearing crank rather than the old threebearing setup. The transmission also received syncromesh on all forward gears to make it easier to live with.

They still carry the simplicity of earlier Land Rovers, but can be obtained for a fraction of the price... for now.

Pros: Most affordable way into Series ownership. Still has the Series pedigree. Parts still widely available

Cons: Not yet as desirable as the earlier Series models

Lightweight (1968-1984) £3500-£22,000

Land Rovers. To mimic the civvy eries machines, the eries model built from 1 onwards, also had its headlights switched out to the wings.

These military vehicles can easily be distinguished from regular

Lightweights add an extra dimension to owning a Land Rover. Their military history and details mean you get a truck with more stories to tell – and that stands

90/110 (1983-1990)

also take you just about anywhere in the world.

Early 0s and 110s are starting to be a real collector’s item. But you’ll likely be searching far and wide for a pristine example.

These Land Rovers had coilsprung suspension, new engines and a world-beating level of rugged off-road capability.

out from the crowd. They’re a rare breed, though – so if you’ve got one, it’s worth keeping hold of.

Pros: Not like all the other Land Rovers out there. Military background. Lovely 2.25 petrol

Cons: A ’ ’ . E

over regular models means they command a price premium

£3500-£35,000

A very early . petrol 0 is a rare thing, and a beautiful one too. But perhaps try for a . natasp diesel: they’re robust and as simple as they come.

Pros: E. E . U potential for mods and restos

Cons: Puny engines (V8 apart) Not many left in good condition

The eries A is more affordable than a eries , yet it still carries

much of that early charm. rices are on the increase, however, as these vehicles start to come into their own as collector’s items.

A . petrol would be our pick, as the diesel engines were underpowered and rather noisy.

The eries A has a wider stance than its predecessor and adds an extra thin layer of

refinement. hile the engines have excellent longevity, they need to have been maintained properly. Be thorough in your checks, both under the bonnet and underneath the body.

Pros: A sound investment to restore. Some now MOT exempt

Cons: Bulkheads and chassis rot, springs prone to seizing

Series IIA/IIB FC (1962-1971) £2500-£15,000

rarity – with all the cachet, pride and immense awkwardness that comes with this status.

By ‘rare’, we’re talking about less than 00 eries A s in total. And they tended to have a very hard life, so not many have survived to tell the tale.

orward ontrol Land Rovers are a cult within a cult. They’re a real

orward- ontrol models differed from everyday eries s by

having heavy-duty E axles, but engine-wise they had the familiar . petrol and diesel lumps. o, don’t expect performance – but do expect to be given an ‘interesting’ time in the workshop

Pros: A Land Rover like no ’

Cons: E

101 (1972-1978) £7500-£26,000

the time came for demob. They were ogged off at very low prices and turned into off-road toys –not something you’d do with one today, given the rarity and classic value they’ve taken on.

Only ever sold to the Army, the 101 became a cult vehicle when

127 (1985-1990)

ompared to the A B , the 101 is more fun thanks to its engine. t’s still a military tool, though – some still have fixtures

took 110 chassis and stretched them. t was designed for military and commercial users and came as a high-capacity double-cab.

These days, it’s very rare to find a 1 that hasn’t been hammered, restored and or converted, or all three. eople looking for a work truck tend to go for a later 1 0, so the 1 is more of an enthusiast’s

and fittings from their Army life, which adds interest. This is a vehicle for enthusiasts, though, with costs that are sky-high even by Land Rover standards.

Pros: Master of the road. Lovely V . E sees one loves it

Cons: Monumental running . E

£6500-£27,000

motor. t’s popular for homebrewed overland conversions, too. Almost all 1 s have had an engine conversion by now, too. Lots to be wary of, then – but it’s a hell of a lot for your money.

Pros: E limitless potential and character

Cons: U . S had a colourful life

The 1 was built on a special production line in olihull which

Defender 200 Tdi (1990-1994) £4000-£38,000

decades if it’s looked after. ind one that’s had all its oil changes a tall order and it’ll go round and round the clock.

Defender 130 (1990-2016) £12,500-£35,000

The Tdi engine, which arrived with the Defender name, can last for

The good thing about the earlier 00Tdi is that it’s simpler than the later 00. hat you gain here you lose in refinement, but this is seen by many experts as the best Defender of them all.

The LT gearbox in the 00 Tdi is more truck-like than the later R 0, and these vehicles didn’t come with bling. ust be sure it’s an original Tdi you’re getting, not an old Discovery conversion.

Pros: The perfect combination of tradition and modernity

Cons: Lots of horrible and/or deceptive ones around

Defender 300 Tdi (1994-1998) £4500-£43,000

the two are related. t’s much more refined and smoother to drive, though there are more electronics involved so later versions in particular are less of a D fix.

engine is very different to the 00 unit it replaced, though

The arrival of the 00 Tdi also brought with it the R 0 gearbox. This used to have a terrible reputation for relability, but most have been put right by now and they’ve

become sought after for their light clutch and better shift action.

t was during the Tdi era that Defenders started getting things like alloys, too. ou might even find one that’s not been off-road

Pros: Strength and simplicity.

P D

Cons: Sure to be very different to when it left the factory

Defender TDCi (2007-2016) £8500-£195,000

smooth six-speed gearboxes, They still had phenomenal off-road ability and were even okay to sit in. amously, this was the Defender that actually had a dashboard

hen Land Rover introduced the Defender name, it was actually the

1 0 that changed the most. That’s because unlike the old 1 , it was built on a proper chassis of its own rather than a stretched 110 frame.

The advent of the Tdi engine was the making of the 1 0, too. At last, Land Rover could make them pull properly without returning single-figure fuel economy by using a hard-worked .

As a result, you’ll find many more original ish 1 0s than 1 s. ome are even still in service with the utility companies they were built for. f you want a Defender for overlanding, look no further.

Pros: A proper truck with huge capabilities in every area Cons: I ’ ’ actually need that much size

Defender Td5 (1998-2007) £5000-£40,000

a strong performer. t does lend itself to being tuned though, so watch out for abused ones and knackered examples that have been pushed beyond the limit.

As with all Defenders, you’ll need a rear crossmember sooner or later – or even a new chassis.

The Td engine is arguably Land Rover’s most reliable unit and it’s

Despite having more electronics than the Tdi, a Td Defender can

still be a D machine. arts are in plentiful supply, as is specialist knowledge – and it’s one of the best Land Rovers ever.

Pros: Off-road capability, power, overall reliability. Very well

Cons: Rear chassis, premium prices, monstrous road tax on later vehicles

Defender (2020-on) £55,000-£165,000

The last Defenders gained modern . and . TD i engines and

Many people dislike the TD i, especially the earlier . , but they still change hands for huge money – especially when the likes of Kahn or Twisted have been

FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

involed. ou will always pay a premium for a uma, and a Tdi or Td may turn out to be a better purchase. Even then, though, look after it and you may well never see depreciation.

Pros: Eforts, off-road prowess Cons: Price, electronics, TDCi engine is unloved

f the subject of the new Defender comes up in enthusiast circles, try

to steer it away on to something safer. Like Brexit, for example.

Much as it may infuriate purists, however, the Defender is actually a very wonderful thing. t’s kind of like an old one, only with space, comfort and e uipment.

The big difference is that you can’t work on it yourself. This goes for maintenance and, crucially,

making modifications – a market Land Rover wants to take back and have for itself. t won’t hold its value long-term the way an original-shaper does, either. But this is still a superb vehicle.

Pros: Comfort, capability,

Cons: Not cheap to buy. Lacks ’

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The 00 Tdi

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Freelander (1997-2006) £400-£5500

t’s also a notable classic in its own way, as it heralded the start of the company’s modern era. t has its issues, though. The viscous coupling is expensive to replace and can be upset simply by running mismatched tyres.

The 1. petrol used to be notorious for head gasket failures. Today’s replacements are much

Freelander 2 (2006-2015) £2000-£17,500

more robust, but a late diesel is your best bet. Even these can go calamitously wrong, though. This was a more complex car than it needed to be, and buying one for sweeties now doesn’t change that.

Pros: Cheap to buy, no big rust issues, surprisingly able off-road Cons: All sorts of things can go wrong, some very expensively

Range Rover Classic (1970-96) £4000-£275,000

are people who do just that, preferring to invest new-car money in a restoration than spending it on a current model.

t’s a smart policy, too. An early two-door can cost mega money, but any lassic will appreciate in value if kept in good condition –and sought-after rarities like the K and L E can be a gold mine.

liable than the . t’ll still cost a lot to run, however, and drivetrain faults and underbody corrosion are not unknown.

An awful lot of Rangeys have been neglected and or abused, and you can still buy they cheap. But if you’ve got the skills, and access to parts, restoring one would be the ultimate hobby that pays.

Pros: Most usable classic Land Rover, V8 power, ride quality

Cons: Rust, availability of parts for early models

The reelander was a massive improvement on the model

it replaced. t’s a refined and affordable with a strong engine, good e uipment and a decent level of practicality.

t’s become one of the most reliable Land Rovers out there, too. But do be aware of the rear diff and Haldex unit for costly outlays.

The . -litre diesel engine is a strong performer, though for a

bargain search out one with the unpopular . petrol unit. Either way, it’s a fine to drive. rices have fallen since the production ended, too – 10,000 now gets you one worth having.

Pros: R economy of diesel engine Cons: Transmissions can wear quickly if used for towing

Range Rover (1994-2002) £1000-£28,000

own, even today. The problem is that they’re very complex and very, very good at going wrong.

The Mk Range Rover hit new heights of luxury and was more re-

The TD engine is sublime, but you’ll pay more to get one –especially the . , though the .6 has all the power you need. The petrol, on the other hand, is temptingly cheap. uess why

A Mk Rangey in good working order is still a sensational car to

Air suspension failure is the norm. Head gaskets can let go. Electronics are laughably aky. And parts can cost the earth – as will the labour bills. erhaps worst of all, nowadays it’s very hard to find one you can be sure hasn’t

spent at least part of its life being worked on by idiots till, you’ll get a classy motor with proper off-road and towing skills. t’s becoming a classic, too, and prices are still tiny considering everything you get.

Pros: Luxury, price, a Land R ’

Cons: E . B

Range Rover (2012-22) £20,000-£150,000

This isn’t a D motor, but it certainly is a Range Rover, with brilliant off-road and towing skills. t relies a lot on electronics, but they work wonders – and the deepdown engineering is very robust.

Pros: Great off-road, luxury, image, TDV8 powerplants Cons: Very complex. Huge running costs

to greater extremes than ever, with lavish e uipment and endless opportunities for personalisation.

t’s a supreme lifestyle wagon for the rich: to many of Land Rover’s traditional fans, on the other hand, it’s the supreme irrelevance.

f you can afford one, few cars could be as pleasing. However if you can afford one and you love

Land Rovers, you’re likely to be thinking about how many real ones you could buy with this sort of money. t wouldn’t make a bad way to tow your collection about the place, though

Pros: Immense prestige, and sublime both to be in and drive

Cons: To at least 99% of people ’

Range Rover Sport (2013-22) £19,500-£140,000

the original, meaning it’s almost economical to run. t feels really nimble and agile on the road, too, and it comes with a range of engines giving it a brisk turn of pace.

The second-generation Range Rover port is 00kg lighter than

ome won’t like the amboyant posture, while others will love it. Either way, inside the cabin it’s very nearly as luxurious as the full-fat Range Rover.

The only stumbling block with such a fine motor is going to be how to pay for it. Depreciation has started to bring down the purchase price – though you’ll never run one on a shoestring.

Pros: P glorious interior

Cons: Marmite image. Pricey to buy and run

Range Rover Evoque (2011-19) £7500-£41,000

the masses. iven that it was the company’s fastest-selling vehicle, they clearly hit the brief, even if it wasn’t for the traditional Land Rover owner.

t’s actually still a capable thing off-tarmac – but it’s definitely more at home on the road.

The current Range Rover is a majestic x . All the engines in the

range supply copious amounts of power, and its road manners are absolutely impeccable.

t’s startlingly capable off-road, too, even if getting one muddy would feel like bad form. Most that leave the tarmac probably do so only when their owners are in the mood to blow some grouse out of the sky.

nside, the Range Rover’s cabin is superb, with sumptuous trim and cutting-edge e uipment. rices are, of course, as immense as the vehicle itself. But if you can afford it, so too is the presence a Rangey will give you.

Pros: Class, luxury, engines, vast all-round capability

Cons: Price

Range Rover Sport (2005-2013) £9500-£20,000

a supreme off-roader as well as being a funky road ride. t doesn’t handle like a sports car, but is agile enough for an .

A Discovery of the same era is far more practical, however, while a full-fat Rangey has more class. The port is still a massively able tow barge, though, in addition to all its other virtues.

ou’re looking at a car which many people associate with rich chavs and criminals, however. And being based on the Discovery , it can’t help but share that vehicle’s reputation as a money pit.

Pros: Decent performance and all-round dynamics

Cons: A Disco 3 is more usable. E

Range Rover Sport (2022-on) £80,500-£145,000

new Range Rover. The port is less about being chauffeur driven and more about lording it over other aspirational school runners, but once again it’ll be lovely to drive.

Hilariously, this is what counts as the affordable way in to owning a

because there are so many out there, used prices are tempting. There’s a onvertible model, too, as well as three and five-door tin-tops. e say stick to the latter, and be sure to get one with D.

Pros: E concept-car image

hen the Evo ue was launched, it signalled LR’s intent on hitting

evertheless, it is economical by Land Rover standards and

Cons: Cramped rear seats, not as practical as a Disco Sport

Most Range Rovers all look the same at the front now, but the new

Like the full fat Range Rover a phrase which has never felt more appropriate , the port is available with an old-school engine that gives you racecar performance in

Evo ue has adopted a similiar back end to the larger elar. t’s not just the exterior that mimics the looks of the larger vehicle, however, as the Evo ue has gained the latest Touch ro Duo tech and a hike in uality.

The main highlight of the new Evo ue is the fact the majority of the range is made up of mild

return for A A-level emissions. Most K customers with opt for an altogether healthier plug-in hybrid, but they’ll still get a vehicle that’s brutally fast a well as being able to do the normal Range Rover stuff.

Pros: S and game for a laugh, too

Cons: S ’ proceeds-of-crime image

hybrids, available with diesel and petrol engines combining to an electric motor. Only the base D1 0 Evo ue escapes the electrification, and we’d avoid it as it doesn’t have four-wheel drive.

Pros: Feels like a proper Range Rover inside

Cons: Petrol engine is poor on fuel economy, even as a hybrid

Range Rover (2002-12) £2200-£27,000

The port is mechanically similar to the Discovery – meaning it’s

Range Rover Evoque (2019-on) £31,000-£60,500

The reelander 1 is a cheap gateway into Land Rover ownership.

The original Rangey is a classic you can use everyday – and there

The fifth-generation Range Rover takes its position as a luxury car

Range Rover (2022-on) £99,000-£220,000

Range Rover Velar (2017-on) £27,500-£75,000

because of its particularly handsome exterior. t’s based upon the same architecture as the aguar - ace but has greater off-road ability and is available with a wide choice of engines, most of which combine good economy with usable everyday performance.

Discovery (1989-1998) £800-£18,000

other models expected to follow the elar in due course.

But is there a whiff of style over substance ell, it’s a very good . But you don’t half pay a premium for those suave looks...

The elar a competent cruiser and has received numerous accolades

The interior is Land Rover’s most advanced cabin to date, with

Pros: Stylish design, chic cabin, excellent tech features Cons: Feels like an indulgence, especially at such a high price

Discovery 2 (1998-2004) £1000-£11,000

most reliable units ever. t drives well, too – mated to a manual box it has more guts even than the option, which is surprisingly bland but predictably thirsty. hereas the Disco 1 was prone to body rust, the D is fine here. nstead, its chassis rots like a carrot, especially towards the back end. Also at the back, seven-seat

is basically an evolution of the . t looks similar and is still a practicality monster, as well as being hugely impressive on and off-road and a hero in front of a trailer, but despite being only subtly tweaked inside feels far more luxurious.

models had air-suspension, with all the horrors that brings. Mainly, D owners will tell you about rogue electronics. And leaky sunroofs. They still love their trucks, though, which says a lot.

Pros: Td5 power and reliability, great all-rounder, lots of choice Cons: Chassis rust, electronics, leaky sunroofs, air suspension

start off by buying the best you can possibly afford – and at the top of the market, they don’t come cheap. et it right, though, and this is as good as a modern Land Rover has ever been.

The original Discovery was based on the Range Rover of the time,

with the same 100 wheelbase and a slick body containing a spacious, exible cabin. t was well e uipped and refined, and it came with the wonderful Tdi engine.

Over time, the Disco’s epic ability meant almost all of them were hammered at playdays. Lower body rust is a big killer, too. o it’s rare to find a good one now,

and when you do they tend to be priced with a lot of optimism. ery early ones in tip-top condition are full-on classics, too. or a sound one to own, we’d look for a tidy 00Tdi.

Pros: Price, practicality, parts . E

Cons: T ’ been doused in sea water

Discovery 3 (2004-2009) £1850-£16,000

and capable off-road, genuinely luxurious and a giant of a tow truck, and as well as being able to seat seven adults it can be turned into a van with a totally at rear load area.

handbrakes are big sources of woe, cam belts are a body-off job to change and rust is becoming more of an issue. et a good one, though, and it’s all the car you’ll ever need.

The Disco is an astonishing allround vehicle. t’s good on the road

But it was also astonishingly complex, and these days it has a reputation as a money pit. Air suspension and electronic

launch it was the most capable Land Rover on sale – the new Defender will be going some to wrest that crown from it.

Pros: Good at everything. Lots of accessories available now

Cons: As fragile as you expect, and then some

omewhere between a facelift and a whole new model, the Disco

That hasn’t prevented it from suffering all the same issues as time has gone on. ou need to

body and dishes up an appealing all-round blend of comfort, kit and general driving manners.The third row of seats is only suitable for little ‘uns, though, and off-road it’s a Discovery in name only.

t’s a more practical proposition than the closely related Evo ue, and you won’t need to live with the fear of osh pice jokes. ou

Pros: M LR ’ a Range Rover should be like Cons: Still a potential money pit, and the best are expensive

might shudder at the price if you’re buying new, though – but on the used market, there are some tidy looking deals to be had, even on high-spec examples.

Pros: More practical than an E . S seats. Capable enough off-road Cons: Back seats only for small mammals. Price of top models

monster. As an all-rounder, at

All the engines in the range are refined and exible, and its chassis is remarkably supple for such a big vehicle. There’s no end of electronics working away in the background, but the effect is very

convincing – as is an interior that might make you wonder why you’d bother paying more for a Range Rover. ust be careful not to go wild with the options and end up paying more for a Discovery

Pros: Immense blend of comfort and practicality

Cons: Feels more like a softroader than a proper Discovery

Discovery Sport (2019-on) £21,000-£62,000

after the first. That’s because once again, it’s related to the Evo ue, which was ready for a full new model in 01 .

The port is a premium midsi ed with seven seats and a decent level of off-road ability. t’s a massively popular choice for the school run – and, with the arrival of a plug-in hybrid option last

year, as a company car. uality has taken a step up from the first model – it’s now a convincing premium vehicle, and the range offers enough choices to suit anybody with the means to buy one.

Pros: Classy and practical cabin, all-round good to drive Cons: You can get a Defender for the price of some models

The Disco is powered by the Td engine, one of Land Rover’s most

The second-generation Disco port came along only four years

Discovery 5 (2017-on) £24,500-£95,000

The Discovery port packs seven seats into a reelander-si ed

Discovery Sport (2015-19)

£12,500-£33,000

Discovery 4 (2009-2017) £6000-£40,000

Products Vehicles News

Adventure Workshop

Buyers

Series IIA 88” Truck-Cab (1966).

2.25 diesel. Resto project. Needs new chassis and bulkhead. Engine wants rebuilding. Gearbox not seized. Body fairly good, original dash included. £1000. Machynlleth. 07548 959362 07/23/004

Series I 80” Hard-Top (1951). Restoration project, believed sat since early 80s. Repairable rot. 2.0 engine for rebuilding. Comes with secon bul hea arb air filter and some gauges missing. £5250. March. 07818 119461 07/23/002

Series IIA 88” Van by RJ Searle (1969). 200 Tdi, excellent box, quiet Fairey Overdrive, 3.54:1 RR diffs. Light, precise steering. Safari roof. Solid chassis and bulkhead. Galv FC wheels. £9500. Gloucester. 07942 752929 07/23/003

Series II 88” HT (1960). 200 Tdi, on the button. Overdrive. Chassis solid. New complete doors sills, tyres, rad, lights, seats and complete respray in last year. Last owner 30 years. £8750. Doncaster. 07368 366571 05/23/002

Series III 88” ST (1974). 62,805

Series IIA Lightweight (1970). Station wagon. 2.25 petrol taken from a civvy Series III. New carb, EFI, parabolics, 205R16 radials, FWH, stainless exhaust, inertial belts. £12,000. Barnoldswick, Lancs. 07866 544677 06/23/008

Defender 90 2.5 TD (1989). 82,000 miles. Solid chassis and bulkhead. Fresh Miami Blue and Alpina White paint. New tyres, recent engine service. Recent MOT (no advisories). £14,000. Oldbury. 07480 236664 05/23/004

Defender 90 Td5 HT (2001). 139,000 miles. Stage 1 remap, Ashcroft box, Disco 2 transfer case. Raptor dash, on-board air, ATs, full rack, front/rear spots. Extensive history. MOT Jan. £11,000. Bedford. 07985 134914 06/23/001

Defender 90 Td5 HT (2000). 84,000 miles. Clean chassis, no welding, recent service and wax. Sunroof, LEDs, new Sawtooths and tyres, LEDs, side bars, lined interior. Long MOT. May PX. £15,495. Buxton. 07742 155451 06/23/002

Defender 110 2.4 TDCi (2011).

36,700 miles. One owner. Stage 1 remap. New grille, rack, snorkel, spotlights, sports seats, tow bar, full length rear and side tinted windows. MOT Sept. £29,000. Lincoln, 07793 370271 05/23/007

Defender 90 2.4 TDCi SVX (2009).

18,250 miles. Very rare 60th anniversary model. Sat, nav, air-con heated seats. Great condition, completely original, no mechanical issues. One owner. £44,995. Swindon 07515 353588 05/23/005

Defender 110 Td5 Utility (1954). 204,000 miles. Air-con, winch, roof tent, awning. Plus overland trailer with fridge, grille, inverter, electrichook-up. Vehicle £10,950, trailer £7500. £18,995. Tunbridge Wells. 07796 282058 05/23/006

Defender 90 300Tdi Wolf SoftTop (1998). First reg 2019. 2000 miles in last 3 years. Regularly serviced, recent cam belt. Great condition. Pioneer tools, rope, jerry can etc. MOT Sept. £15,950. Coventry. 07957 137688 04/23/002

Range Rover Classic (1991). Full Disco Td5 running gear (engine, manual box and transfer case). All rust prone areas replaced, extensive mechanical and electrical refurbishment. £22,000. Kilkenny. 00353 83 310 3104 06/23/005

Range Rover Vogue (1989). 3.5 V8 Auto bobtail pickup. Super solid chassis, all steel bumpers, guards etc, full exo cage, big lift, snorkel, PAS, cranked arms, little work needed for MOT. £4195. Devizes. 07900 997969 07/23/001

Range Rover Classic SE (1991). 130,000 miles. Lovato LPG conversion (tanks under car), starts and runs but needs new vacuum pipes. All welding done, needs cosmetics to finish £2295. Tuxford, Notts. 07787 525122 07/23/002

Range Rover Pick-up (1993). 150,000 miles. Pro conversion. Discovery Tdi, auto box. Air-con, sunroof, electric seats. Solid chassis (not shortened), mechanically sound. MOT July. £6000. Chester. 07849 522557 05/23/001

Discovery Td5 ES auto (2003). 133,422 miles. Overland camper. Rear lights, stowage, cooking area, double bed. Galv rear chassis, winch, new gearbox. Everything works. FSH. MOT Sep. £8250. Watford. 07745 134757 07/23/001

Discovery 2 (2001). 180,000 miles. 4” lift, Cooper STTs, HD bumpers, rock sliders, rack, snorkel, LED, much more. Mercedes OM 606 conversion (engine needs attention or replacing). £4000.

Usk. 07704 633641 07/23/003

Discovery 3 2.7 HSE (2007). 191,000 miles. Auto gearbox. 7-seater. Twin sunroof, CD, alloys, black leather seats. Towbar. Priced to sell. Superb condition. MOT Jan.

Harlow. 07548 665842 07/23/004

West

Look after a Land Rover, and it will last forever. This longevity, which is almost unique in the car industry, means a vast number of classic Land Rovers are still on the road today – and not just as classics, but as historical vehicles still working for their living to this day.

Land Rover: The Great British Classic celebrates this magnificent heritage by focusing on the best of Land Rover from its early days. A high-quality publication from the makers of 4x4 magazine and The Landy newspaper, it covers a broad spectrum of historical vehicles: not just Series I, II and III Land Rovers from the postwar years, but also the first generations of Range Rovers, Discoverys and Freelanders, as well as the 90s and 110s that were later to become the legendary Defender.

Covering the vehicles’ history, spotlighting case studies of restored and otherwise much-loved examples and searching out stories of adventure behind the wheel, Land Rover: The Great British Classicc is a publication for everyone who admires Land Rovers from the early days.

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