With the imminent demise of the Land Rover in 2016 as we know it, I during my working life, have had charge of five different ones, starting with dear old LOM, an ageing 1960’s Series 2. lwb. This had hand-operated wipers and a heater one could die with! Steering it in a straight line took a lot of concentration and a sawing-motion with the steering wheel. And then there were lap only, none re-coil seat belts.
Ended up with a 1993 lwb model, L172UPN, a white jobby, with a then new design of gearbox; in which 12 of us could squeeze. Also drove a number of others; the V8 petrol was a beast in its day with a lovely engine sound. Recall that over the years, I got through a fair number of rear half-shafts and their oil seals.
For sheer hard 4×4 off-road graft they are hard to beat. But now (with after all, most mileage being on tarmac), I wouldn’t give up my comfy modern Japanese-designed truck. Guess I’ve become soft!
Below is a young me during the mid-1980’s with Landy No. 3 – and don’t take the p— over that hat!
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