Every Land Rover in a day
From Series I to Heritage Edition run-out - PH drives every Land Rover in a tearful goodbye
First and - sad to say it - last of the line
Which is probably why its long-delayed passing has provoked such a strong emotional response. Apparently so many people have placed orders on the back of the retirement that the plan to stop production in December has had to be pushed back into next year.
Some toy set to play with for a Landie fan!
Landy Island
The event took place on Islay, the Hebridean angle chosen not just because of scenery and the many whisky distilleries, but also because this is where the Wilks brothers - the senior Rover executives who created the first Landie - had a Scottish estate. It was here, the legend says, that over a generous dram they came up with the name Land Rover. Good enough for us.
On arriving at the tiny airport we find that pretty much the entire car park has been filled with a line of Land Rovers, parked in chronological order and demonstrating the clear similarities between the first and last. Doing things chronologically means starting with the Series I, in this case a gorgeous 109-inch Pick-Up that a private owner has very generously loaned for the event.
Let's go for a (slow and bouncy) road trip!
I've driven a Series I before, but it was nothing like as good as this one, which feels practically factory fresh. The controls are nicely weighted, and beyond its initial slack the steering even manages some nice feedback. Performance is minimal: 45mph seems a comfortable cruising speed and you need to double-declutch on downshifts as there's no synchromesh on first or second gears.
Wilks' own Series II close in spirit to first gen
The Series II is a disappointment, as it doesn't feel quite as nice as the Series I. The car on Islay is a 1965 88-inch Soft Top which belonged to Spencer Wilks himself and used to live on the island. It's got more power, 66hp from the 2.25-litre petrol engine that Land Rover would use for more than two decades, and its gearing is shorter too. So it's quicker, but also far louder, and with a mushy brake pedal and a jarring ride on its short wheelbase.
Swapping to the Series III triggers an instant wave of nostalgia; like most people who grew up in the 70s and 80s I spent time riding in the back of various examples, experiencing the puke-making combination of the bouncy ride and aroma of vinyl trim. The interior is a huge leap forward from the Series I and II, but now feels as craptabulous as pretty much everything else BL did back then. It's nice to drive, though - still slow, but with more accurate steering and synchromesh on all its gears. I get to drive it off-road as well, where it shrugs off the challenge of a rutted and rocky track that leads to a beach. It also gets bug screens for the pop-open air vents beneath the windscreen, a move that probably had some of the brand's early fans suggesting the Land Rover was getting a bit soft and effete.
Series III the one car kids of the 80s recognise
Next, the Defenders. Well, not quite, the Defender name was only introduced in 1990 - as part of a plan to relaunch Land Rover into the States. From the first seven years of its life the "modern" coil-sprung Land Rover was just known by its wheelbase. There are two 1988 versions to drive, a 90 Turbo Diesel and a 110 V8 Station Wagon.
From the outside they look almost identical to the modern Defender. Many parts are common; the mirror mouldings are the same. But inside their low-rent interiors feel closer to the Series III. The Turbo Diesel is very slow and loud with little evidence the boost is doing very much; it struggles to get to 60mph, let alone past it. The V8 is lovely with a wuffling soundtrack from the low-stressed 3.5-litre Rover engine (producing just 130hp) that masks the fact it isn't very fast either. 15mpg economy would probably get boring quickly as well.
Pre-Defender 90 and 110 first of 'modern' Landies
You wouldn't have thought it was possible for a modern Defender to feel like a dynamic paragon, but after experiencing the earlier Landies the retro-themed Heritage Edition I drive first feels like a sports car. The steering is far tighter, the chassis responds to basic instructions without wibbling and the Ford-sourced 2.2-litre turbodiesel produces meaningful shove. There's even a rev-counter.
In years to come it will probably be possible to date any Defender by a scientific study of its switchgear; the Metro wiper stalk and headlamp switch survived from beginning to end, but other bits have joined practically year-by-year - Montego electric window switches, Rover 200 buttons. This must be one of the last vehicles on sale with a DIN-size stereo, not to mention the flat glass of the windscreen. It's just a shame that the opening air vents were axed a few years ago: now there's just flat metal beneath the windscreen. The seating position is as tight as ever, you soon learn it's best to drive with the window open to give yourself some elbow room.
Defender name intended for US market
Tempus Fugit
Heritage Edition (with mud) pick of run-out specials
But I leave Islay with my belief that all classic Land Rovers are great reinforced, this really is one of those rare cars that is enhanced by some of its obvious flaws. Thanks to Land Rover, Land Rover Heritage and the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust for making it happen.
Final thought: the all-new lifestyley Defender is going to have a serious job on its hands to engender even a small part of the affection this one commands.
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We're not counting Discoveries and Freelanders as "proper" Land Rovers then?
It's a 1981 Series 3 SWB.
Slow, noisy, uncomfortable.
It's probably my favourite car out of all I've ever owned (although my 964 C2 pushes it very close)
So easy to work on too - perfect for a muppet like me.
It's definitely a keeper.
One question though.....
What are the likes of the MOD and all the other firms/company's that used to have Defenders going to have instead ?
I called round some other dealers, but by then it was far too late. I've since bought an ex-demo 15MY 90 SW XS with the Black Pack and some nice options, which is technically a better car than the Heritage, but it's not the car I really wanted. A true First World Problem.
(S1, are 80, and 86" (then 88") in swb flavour, and 107/109 in lwb, with the later post ~1957 vehicles getting the 2" chassis stretch that was then carried forward into S11 and S111 models of course)
Also, 90s actually have roughly a 93" wheelbase (like all coil sprung beam axle LRs, the wheel base actually changes with ride height as they use leading / trailing arm type suspension)
I really would like a nice Series 2A with a V8 and mud tyres. Had a Corgi one in black when I was a kid and given my Dad's always had Land Rovers, I have a special soft spot for them. I do love my disco though.
We're not counting Discoveries and Freelanders as "proper" Land Rovers then?
While speaking about the design, director of Land Rover’s design department Gerry McGovern said, “The current Defender has never sold on its design and has changed very little over the years. What we are working on is something that will be more desirable to look at – the traditionalists might not like it but they’ll have to live with it. It will still be as capable as before and there will be references to the old model – it might even have a spare wheel on the back.
“The important thing is to get the proportions right, give it a distinctive silhouette and wider appeal. A Defender doesn’t have to look overtly functional. We are taking a more sophisticated approach.”
Consequently, don’t expect to see the new Defender for a few years!
In other worse, enthusiasts and traditional customers can get lost... we are building a trendy throwaway fashion-mobile, completely at odd's with the whole purpose of the Defender in the first place.
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