The Land Rover Series I marked a huge boost for Rover’s fortunes. Almost two million units later the Defender carries the trademark iconic features of its great-grandfather
The time was 1947. Tommy had shown Jerry a thing or two in a big European rematch, and the masses were bally well fed up with the whole war thing. Despite the mourning it was a time of optimism, innovation, and copious numbers of infants in wide-eyed anticipation at growing up in peacetime as Great Britain was rebuilt.
Maurice Wilks was the chief designer and engineering director at Rover immediately after the war. He owned a Willys Jeep (an American war jeep) that he used on his farm in Newborough, Anglesey. Frustrated that he could buy spares only in large quantities due to the army’s overproduction of parts during the war, he sketched an idea in the sand on the beach at Red Wharf Bay.
Wilks owned land on Anglesey, an island off the northwest coast of Wales, and wanted a vehicle that would serve two purposes: light tractor, and off-roader.
The Land Rover concept
It was christened ‘Land Rover’, and Maurice approached his brother Spencer, then managing director of Rover, with a plan to make his Land Rover concept a utility vehicle for farmers. The project was approved and a prototype was built — a hybrid based on a Jeep chassis and transmission, but with a Rover car engine and gearbox.
Steel was in short supply in post-War Britain, so the brothers opted to clad their new vehicle in an aluminium alloy called Birmabright which was in plentiful supply, lightweight but strong, and had the added benefit of being resistant to corrosion. The driver of the original proof-of-concept sat in the middle of the cab astride the gearbox, like in a tractor.
Rover approved an initial pre-production run of 50 units, but with the steering mounted for conventional right- or left-hand drive. Forty-eight were built, of which around half still survive.
Summer 1948 marked the true birth of the Land Rover, though. Production began in Solihull of the Series I, powered by a 1595cc petrol engine that drove a four-wheel drive transmission featuring low-ratio gearing to increase off-road versatility and capability — a hallmark of every Land Rover since.
It launched at a price of £450, and you could have any colour as long as it was light green (allegedly from a job lot of surplus aircraft cockpit paint), in an open utility vehicle style with a 2032mm (80-inch — the measurement often denoting the Land Rover model variant) wheelbase. As they appealed to the vital agricultural market, power take-offs were fitted to enable the Land Rover to drive farming equipment. Specialist vehicles such as fire engines and mobile welders were developed to meet demand as word of the Land Rover’s versatility spread.
Picking the most descriptive name for the vehicle’s prowess seemed to be paying off, and the iconic oval badge started to be seen all over England. This original inspiration for the logo is said to have come from the mark a designer’s pilchard tin made on his drawing board while he was having lunch.
Rugged
Riding in a Series I Land Rover over rugged territory feels like you’re balancing a space hopper on the back of a galloping camel. Except there’s the added danger of banging various body parts on the large amounts of exposed metal. Soft interior plastics were unheard of. The metal grab handle attached to the unpadded dashboard ended up with my white knuckles wrapped around it while my buttocks tried their best to clench onto the slippery vinyl seat.
So it’s no surprise that as early as 1948 a more comfortable version was created. With a coach-built body by Tickford, the seven-seater station wagon unfortunately attracted a luxury tax in the UK, limiting its success. Many were sold overseas, though, and the basic vehicle was exported to America, generating a crucial flow of US dollars needed to help repay Britain’s war debt. The British Army acquired its first Land Rovers in 1949 in preference to the more complex and expensive Austin Champ, which had been under evaluation by the army since 1947 with mixed results. The army eventually took Land Rovers in all shapes and sizes as their standard four-wheel drive vehicle after it showed its rugged ability, easy serviceability in the field, and the ability to run thousands of kilometres powered by lower grade fuels such as banana oil (according to one Rover advertisement).
The introduction of a selectable four-wheel drive system came in 1950. Low-range gears automatically engaged four-wheel drive, while it could be selected in high-range when required. Two years later marked the arrival of a more powerful 2.0-litre engine.
Only 1758 vehicles were produced in 1948, but 1949 saw an explosion in sales and 12,395 vehicles found new homes, with 16,795 in 1950. By 1958 Land Rover’s 10th anniversary saw over 25,000 units built, and the unveiling of the Series II.
The ‘Deafener’
Which brings us to our herd of Land Rovers assembled here. A 1953 Series I, a 1980 109 Series III, a 2002 hybrid Defender/ Range Rover, and a brand new Defender 110.
The basic design elements of a Land Rover have not changed in 60 years: it boasts a shape only exceeded in boxiness by a shipping container, plus round headlights, and an upright windscreen.
Acquiring the name ‘Defender’ in 1990, the 110 sports a 2.4-litre common-rail diesel engine pumping out 90kW and 360Nm. Fully kitted out for a life of muddy wellies, hunting trophies, dogs and (worst of all) children, the Defender’s interior is a mix of easy-to-clean rubber flooring, half leather and half fabric seats, and large chunky switches. It all looks very rugged, but if you peer closer you’ll find creature comforts such as heated seats, an MP3-compatible stereo with auxiliary input, air conditioning, and ABS with traction control.
The Defender features a tow ball rated to pull 3500kg, next to a folding rear step. Side runners are welcome when getting in such a tall vehicle, and around the front there’s the classic Brunel grille.
This all rests on an immensely strong ladder chassis that carries the lightweight aluminium body. This basic design featured on the very first model where cost constraints and the short supply of steel ruled out the use of pressed chassis members. Rover engineers fabricated the chassis by welding together strips of steel ‘cast-offs’ into box-shaped members, and then combined them into the ladder frame.
The rivets are still visible on the body, and the panel gaps are significant; it all points to no-nonsense practicality and functional simplicity.
Farmyard frolics
Long wheelbase Land Rovers have a turning circle roughly equivalent to that of a herd of wildebeest, but this didn’t seem to matter when I took the Defender to a farm west of Auckland with the aforementioned historic versions and their passionate owners. The 235/85R16 road tyres weren’t the best choice for a late autumn jaunt around the clay tracks, but dropping the pressure to 18psi saw us through. Approach and departure angles are excellent, with 49 and 35 degrees respectively, and the Defender will climb a 45-degree slope.
Modern off-road vehicles are expected to be capable and competent, but Brian’s Series I amazes you that a vehicle this old can easily keep up with much more expensive modern machinery, meticulously making its way across seemingly unconquerable obstacles.
Riding in Ken’s immensely powerful hybrid, though, shows you the next level. The engine is so laden with torque that it almost ‘flows’ up the hills on little more than idle revs.
Land Rovers opened up remote areas of the planet to scientists, environmentalists, thrill-seekers and those interested in accessing some of the world’s most inhospitable regions.
In 1972 a British Army team, led by Major John Blashford-Snell, drove two cars from the north of Alaska to the southernmost tip of Argentina. The infamous Darien Gap — a dense forest and swamp that prevents road access between central and South America — proved no match for the Land Rovers, which fared better than the crew on the gruelling six-month journey — 30 of the latter had to be evacuated due to insect and snake bites! And who can forget the Camel Trophies in the ’80s and ’90s, which tested vehicle and human endurance from the Amazon to Africa.
In a marketplace that embraces inbuilt obsolescence Land Rover is a refreshing rebel, building them ‘like they used to.’ While this means that a Defender or any Series I to III is not going to drive like a modern car, it does mean that by the time Land Rover’s 120th anniversary comes around in 2048 a Land Rover you buy today has a good chance of still being in working order. Some sources have said that as many as 75 per cent of the almost two million Land Rovers ever built are still in service — perhaps why Land Rover drivers call other SUVs ‘disposables.’
Passion for Land Rovers
As a child Brian loved Land Rovers. In 1976 he helped put a Rover V8 into a friend’s 80-inch, and that really gave him the bug. He bought his first one in 1977, and has owned his well-used 1953 Series I for the last four years.
A true Land Rover enthusiast, he also has three other 80-inch Series I models, a 1958 short wheelbase Series II, a 1968 long wheelbase flat deck, two 1970s Range Rovers and a lot of parts. The Series I is his favourite, though.
It’s fitted with an IOE engine (overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves), and Brian estimated his Landie makes just over 37kW (50hp) and 136Nm of torque. The car is original except for some temporary side and taillights, and an upgraded fuel pump. It has the optional door tops (windows with canvas/metal door seals). He suspects his Series I started life in the New Zealand Army, as there is a unit insignia plate on the front and a military trailer connection plug on the back.
Brian’s mission is to use the Land Rover as much as possible and get the most fun out of it. It certainly is demonstrating some battle scars after Brian drove it all the way to Wanaka from Auckland for the 60th anniversary celebrations. Ultimately he said he will restore it, but not to concours level — original standard will see him happy in his retirement.
Mud Pluggers
John’s 1979 Series III long wheelbase model and Ken’s hybrid Defender/ Range Rover are ardent mud-pluggers.
John’s is a 109-inch with a Stage I V8, and is the last of the leaf sprung models. It may have been assembled in Australia because the snorkel on the front guard is the air filter normally found at the back of the engine. It’s called a Stage I because it was the first stage of a relaunch to a coil-sprung 90- and 110-inch model.
Ken’s Defender started life as a damaged Range Rover and has since acquired a Jaguar gearbox, a Defender body and a glorious-sounding 224kW (300hp) 3.9-litre V8. The motor has been ported and polished, all combustion chambers matched, and it features an uprated cam and anti-pump lifters. Ken has a winch for those ultra-boggy moments (and to rescue others) that’s capable of pulling over 3800kg.
All three guys belong to the Land Rover Owners’ Club (Auckland), which is on standby for civil defence duty in times of emergency and participates in rescue and salvage operations, plus helping DOC repair bush tracks.
Words: Darren Cottingham Photos: Dan Wakelin
