The Range Rover Story (1970-1994)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- If Maria Von Trapp had driven a Range Rover, she’d have climbed every mountain, forded every stream and driven to every Austrian folk festival with the entire Von Trapp family singers in the back. Her and the Captain would have been able to roll up to the fanciest Salzburg dinner party in their finest glad rags after a day yodeling sweet nothings to each other on top of a mountain. The Range Rover is the ultimate go-anywhere luxury SUV. It was born out of Rover’s desire to sell more cars in the USA, and its design was a complete accident. So how did a company known for saloon cars and agricultural off-roaders invent a car that created a brand-new market segment?
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The original design is so timeless. Rover really had some brutish British swag back in the day
@ChryslerMan Amiga 1084 Yes I agree. Partnership with Honda became a dependency and Rover no longer had a big RWD car in the lineup so never going to be a BMW or Mercedes rival in saloon cars ever again... And when Honda left them, they were deep in the do-do. No capacity or resources to make anything much new! BMW tried to make a go out of them (with some caveats). but Jeremey Clarkson and James May weren't going to let that happen. May's review of the 75 is incredible - And Clarkson slagged Rover down constantly... so BMW kept Mini and Jaguar got Land Rover - via Ford, the rest? No one really wanted - apart from the MG brand which is now owned by SAIC. Sad stuff
I bought a 1974 RR in 1980. Its back end was as rotten as a pear and the front inner wings too. I spent a couple of months rebuilding it & ended up keeping it for about 14yrs until the price of petrol got too silly. As a family we loved it & had many great trips in it including a couple of trips to Denmark. Thanks for the memories.
Don't be cheeky Nigel.
Bought a 1995 LWB NAS spec in 2000 and still have it. Its been modified quite heavily for offroading. It does incredibly well offroad, even against the newest RR's with all their electronics. In 20 years of offroading, I've pushed it to the limit and its always come through. I've seen newer ones get thoroughly stuck and I go cruising by. Great vehicle.
Land Rover, proudly turning owners into mechanics for over 70 years.
How to become a Millionaire - start off as a Billionaire & buy a Range Rover.
lol
@@farnthboy Well thats true of anything worth more than £1.
@@farnthboy lol
@@farnthboy
Hmm!!- We had two brand new K Plates, then two more new M Plate, then Two new P plates, then two new R plates then two new S Plates, then two new V Plates and sold the first 5 for more than we paid and No issues what so ever !!! Fantastic Machine, Incredibly capable and a Car for all Reasons and a Car for All Seasons !!. LR Dropped a Bollack bringing P38 out and every other RR ever since i wouldn't give Yard Space to.
My Dad bought his in 1971... and he still has it. Love the original to bits!
does he sell it??
Nope, we will be keeping it in the famliy!
Best RR Ever Produced!!
Is it in bits?!
It's not a steaming pile of rust? Miracle.
In Australia we call them Toorak Tractors. Toorak being an upmarket Melbourne suburb.
Hi DS,here they are called chelsea tractors,same meaning pal.
In the UK there Chelsea tractors 🤣 not so diffrent after all. you bunch of criminals 😉 🤜🤛
alex cantlow “They’re” Chelsea tractors you illiterate pom.
and shtboxes
Over in Adelaide they are used for mounting the speed bumps in Burnside Shopping Centre, Burnside being right next to...Toorak Gardens.
The centre diff lock in the transmission was designed by my father. David Brown of Tractor and Aston Martin fame were the original forefathers of the luxury SUV market. Rover just took it all and created the Range Rover.
“It took companies a long time to compete with the Land Rover.” Jeep Cherokee: am I a joke to you?
This although the XJ Cherokee wasn't sold in the UK market until 1993 but it had been around since 1984
@@creamwobbly Uh? Kinda disrespectful to the XJ there buddy. Considering they're pretty indestructible with the 4.0, much more than the aluminum block V8s found in Land Rovers.
@@creamwobbly Also I've been daily driving an XJ for almost 4 years now why on Earth would I drive a Range Rover when I've already got something that runs and drives? Gets good fuel economy and can take me offroading when required, who gives a fuck about luxury?
A British guy by the name of Roy Lunn revolutionized Jeep and saved them from bankruptcy
with his designs, he was head of design there. he also worked at the top for ford and designed
the gt40 mk4 and some of the mustangs etc etc
Ah, the Seven Slot Shitbox 😂
The Road Rover production was evidently pulled at very short notice right at the last moment. Corgi Toys had collaborated with Rover to produce a die-cast toy version to be released at the same time of the actual vehicle's launch. Unfortunately Corgi had tooled up and even produced a handful of pre-production die-casts when Rover pulled the plug. Corgi then apparently destroyed all but one of the Road Rover models - the sole survivor being kept by Corgi's chief designer Marcel Van Cleemput The model had been given the catalogue designation of 212.
Probably the most valuable one!
As a child of 8 in 1975 i went to work with my dad in a remote part of the north wales moorland , we was in a very large quarry with only dirt tracks for the lorrys ferrying rocks , we swapped out of an austin 1300 (fawlty towers fame ) into a big boxy jeep thing ! which i later found out was a range rover !.....i was so impressed i bought a large scale matchbox version of it with my pocket money
Well you got poket Money enough to buy a range!
....The family were taking a leak LOL
That was my first thought.
Yup. I was sure that I would find this among the top comments.
That's what I thought. It makes the most sense.
The G waggon isn't a hideous creation it's a fantastic vehicle
Nah - hideous . Towed a few out of the mud over the years.
TH-cam's suggested videos did a decent job for a change and allowed me to find your channel. I'd love to see you cover the MGB and Jaguar XJ series - I own examples of both and love them despite their flaws.
I remember the richest family in my primary school had one. My family were always derisive of it, calling it a "Chelsea Tractor", and saying they shouldn't have it if they weren't taking it off road (and by how polished it was, it didn't look like it). On the contrary, they were always very into the Land Rovers, the Discovery and the Defender, calling them "good honest working cars".
A bigger story about Austin/Morris, becoming BMC etc and how the British car industry went from being second to the USA to nowhere would be interesting. Badge engineering would be another.
Many thanks for your videos, I’m really enjoying them.
Super video as always thank you.
another fantastic video with great detailed information again love it keep up the great work
Really good video Andy,very interesting,thank you.
The 4.2, 108 LSE was a test bed for P38 for air suspension, ABS and traction control. It had been conceived as a 108 because of demand from the USA and the Middle East.
I had a Range rover, then 2 discos, then a P38,then an XC90, and then a Sport. I only kept the volvo for one year.
Despite their reputation for reliability, mine were OK, the Volvo however spent months back with the dealers before I gave up on it and returned to Land Rover.
Thanks for giving us the history of this iconic vehicle, sometimes the UK car industry got it right.
My Uncle had a J Reg original in that turquoise blue.. our family didn't have a car, he came and pick us from South London and took us back to Dagenham.. I remember being very high up and looking down into all the other cars on the A13.. with them looking up at us.. I felt like royalty.. great feeling for a nine year old.. will always remember that...
nice little stories.enjoyed.thumbs up.
cheers
just stumbled upon your channel.....awesome stuff mate! thank you
Just discovered your videos: a great overview of UK motoring over time. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! Glad you like them.
I am a proud owner of a Freelander 2. What a machine!
Indeed, what a machine😂
They may not be known for reliability, but I really do love the classic Range Rovers, they're timeless. The new ones are a little too flashy for my taste.
I'm enjoying your videos very much, thank you! I grew up in South Africa and there were many British, German, Italian and French cars around. I worked in an automobile plant that assembled the Peugeot 305, 504, and 505 at the time. My dad owned a 403, my mom owned a 404 (with the hole in the front bumper for optional manual starting) and I later owned a 404 and 505 too. I liked your Peugeot 205 story; if there is one day a story about the 403, 404, 504, 305 and 505 I'd enjoy it very much. They didn't have the 604 officially in South Africa but it was always of interest so please don't rule that out. I also got into Renaults; I owned more than 20 of the Renault 16TS cars, and I drove them, sold them, sold parts, rented them out and repaired them as my first attempt at an automotive empire. I also owned an R8 and a R12, so anything about those, or the Fuego, would be most welcome. There's currently a Jaguar XJ12 in my shop, owned by a friend, and I love the Jaguar XJ6 / 12 as well, so anything about them would be of great interest. I also owned a couple of MGBs, and I liked your Midget story, so (not least since I used to live not far from Abingdon, when I was living in the UK) I hope there will be an MGB story too. Thank you for making these delightful videos; I enjoy every one.
Thanks for your great videos and good luck with the new channel
My father owned a land rover in the 60' and he drove it from the coast to over 4000 meters high in Peru! I have a picture of this great car!
My old man got his in 1970, in white, for commercial purposes, to transport boats. I have a picture me 'driving' it in circa 1972.
Your vids are ace...... especially the LEGO collection.
The "Toorak Tractor," Australian version.
That weird ad at the end is not so weird. That used to actually happen in my dysfunctional family when on holiday in Wales. Me and my brother would go with my mum to picnic on one hill and my git of a dad would go on his own to another. That exact event took place.
Great video. These cars were quite rare in Norway. An old gent I chatted with around '99, proudly stated his had a million kilometers on it.
Well researched and very interesting .
I can still remember the day my dad come to pick me up from school with his first two door rang rover ,has I left the school gate I seen the massive silver car and just sat there with the v8 ticking over I thought that looks and sounds ace then I seen my dad sat in it with a big smile on his face I asked who’s is this ?he said it’s ours so I jumped in and as I shut the door I seen all the other kids walking past staring the my dad Rev it up a bit and I fell in love with v8 engine and rang rovers after that it become are life for the both of us and my dad had another 3 rangers after that we went to almost all the shows and made good friends aswell but unfortunately my was in well and I had had to do one of the saddest thing I ever done and sell his rang rover as one of the operations he had to have left him blind , but he missed it and so did I
So so Sorry to hear of your Dads misfortune ! life can be so cruel !!!
I completely understand how you felt and feel about Original RR !! We were also lucky enough to run them all through the 70's, 80's, 90's but the Magic went with a P38 Bmw Engined POS! YUK.
We were lucky enough to have 8 RR's Classics and did everything with them, trailer towing, Grafting and Caravan Towing Touring Europe- What a perfect vehicle and as the Advert said !!:- A Car For All Seasons - A Car for All Reasons !!!!!!!.
everything comes to Pass and i guess we gotta be grateful we were around at that time to enjoy the Phenomenon !: The Range Rover Classic !!!!.
Had a New Defender Demonstrator for an afternoon!!- it is the Nearest thing they have come up with !! and feels as almost as special as Original RR !!- BUT !! Its Electronics may well Screw it up !!.
I wouldn't give Yard Space to any RR since Classic!!
James Lindley thank you there are just something special about the classic rr the newer ones look nice but still would have a classic any day
That V8 burble always sounded great!
Power by Buick
justsomeguytoyou - improved by Rover...
@@justsumguy2u BUICK engine was stolen from BMW without any license. Just for the right of powerfull. And germans stayed calm...
justsomeguytoyou Too small and too light for the USA, where the big, heavy guzzlers ruled. Their people still seem to aspire to something similar .
+Big Car
Could you please do a story on the Leyland Australia story.
Minis, Mokes, the infamous P76... with the 3.5 Rover that was stretched to 4.4 Litres. The Force 7 that was scrapped at the last minute !
My suggestion as well.
My dad had two Austin Kimberly's.
Great series. Have now watched programs about some of my favorite cars and car manufacturers. Namely Range Rover, Saab, and Rover 75 (yes!). I would love to see a history of the Alfa GTV. They are becoming very popular in the US and escalating in value. Perhaps the LR Discovery as well. Thanks.
Love the Anno Music as Background
Thank you for the video. All the time I thought ItalDesign participated in RangeRover Mk l creation...
I love this channel
I had one in the early nineties, it was brilliant. It's one of the best cars that I've owned.
If landrover had been a separate company back then. They would be where BMW are now.
I've got a 93. It's awesome.
Nicely done!
Mom and Dad in the 70's promo video were going for 'bathroom breaks' !!! It was a long bumpy drive after all lol!
Thank you.
First time I saw one was actually 3. 3 yellow ones driven by Gambit, Purdey and Steed on the New Avengers. I think. It's a bit long ago now. Maybe they had one and everyone hopped in? 3 of the greatest looking designs ever: the P8, SD1 and Range Rover
I remember the Range Rover being used (or promoted) in the T.V. series ‘The Persuaders’, with Roger Moore & Tony Curtis, and I was impressed!
A couple of them on The New Avengers too
cool vid thanks
Great video
Seriously, looking to the first Range Rover it seems to be something from the 80's, it was way ahead of its time.
I drove one of the first Range Rovers to come into our valley. Three doors , manual box and easy to muck out. It was the only vehicle I have driven to see the petrol gauge move from full to empty at a frightening speed. Granted we were hauling a twenty two foot caravan at the time. In the early nineties I had chance to drive a Vogue long wheel base automatic. What joy! Later still a Ninety. Today I make do with an 1/14th scale RC model of the Ninety by RASTAR. Undoubtedly one of the best detailed model on the market I have yet found. 🙂🙂🙂
Hi there, thanks for a great video, I would definitely add the driving experience and being in the Range as a passenger, the visibility is outstanding with windows been so low it allows for an unprecedented panoramic view. Also mechanically it was a very well designed off road vehicle, specially with the 'locking diferencial.' Besides the high and low gear box, you had a small lever that you would pull when your rear axle was spinning in deep mud as well as, your front one. The Range would literally spring out of there and become a tractor! I pulled a long wheel based FJ40 who was stuck up to the chasis, and the Range just purred. I also once pulled a loaded 3.5 ton truck who had slipped into a bank, it took several trials, and had to lock the diferencial but it worked! Also one of the reasons the suspension is poorly understood and people claimed they were unstable at high speed was a lack of replacement of a key "shock absorber" (in Venezuela we called it a "mono shock" like a motorcycle) that was above the back diferencial and even with a new set of coil springs on all 4 wheels it was not nearly as stable until you replaced that center piece. To this day, we have Range Rovers in Venezuela, unfortunately the parts are harder and harder to find... (At the time ours was corporate maintained...) never left us adrift, but indeed was often taken for maintenance :) What a ride, most videos I've watch don't give credit how well that small V8 blocked sounded... We owned a Wagoneer w a 5.6L 4 barrel carb. but 3 speed automatic, great SUV too - 100mph+, but not as nearly as fun and off road vehicle as the Range. Even though I have floored it to more than 100 mph, you just felt like enjoying the ride and wanted to slow down and appreciate the road, on the Wagoneer it was a race to get home :)
A haulage company I worked for in the early 80s had an ex Cleveland police T plated Range Rover that was used to tow the companies fleet of Bedford TK's, a job they did very well, even if the vehicle been towed was partially loaded.
The Mercedes G is great. Unlike modern SUVs you can actually go off-road with it.
The intro is incorrect, i doubt the engine would’ve even started 😂 love your videos! Please keep it up! 🙂🙂🙂
I have had several Land Rovers over the years including 3 Range Rovers, once I had sorted the odd little problem out on them they all ran okay but they were not plush inside, but they ran well and compared to my 2.25L series 3 petrol they were a revelation cruising quietly at around 65/70mph.
like it or not, most 1990s mercedes g-wagens have survived ....which you can't say about the RR
My dad had an '86 4 door V8. It was so lovely to drive but was terrifyingly unreliable. He eventually left it at an Isuzu dealership in Namibia after being towed a couple of hundred kilometres after a breakdown. He bought a doublecab Isuzu pickup at that dealership so that we could drive the 1600km left on our trip to get home. He still owns the Isuzu and it has over 400k km of largely trouble free mileage under the belt.
Nice piece, a Landcruiser review would be great 👍🏾
Great video - succinct and fact filled as ever. On a point of fact British Leyland didn't exist until 1968, so it was Leyland Motors (basically a truck and bus maker who had acquired the ailing Standard - Triumph car company in 1960) who bought Rover in 1966 as their second foray into the car market.
Not even a minute in and I'm a new subscriber. Let's hope I'm still a one after the next ten.
I LOVE the early Range Rover story. Embarrassed to admit, I might have watched this 12 + times!!!
😀 So you get to see me stare into the camera like a frightened rabbit.
And please do a documentary about the Berlingo / Partner and now Opel/ Vauxhall kickoffs. I've had a 2017 for nearly two years, and the diesel version (for someone who lives in the countryside) and has to cross Southern France for 500km on regular trips, the fuel economy is amazing!
7:14 As there is a huge fan base for the Range Rover, there is an as big a fan base for the Geländewagen. I have always much appreciated the originality and style of the Range Rover but would no doubt opt for the Mercedes which is the more handsome and has always been of better quality, and is still being produced to date.
I love seeing Oz registed cars,in your videos.
I believe you’ll see another in the follow up to this video that I’ve been making!
This is fascinating because it is one of the most influential vehicles of all time.
I really like your video's. Would love for you to do one on any late 60's to mid 70's bmw
I’d love to see you cover the Volvo 144 ❤️ very interesting history behind that including how they entered American motor racing 😂
I'm sure there's a Volvo in my future, probably the 240.
The real predecessor of the RRC was the Ford Bronco (in fact the first studio-designs was look very alike), and the immediate predecessor of the Bronco was the International Harvester Scout. The Waggoner in fact is a diffrent type of vehicle (4 doors and longer), and was a continuation of the Willys Jeep Station Wagon (that wasn´t a sales success in ´50s). The real new thing in early ´60s USA market was the Scout, a short wheel base (like the traditional Jeep CJ), but in a modern body (the Waggober was a pick-up with a car body, so I think it is not comparable). Although the sales of this new product wasn´t massive (International Harvester was a company much more involved in farming and construccion equipment than in cars production, although they were producing pick-ups and trucks since the beginnig of S.XX), it produced an impact, that attract the attention of Detroit, so Ford made the first move to compete (with Bronco). But, the important thing in comparisson with RRC, is that those cars was restricted to North-American (almost only USA) market. Instead, RRC was a world sales succes (2 years of waiting-lists in the beginnig to get one), and the real creator of the entire SUV market as we know now. Cheers
So cool.
My grandad owned a breakers yard and was a builder and had 3 Range Rovers in succession. The first was a white 2 door with camel coloured corduroy-like interior. It was always muddy as hell and the interior was covered in old engine oil and you had to fight with spanners, spare parts, chocolate wrappers, crisp packets and a black labrador to get in it. The others were a red A reg and Arizona tan E reg, both with 4 doors. He always replaced the V8s with diesels. The first two had Perkins transplants, but the tan one was a factory diesel model.
I'd heard that Rover had intended that the Range Rover be for admirals and generals travelling over land to inspect troops etc and who expected/demanded/deserved more luxury, refinement and presence than the agricultural Land Rover.
Very interesting video. I didn't know the stunning initial design was an accident!!! Timeless design. Love the huge vertical door handles. That feature needs to return.
Dumb yank here. I was watching your other videos and just learned about the Rover car company. I think the P5 is one of the most beautiful cars ever. Now I learned that its the same company that does Range Rovers/Land Rovers. It should have been obvious, but we never had Rover cars in the states(at least not badged as Rovers).
Yet another enjoyable story, thank you
The bumpers were L30 Front and Rear - i worked for a company that made them
My mechanic has one of the pre production, media test Range Rovers...I can't remember the number, but apparently it's worth big bucks and has a great long story attached to it.
My mate had an 88' vogue. Great 4x4 tow vehicle. We were pulling a 10m long heavy (3t) trailer and flipped it on its side, but until then it had served him very well. Despite the brake module being a bit unreliable. The disco that replaced it wasn't as good imo
Was 10yrs old in a small Oz rural town in '72 where one of the two doctors bought a RR from new. Wow! That thing had my full attention. Beautiful.
But after a few whiskeys (him, not me) the stories came flowing out about poor reliability, people getting sick in undulating roads, and crosswinds had to be anticipated.
4hr drives to the nearest service centre, the poor fuel economy, the price of parts. Waiting weeks(!) for parts to arrive from blighty.......
He traded it in for the 4 door when it came out for another round of punishment.
Wow, hanging around with whiskey drinking doctors at age 10 and being able to remember everything with such clarity... uncanny 😏
Hello, I'm from the future... and I'm here to tell you that you forgot to add the link to the description :)
Keep up the great videos!
😀 thanks future boy!
THERE WAS A COMPETITOR:
[ at least in the US ].
Keep GRAND WAGONEER ❗️
It was [ classified] as a LUXURY SUV. 🇺🇸
📻🙂
There were many competitors, Land Cruiser Station Wagon was one also.
Comparing the original Range Rover to a X5 or a Q7 is wrong.
@@Fe_lix
Yes, the Land Cruiser is another competitor.
You are correct.
📻🙂
The competition of these others came much later: the Jeep was just a blinged up standard model wagon, far cruder with its leaf suspension, and Landcruisers didn't try and enter the same market segment until the late 60-Series Saharas, but they were still part-time 4x4 on leaf springs. The 80-Series of 1991 was a better bet.
@@shebbs1
It was still “ Classified “ as the Luxury 4x4, regardless of “crudeness”.
📻🙂
I would love to see a review of the fiat 124 sport coupe, once again great review
I'm sure at some point I'll get to it! Thanks for the suggestion.
Once again superb video what you have done absolutely fantastic had lots of happy memories my mum and dad and 1 Dad had it for nearly 10 years we had a really really big caravan absolutely played with it caravan nearly weight to tonnes it was a safari lots of European summer holidays in V8 petrol monster automatic Vogue with brown crushed velour interior biggest Downside there was the rust like a little dog and leaked oil everywhere and the Electrics are up for a tortoise thanks again great video another great for VI for the Nissan Patrol thanks Rich
Why does no one talk about how great lookin of a car the P5B ended up to be? I've never seen one in person, but from what I've seen and read it is a fantastic lookin little rig....and in spite of it basically havin a Garbage Motors powerplant, I'd swap in a stroked small block Ford myself, I want one....badly....
Hey, great videos, loving your deep dives into classic U.K. cars! Quick question, what is the LEGO set in the top right corner behind your shoulder? Could you send me the link to it? If it’s grey market that’s cool too, I really like the look of it and as an avid off-roader would like to pick it up for a display build. Thanks.
LEGO-Technic-8297-Off-Roader-with-Power-Functions
It's a bit of a pity you didn't mention who Range Rover contracted out the development of the bodywork for the 4-door Range Rover: It was Automobile Monteverdi in Switzerland. An interesting fact for die-hard petrolheads. Your story is nevertheless very interesting and informative!
Your vids are great. I’ve always heard(on other videos) that the Range Rovers are very unreliable. Buck
You do not have to worry about this because you cannot afford one anyways.
The Best 4x4 By Far! 🇬🇧
You mean Land Cruiser?
@@motogee3796
God no.
Bought a new one in 1997 - spent 2 years commuting between Cambridgeshire and London - value went from £48k to £13k and I needed to get a letter from the dealer for HMRC explaining the figures....
Jaguar XJ please, almost as beautiful as the E type in my opinion, but then I own one so beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Love your videos please review Mercedes w108
I had YXC905K. It was the four door prototype, number 41 off the production line. Originally the mustard colour, it was red by the time I got it. It needed a new camshaft, as one of the cam lobes had worn down to the base circle. Mine also was fitted with a Two door body, but with the four door prototype number! Not sure what went on there, but I suspect they didn't have enough two doors to meet demand? I sold it to a dealer, but not heard of it since about 2005?
About the family question on the mountain in the middle of nowhere everyone have an eventual urge to seek for a bathroom especially in cold and bumpy roads lol
XD
My uncle had a 2 door and so did alf Stewart those r my memories
6:58 You forgot Nissan in 1988. The all coil GQ Patrol was obviously much later to the party, but it was very refined with its own all-coil suspension, strong and even more capable off road thanks to the standard limited slip rear differential.
Yes, it lacks the AWD transmission of the Rover, but does not require it.
Back in 1970, my Dad ran a rescue team, they were due to go to a search and rescue exhibition in Geneva that year, so they went round all the equipment suppliers in the UK with a view to supporting them at the show. Having already acquired numerous series 1 and 2 landrovers, they approached land rover to see if they could take a new 109 station wagon, at which point landrover said no, you want the new range rover , there's ,7 press vehicles on trial and you can take one of them, so on the morning they were going to Geneva, the lads from the rescue team set off for Dover in a mini cooper from Rochdale Lands and my Dad went to Solihull to pick up the Range Rover, which he then brought back to Rochdale filled with rescue gear and set off for Dover, out on the M1 the lads in the mini had taken a break at Watford Gap services, and my Dad trying to catch them up floored the range rover down the M1 , the lads said you could here something coming about 5 minutes before they saw it , and this range rover shot through Watford gap like a Spitfire everyone stopped to watch on the services as few had seen a Range rover before, anyway they all made it to Dover , at which pointstuff the customs gave my Dad a Telegram, Range rover not to leave England Daily Mail just wrote theirs off needed for vogue photo shoot stop. So all the rescue gear was stufeed into the mini with 5 lads and off they went, my Dad took the Range rover back, at least he can claim to be the first person to pass Watford gap at 100mph in a range rover.
In the late 70's there was an advert out in which a family of mum dad and two kids are out driving the moors having a picnic etc....but on the way home...there's no sign of the kids in the car...
Sick I know but It was referred to as the Hindley and Brady advert... I believe it was a marina advert but cannot say for sure.
It wasn't shown for long!
Peace
Charlie 🇬🇧
I think these also became popular with people who raised horses, as their V-8's could pull a good sized trailer. There is no doubt it was a classic design, no frills, but a real off-road 4x4.
Lucas electrics, Gearbox, Steering Box, Self Leveller, Oil leaks, Roof Lining and I could go on. I did own one once, but the plus side I did gain a lot of mechanical skills and tools!
The ZF automatic transmission on Range Rovers, BMWs, Jaguars fairly murdered the cars. ZF knows their transmission is junk.
Both land rover and range rover have won the Paris to Dakar multiple time's
no American produced 4x4 has ever won one. they break down and can't handle
the grueling terain not even the hummer has. the mini has won 5 to 6 Dakars lol
the mini. sure the Range Rover is a bit unreliable but the basic agriculture land
rovers are bulletproof to be honest.