Absolutely marvellous! These were the 4WD vehicles I admired as a kid (except the Daihatsu, this model which didn't make it to the US). The Range Rover was certainly instrumental in perfecting the upmarket / more refined Off Roader, although JEEP already had the Wagoneer on the road in 1963. The original Range Rover was such a solid product that even credible competition like the Cherokee Chief and to an extent the Blazer were unable to make headway into the UK. In terms of reliability / durability, I would prefer a Cherokee Chief over a contemporary Range Rover what with BL's uneven level of build quality at that time. Regardless, both are classics in today's market that has embranced the 4 x 4.
Surprised they didnt include the Lada Niva, which I believe was introduced in 76 or 77. I believe it was the first 'modern' 4x4 in that it had unibody construction, independent suspension, and disc brakes. Quite a rarity back then. The performance of these beasts was truly awful by todays standards. Most would struggle to reach 70mph. The Range Rover 3.5 got to 96mph...but any faster and you'd need a hideously expensive american import. 0-60 was typically around 30 seconds. The Daihatsus, Suzukis, Defenders all topped out around 70mph. Only a Lada Niva got you to about 80mph for a reasonable (under 4k) price. Until the mid/late 80s, when turbo-charged diesels started becoming more widely available with the Shogun and Trooper, its a mystery why anyone other than a farmer would purchase such a vehicle.
The Daihatsu probably signalled more than anything the rise in little 4wds. The little Suzuki was very popular. I had a Daihatsu Sporttrak in 92 and loved it. The Blazer and Cherokee were just too damn big for UK roads and the car to be seen in was of course the Range Rover. The LandCruiser (original and the modern troopie) was and is still the yardstick.
@@rogercliftonville-acton1574 length is almost the same but the Blazer is much wider. Even in Australia with our much more spacious roads US trucks look ridiculous.
According to triggers retro road test The Daihatsu had a top speed of 72mph and a 0-60 time of 25.0 Seconds www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/albums/72157628840203089
Sadly the most pertinent reminder of the failure of the British car Industry is that reference to a 12 month delivery wait. Just shows how BL was failing to exploit the market, even with the cars they had...and what isn't mentioned is the poor build quality of those that did make it to the dealers. Too little investment, too late, and into a local UK Industry with poor working practices. Sadly the Industry paid the price and it is all in foreign hands or shut down completely. Still, I'd sooner see an Indian owned Land Rover than none at all, though it looks like the company is now more interested in manufacturing in cheaper places in the EU...
They blame Brexit even though sales are stable in Europe. Its entirely China where sales have collapsed. Honestly though. Land rover still, to this day repeatedly comes near the bottom for reliability. Given the prices, its a wonder they've survived this long. A premium badge is one thing, but you at least expect some quality in return. I wouldnt blame the chinese if they are all buying the cheap clones instead.(Landwind X7 £12k, Evoque £40k) and the landwind is probably the more reliable of the two!
There is a saying in Australia : if you are going into the Outback take a Land Rover. If you want to come BACK, take a Toyota. Look I love the proper Range Rover it's an awesome machine. I drove one for a week and loved it. I couldn't own a LR or a RR though as I know it would let me down
@@rogercliftonville-acton1574 I've been somewhat disgusted by the LR PR over Brexit now we see what is actually happening with their manufacturing. Fair enough, every company needs to look after itself but the Brexit excuses seem to be a total smokescreen when you look at the real story of LR worldwide sales & their shift of jobs to Eastern Europe. We don't need companies fanning the political flames in the UK right now, especially when it seems that their motives weren't quite as ultruistic as it might have seemed a while back.
@@robertmarsh3588 Sales figures I have are (last month 2018 compared to 2017) UK +3.2% N.America +18.1% Europe: +5.6% China -50.6% Other overseas: -0.6% GLobal -8.0%
45 years ago a half right 4x4 was over £9 grand, a small Daihatsu £3800, these are the sort of prices we pay now for much better. Amazing how cheap things have become.
Seems to me like the Jeep Wagoneer would've been a better choice than the Cherokee Chief to go after the horsey set. Same with the Suburban instead of the Blazer but size would be a problem.
His casual splay-legged pose, the chucked cigarette, and the Jeep itself are supposed to evoke the demeanour of an American GI in a WWII movie, or possibly an episode of M*A*S*H*, which was big at the time on UK TV.
@Retro Collected All the new Jags look like Mazdas to me. Very underwhelming. Mind, the new discovery looks kinda like a 90s era Tata safari for that matter. Horribly proportioned. Much prefer its more rugged 2005-2016 predecessor.
@@crozwayne The figures for the last month I have are (JLR total) UK +3.2% N.America +18.1% Europe: +5.6% China -50.6% Other overseas: -0.6% GLobal -8.0% Essentially all the decrease down to China sales.
Absolutely marvellous! These were the 4WD vehicles I admired as a kid (except the Daihatsu, this model which didn't make it to the US). The Range Rover was certainly instrumental in perfecting the upmarket / more refined Off Roader, although JEEP already had the Wagoneer on the road in 1963. The original Range Rover was such a solid product that even credible competition like the Cherokee Chief and to an extent the Blazer were unable to make headway into the UK. In terms of reliability / durability, I would prefer a Cherokee Chief over a contemporary Range Rover what with BL's uneven level of build quality at that time. Regardless, both are classics in today's market that has embranced the 4 x 4.
Surprised they didnt include the Lada Niva, which I believe was introduced in 76 or 77. I believe it was the first 'modern' 4x4 in that it had unibody construction, independent suspension, and disc brakes. Quite a rarity back then.
The performance of these beasts was truly awful by todays standards. Most would struggle to reach 70mph. The Range Rover 3.5 got to 96mph...but any faster and you'd need a hideously expensive american import. 0-60 was typically around 30 seconds. The Daihatsus, Suzukis, Defenders all topped out around 70mph. Only a Lada Niva got you to about 80mph for a reasonable (under 4k) price. Until the mid/late 80s, when turbo-charged diesels started becoming more widely available with the Shogun and Trooper, its a mystery why anyone other than a farmer would purchase such a vehicle.
Roger Cliftonville-Acton In the Soviet Union it was launched in 1977 but it didn’t reach Britain until 1979
The Daihatsu probably signalled more than anything the rise in little 4wds. The little Suzuki was very popular. I had a Daihatsu Sporttrak in 92 and loved it. The Blazer and Cherokee were just too damn big for UK roads and the car to be seen in was of course the Range Rover. The LandCruiser (original and the modern troopie) was and is still the yardstick.
Irony is the blazer and Cherokee arent all that big by todays standards. The blazer is about the same length as Nissans Xtrail.
@@rogercliftonville-acton1574 length is almost the same but the Blazer is much wider. Even in Australia with our much more spacious roads US trucks look ridiculous.
According to triggers retro road test
The Daihatsu had a top speed of 72mph and a 0-60 time of 25.0 Seconds
www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/albums/72157628840203089
0:35 Was that a signal or did he throw something on the ground?
Aviation Direction
I think it might have been a cigarette butt, maybe just for effect as he rolled up in his army jeep?
Those Cherokee's & Blazer's in good shape bring good money, good vehicles maybe too big for UK roads i'm guessing
Too big and much too thirsty.
Sadly the most pertinent reminder of the failure of the British car Industry is that reference to a 12 month delivery wait.
Just shows how BL was failing to exploit the market, even with the cars they had...and what isn't mentioned is the poor build quality of those that did make it to the dealers. Too little investment, too late, and into a local UK Industry with poor working practices.
Sadly the Industry paid the price and it is all in foreign hands or shut down completely. Still, I'd sooner see an Indian owned Land Rover than none at all, though it looks like the company is now more interested in manufacturing in cheaper places in the EU...
They blame Brexit even though sales are stable in Europe. Its entirely China where sales have collapsed.
Honestly though. Land rover still, to this day repeatedly comes near the bottom for reliability. Given the prices, its a wonder they've survived this long. A premium badge is one thing, but you at least expect some quality in return. I wouldnt blame the chinese if they are all buying the cheap clones instead.(Landwind X7 £12k, Evoque £40k) and the landwind is probably the more reliable of the two!
There is a saying in Australia : if you are going into the Outback take a Land Rover. If you want to come BACK, take a Toyota. Look I love the proper Range Rover it's an awesome machine. I drove one for a week and loved it. I couldn't own a LR or a RR though as I know it would let me down
@@rogercliftonville-acton1574 I've been somewhat disgusted by the LR PR over Brexit now we see what is actually happening with their manufacturing. Fair enough, every company needs to look after itself but the Brexit excuses seem to be a total smokescreen when you look at the real story of LR worldwide sales & their shift of jobs to Eastern Europe.
We don't need companies fanning the political flames in the UK right now, especially when it seems that their motives weren't quite as ultruistic as it might have seemed a while back.
@@robertmarsh3588
Sales figures I have are (last month 2018 compared to 2017)
UK +3.2%
N.America +18.1%
Europe: +5.6%
China -50.6%
Other overseas: -0.6%
GLobal -8.0%
yup, just before he made reference to John Wayne he chucked a cigarette butt on the floor.
13 years ago I inherit my late uncles Dahatsu Fortrack. I got ride 18 months later.
45 years ago a half right 4x4 was over £9 grand, a small Daihatsu £3800, these are
the sort of prices we pay now for much better. Amazing how cheap things have become.
Seems to me like the Jeep Wagoneer would've been a better choice than the Cherokee Chief to go after the horsey set. Same with the Suburban instead of the Blazer but size would be a problem.
The chevvy and the jeep Cherokee never made much impact then, don't remember seeing any on the roads
The Officer I'm the same, that Cherokee especially was something else, especially in RHD. I wonder if any have survived?
With 6+ litre engines, no wonder.
There used to be a 1977 Jeep Cherokee a couple of streets away from me in Swindon.
At last a location that matches the subject.Did Richard throw a stone out of the Jeep before his intro.
His casual splay-legged pose, the chucked cigarette, and the Jeep itself are supposed to evoke the demeanour of an American GI in a WWII movie, or possibly an episode of M*A*S*H*, which was big at the time on UK TV.
What were the lights (?) on the roof of the car at the very start?
Possibly spotlights on a police car.
That Daihatsu looks like a cross between a Jeep Wrangler TJ and a Suzuki Samurai. Probably far worse than both.
I didn't know they made the SJ Cherokee were in right hand drive.
They sure did. Someone who lived a couple of streets away from me had a 1977 Jeep Cherokee in right hand drive.
Waiting list for Leyland no wonder rhodesia went for independence
JEEP Just Enough Essential Parts not GP.
And now we don't have a 4 wheel drive British car, we have Indian owned JLR which is failing and shedding jobs.
@Retro Collected All the new Jags look like Mazdas to me. Very underwhelming. Mind, the new discovery looks kinda like a 90s era Tata safari for that matter. Horribly proportioned. Much prefer its more rugged 2005-2016 predecessor.
@Retro Collected rubbish, its range rover sales have dropped by 50% in their biggest market, China.
@@crozwayne The figures for the last month I have are (JLR total)
UK +3.2%
N.America +18.1%
Europe: +5.6%
China -50.6%
Other overseas: -0.6%
GLobal -8.0%
Essentially all the decrease down to China sales.
@@rogercliftonville-acton1574 don't you mean all new jags have that exclusive ford mondeo vibe in their design 😁
The usual story of British arrogance.
Only to be equalled, if not surpassed by the misguided, unsupported arrogance of us Yanks.
Do keep on with the self-flagellation, chumps.