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[Herald1360]

Much better to talk with all & sundry about old Land Rovers - or indeed any classic car.  A very smart "Maigret" type Citroen (was it the Light 15?) pulled into the filling station the other day, sadly just as I was pulling out  Would've welcomed the chance to chat with the driver of that, but too much to-ing and fro-ing of the traffic precluded it.

Close, but Maigret would more likely have used the more potent "Big 6" or 15CV in French. (The Light 15 was the Onze (11, different horsepower ratings in France) Legere or Light 11. There was also an Onze Normale (Big 15) which had the long wheelbase 15CV body with the smaller 4 cylinder engine. There was a 22CV V8 but that never went into production!

They were all heavy to drive but their handling thanks to FWD, front mid engine, IFS and wheel at each corner was more 1970s than 1930s.

[Betsy1969]

I changed my facecloth photo yesterday to one of my 88 in a garden centre . Was quite surprised by the interest and comments from my cousins who never normally bother . One was even knowledgeable enough to insult it then recognise it as a Series 2 . It’s a 2a really but I let that one slide. 😀 I was quite touched at the interest in it.

[Larry S.]

Try living in Kansas...  ANY Land Rover other than the Discovery and RR are rare around.  I can count on 1 hand how many Defenders there are in the Wichita Kansas metro area; and on the other hand I can count every SII, SIIa & SIII within a 200 mile radius that I'm aware of.  I don't count SI Rovers because there IS someone in the area the owns one of tge largest collects of working and non-working SI Rovers known.  The collection is so large a British auto mag interviewed the guy.  He only allowed the interview if his last name and location wasn't disclosed.  I saw the video interview about 10 years.  It was done while tgey drove around in a very early SI.  While watching it I recognized most of the street intersections and the buildings.  I've been trying to find out more info, but so far no one knows anything concrete other than those I've asked have heard of him as well.

As to my rig...  I can't drive down the road without getting waved at, honked at and waved down by someone who wants a closer look.  Get gas at our towns only gas station/convenience store can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or - people wanting to look and talk.  Same goes for stopping by the post office, the lumberyard and so on.  Kids, especially, like it. 

However, the MOST shocking encounter was the first day Grover left the shop and hit the road for tge first time -  SWMBO and I took him for a spin.  First stop was at the local convenience store.  We hadn't even gotten out of Grover yet and a gent walked out of the store, stood in front of us, and said - in an Australian accent - "nice 2a, early '60s?".  It was a guy from Australia who started working in our area.  He was raised around Rover.  We chatted for quite awhile.  This was Dec. 7th, and the guy was heading back to Australia and would return in February.  Thanks to all that's going on he hasn't returned. 

[w3526602]

Hi Correus,

You have probably heard of a British "lady" (who I will refer to as "Madge"), who drives Land Rovers ... I've seen films of her driving a Series One ...  I think she learned how to drive (and change spark plugs ) in the British army, during WW2.

One day, while entertaining "guests" ... of the Middle Eastern variety ... she offered to show them round her "estate".

They disembarked from the Land Rover, somewhat shakily. They had never  previously been driven by a woman ... let alone a "crazy" woman.  She doesn't even have a driving licence.

Just to keep it on topic, does anybody have a picture of this little old lady being chauffeur driven in the "S2" Brit equivalent of an bullet-proof limo?

602

OT, a young boy wrote to the above lady, asking for her autograph. She replied, saying  that she didn't "do" autographs ... a hand written letter ... signed at the bottom. 

I've got a picture of Barbara, in a dealer's showroom, sitting in an E-type Jaguar, which was awaiting delivery .. to ... er ... the Sultan of Brunei.

[Peter Holden]

In the early 80s losing a "pre 1500" 1948 S1 during a pretty horrendous divorce.  It had been my daily driver for more than 10 years.
They never get out of your system but I had to wait until 2013 before I got another land rover.

Peter

[370abc]

At the local tip a fine looking lady in an Audi said when spying my Series 1 80 ooh I've got car envy.

[rosinante]

I regret selling my factory registered V8 90  as it was a press vehicle for disc launch it had every conceivable extra inc a  hi ratio Q transfer box , air con etc etc ,reg non transferable G87WAC ,, .. Saw my old S3 a while back , still on road sold it bout  21 years ago ,
Chris

[Matt Reeves]

I find it rather nice when someone approaches smiling and shares a memory of a vehicle they once owned or knew.

My personal regrets? When I was 17 I bought a military Mk8 from a local farmer for £70 (this would be 1997). It was very complete and original but the chassis was very rotten so I sold it on a few months later to someone who dismantled it and then lost interest, I suspect it was scrapped or sold in bits. The military registration was 93 EL 59. A couple of years back I spotted it on some colour film of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1968, it was the COw's personal vehicle.

Second regret is selling my 1951 80" in 2011.

[jkhackney]

Timely topic ...

I put fewer than 1000 miles each on the Dormobile and the S1 in the last 3 years. Insurance and tax alone means that cost £2/mile at least. We haven't had time for a trip and I only use the S1 for hauling or for quick ski trips, hardly a few miles per trip.

I only take them out to prevent standing damage or for a contrived excursion where a train or modern car would do just as well.

It'd be nice to have the space for something else. The attic, garage, garden and basement are full of Series parts. I've begun selling or throwing out long-stored spares I'll never use.

I use the Series as an excuse to leave the family for a few hours (or to disappear for a weekend) in the garage workshop -- I suppose that benefit is what keeps them in my ownership, and what I'd regret the most if I sold them! 

Jeremy

[Exile]

In the early 80s losing a "pre 1500" 1948 S1 during a pretty horrendous divorce.  It had been my daily driver for more than 10 years.
Peter

That's ^ a true hard luck story.

Recently I had to pay a lot of money to lose the wife but keep my pre 1,500 1948 80!

I'd had it since before both wives, so it wasn't going anywhere.


It is easier to get another wife (should you actually want one) than a very early 80".

So no.

No regrets.


Cue Edith Piaf:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88

[Bronze Green]

There is an old boy (Bob) who lives over the road from me, in his 80s and is very slowly restoring a Morris Minor, he asked me if I could lend him some tools a while back which I was happy to do and when he saw my 80in in the back garage he told me all sorts of stories about driving Land Rovers when he was in Cyprus serving in the Army when EOKA was active, he said he was quite concerned that the petrol tank was underneath the drivers seat when they were being shot at.

[andrewR]

I kind of have an opposite slant on this. In ~1997 I was finding it increaslingly hard to maintain my machine, living in a small flat in Leith with only a shared (and very insecure) parking area round the back to do any work on it. I couldn't really even leave a job half-done with tools lying out, to nip to the flat for a pee without worrying about the tools all dissappearing. I was also driving large distances around Scotland for various weekend activities that required rapid friday evening getaways and late sunday returns. A more conventional car seemed sensible.

I put my vehicle up for sale. Ad in the local paper. ~£1000 asking price, perhaps £1500. Can't recall exactly. One chap came round and I think he wanted to haggle me down but he could tell I was quite attached to the vehicle and was unlikely to budge. He didn't buy it and nobody else responded to the Ad. I'm so lucky. If just one buyer had come along with the cash and made an on-the-spot offer in 1997 I'd have lost it.

So in the end I just "lent" it to my Dad for a few years - which turned out to be 21 years I think. Then I got it back, in better condition than I'd left it!

In the intervening years, Mum and Dad collected a whole swathe of notes placed under the wipers ... "if you're thinking of selling, please call XXX-XXXX".

[bill2a]

I had a lovely moment at the local agricultural show a few years back when following some heavy rain I was asked to tow out a bogged down Range Rover Sport .........heee heee

[Old80]

I purchased my 109” earlier this year and had it transported to a local garage for them to give it the once over, more to ease my mind that I hadn’t bought a pig in a poke.
When I went over to collect it he said “I will be glad to get that off the forecourt as we have had a stream of people in asking how much for the old Landrover” I don’t know if he was being kind but it certainly gave me a smug feeling at the time.

[Nanuq]

I'd just bought my 2A and had spent a week working it over, and went out to go around the mountain for a trial run.  I spotted my neighbour from South Africa and said "Come for a ride!"  He jumped in and away we went.  We were bumping and rattling along and I apologized for the noise and ride.  He smiled and shouted over the noise "It's the best riding Series 2 I've ever been in!"  It turns out he learned to drive in one just like it.

During the 10 years since, every time I go out people smile and give me the thumbs up.  "How old is it?"  Little boys always wave and I give them a beep on the horn. 

I live on Robert Drive in my mountain, and there are 3 Bobs on my side and 2 Walts on the other side.  I found out my neighbors call us Grey Bob, Brown Bob and Smiley Bob.  They live in the grey house, the brown house, and it turns out I'm Smiley Bob.  Apparently, every time people pass me I'm smiling as I go along.  Good old truck!