Red Rover, Red Rover...

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Posted by Abner from user-2ive8va.dialup.mindspring.com on August 06, 1999 at 17:27:03:

In Reply to: Re: Or a WW2 Jeep! posted by Leslie on August 06, 1999 at 15:34:24:

: : The original Land Rover was based on the design of the Willys Overland Jeep used in WWII, a popular surplus item.

: [Oh-oh... here I go...]

: The first "Jeep" was produced by Bantam. Not being large enough to handle production demands, the Army brought Willys and Ford into the picture to make oodles of them.

: Maurice Wilkes, of the Rover Co., had a WWII Ford Jeep as surplus item after the war for use on his farm. It kept breaking down and needing repairs. He and his brother Spencer decided that they could make a better version of the thing.
: This came at an opportune time for Rover, because steel rationing in post-war England prevented them from making many cars. By making body panels out of the surplus aluminum available from the now-defunct airplane business, Rover had an instant export success story... the Land Rover.
: The Land Rover first made its debut at the Amsterdam Car Show in 1948, and was a hit. Simple to work on, could go anywhere, useable as transportation or as farm/ industrial machinery, it became legendary in a short time. Everyone from the King of England to Farmer Brown needed one.

: I really like Jeeps, don't get me wrong, but Land Rovers have so much more character.

: Oh, and older Rovers are called Series Land Rovers; Defender is a name that applies to 90s and 110s that came about in the 80s.

: L8R,
: Leslie

Let Ray go on over!

Oh, I see you are correct- it was a Ford not a Willys Jeep. (They are basically the same but the Willys WW2 versions are slightly more desirable as collector's items).

Land Rovers seem a bit more rugged, but Jeeps like CJ7s are great, too. I can't say I prefer one over the other.

Yes, I'm aware that the Defender is the "newer" version but it's still in the tradition of the old "Series" Rovers, compared to the Discovery and Range Rover Models that are now the main sellers for LR. With the current sport utility craze, the trucks keep getting more and more luxurious. I prefer something simple and utilitarian.

I heard that they stopped importing the Defenders because Land Rover refused to put airbags in them. Too bad. I think either a Jeep or an old Defender 90 from the 1980s would suit me just fine. Only thing is, I'm worried about the electrical system, since British engineering is notorious for bad electronics (MG, Triumph, etc). How have you fared with your Rover?

Cheers,
Abner



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