This year marks many significant motoring anniversaries, but here's one you may not have considered: the first Land Rover Freelander has been out of production for 10 years. That means it now qualifies as a
Land Rover Heritage
vehicle, joining the first two generations of Range Rover, Discovery 1 and 2 plus the Series I, II and III. Apologies if that makes you feel old on the first Monday of January...
Freelander first did this in 1997...
With this classification, owners of the Freelander will be supported by Land Rover's Heritage experts and have access to 9,000 model-specific spare parts. Make your own reliability jokes there. JLR's Heritage Director Tim Hannig says the announcement shows Land Rover "reaffirming its support and commitment to its loyal customers by providing exceptional ... services, parts and experiences." He promises "total peace-of-mind" for Freelander maintenance too, with parts tested in extreme conditions.
With the cars now down at Shed territory, it's easy to forget how significant the Freelander was. It wasn't the first small SUV - surely that's the RAV4? - but it was the first to carry the kudos of a premium badge. And remember how futuristic Hill Descent Control seemed back then?
So perhaps now's the time to take a punt on a Freelander for some cheap off-road fun. As this video shows, it makes a better rally car than its soft-roader image would suggest. Petrol's still cheap as well if you fancy a V6...