Behind the Steering Wheel [Courtesy Rovers North News, January, 2008]
By Jeffrey B. Aronson
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But my Rover’s so delightful
When other cars won’t go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
Oh, boy, it’s the beginning of December and this island has received its first substantial, it’s-going-to-stick snowstorm. The snow fell so hard and thick that the ferry service had to shut down when the radar systems couldn’t penetrate the snowfall. Then the winds picked up, the seas rose, and the ferry cancelled out for another day.
Doom and gloom? Hardly! As a kid, I would have grabbed my Flexible Flyer and headed for a hill or slope. Now, I grab one of the Series II-A’s and head for any unplowed road or trail.
There’s something special about riding around in the snow. You do need to be careful that the several inches or feet of snow don’t hide something substantial, like a ditch, boulder or log, but all that does is force you to slow down – never a bad idea. It is comforting to remember that very cold air holds little moisture; that means it will rarely be bone-chilling cold when it is snowing heavily outside. That’s even better news for me; I never did get around to swapping out the canvas top for the safari top on the QE I, my ’66 II-A.
I bundled up and stepped outside into the snowstorm. With the snow falling heavily and steadily, the local snowplows had remained in the garage pending a let up in the storm. That meant that I had most of the local roads to myself. Since I caretake some summer properties here, it gave me a perfect excuse to run through the 12- 15 inches of snow that had fallen on unplowed trails in different parts of the island. With the Rovers North Mansfield heater on the car, and a nice new Rovers North canvas top, I was fairly snug and warm inside the car. The Lucas wipers on a II-A operate with minds of their own, totally unsynchronized. They also sweep across a tiny part of the windshield at a leisurely pace. Much snow can accumulate before the wiper makes its next pass. Every so often, you need to just stop and remove some built up snow off the windshield.
Last September I purchased a set of B F Goodrich All Terrain M+S tires and this storm provided their first test in the snow. They have aggressive treads which make them a bit noisy on paved roads but helpful in mud and snow. It was well worth the considerable cost; the Rover pushed through the snow and drifts nicely. When a steep incline or side angle forced some slippage, shifting down into low range did the trick.
After an hour or so, more trucks appeared on the roads so I decided to do something useful and secure more firewood. As the snow fell I loaded up the rear of the 88” with split logs. There’s no doubt that a fully laden 88” has even better traction than an unloaded one. It almost made me want to leave the wood in the car!
Running in the snow is not that hard on the Rover. You do have to be careful of hidden obstacles, as you might during a water crossing, but there’s nothing abrasive against swivel balls or seals like when you’re running through mud. You do have to make certain that you don’t get a lot of ice packed around the wheels or brakes, but it’s unlikely to damage anything.
Driving around during the storm reminded me of the numerous travels I’ve made in my II-A during significant storms. Flying into Boston from Nashville at midnight, I discovered the reason for our flight’s long delay; New England was buried in a snow. I quickly found that the snowplows had not yet started their work. The snow came down so thickly that it was difficult to see the highways and roads. You could barely exceed 40 mph for the trip; add an extra two hours for the drive. The II-A never missed a beat.
On another morning, I left Gorham, NH for a job in Augusta, ME. The normal 2 ½ hour drive stretched out as the roads proved quite snowy and slick, The Rover, in 4 wheel high range for the entire trip, got me there safely. Of course, when I arrived in Augusta, the entire city was shut down. Another time, I drove nearly 4 hours to give a talk in Eastport, ME. That night, a major storm dumped a lot of snow on the ground. I was the guest in a B & B that morning, and the hostess made strong hints to her husband that “maybe we should put Jeff up tonight. It’s not safe to drive.” He looked out over his newspaper, saw my green Series II-A in his driveway and said, “Look what he’s driving. He’ll be fine.” So much for a free night’s stay. That drive took one hour longer than usual because of the deep snowfall.
Decades ago, VW ran a television at that showed boots crunching down new fallen snow. You saw a door open and a man get into an original Beetle. The voice-over asked “have you ever wondered how the man who drives the snowplow, gets to the snowplow?” Well, now you know – a Land Rover.
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Jeremy Hackett runs a specialty clothing store in London. In the New York Times, he wrote of finding an “ancient, patched up Barbour jacket.” The Beaufort model “spoke of damp dogs sleeping on tartan coat linings in the back of battered Land Rovers, of point to points and Badminton Horse Trials, all things dear to an Englishman.” He pulled out his old Barbour “with its oily texture, brown corduroy collar and brass zipper as strong as a railway line” and decided that “I will wear my shabby Barbour the next time I go shopping on Sloane Street – but I think I’ll leave the green wellies in the Land Rover.”
The Barbour coat, and its waxed-cotton cousins, requires some maintenance. It was the latest word in water repellency and warmth some decades ago and has certainly been surpassed since then. As long as you maintain it, it will always work, it will last and it will never become obsolete. As an iconic piece of clothing it ranks with Hunter Wellingtons. Many Land Rover enthusiasts find they gravitate to owning both items.
This connection came to mind as once again the relentless production of goods entices us to “improve” every successful product. Marketers want to believe that all of us live in breathless anticipation of the next awesome product. They may be wrong.
If you’re a runner you have undoubtedly experienced the frustration of your favorite pair of running shoes being out of production when you go for a replacement pair. Are you listening to me, New Balance? Are you listening to me, Land Rover?
There’s no denying that the Range Rover Sport and the LR 3 have been hugely successful for Land Rover in the US market. Along with the revamped LR 2 and the Range Rover, these models have propelled Land Rover into sales record territory, but at what cost? It’s unlikely that the Discovery Series I owner, looking to replace his/her 5-speed, 3.9 liter V-8, with a manual transmission, shade tree mechanic-friendly engine, and separate chassis will find comfort in the new Land Rover selections. In fact, he’s out of luck. The Range Rover Classic, Defender 90/110, and Series Land Rover owners have also been left in the dust. What replaces those vehicles is…nothing.
That’s when the enthusiast has an option not available to most consumers. Land Rover recognizes the unusually high connection its owners make with their vehicles. Unlike most manufacturers, Land Rover actually supports older vehicles with an extensive parts network. You can keep your classic Land Rover operating as a daily driver, a work or recreational vehicle.
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In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a presidential election coming up in 2008. Every possible form of media, from newspapers and television to web pages, text messaging, podcasting and online events, has been tried to get your attention. In 1964, Land Rover provided a new medium, the 109” Station Wagon. Jaime Kitman, in a great article in Automobile (November 1996), wrote of his father’s quixotic quest for the Republican nomination for President. Jamie was in second grade when his father, newspaper columnist Marvin Kitman, put his name into the New Hampshire primary. Looking for business support Kitman enlisted the help of the Rover Motor Company, which provided him with a 109” SW. Rover officials in New York said “We are surely proud to have a Land Rover be the official vehicle from which you will stand for office. It has been used for varied purposes – honorable and otherwise – but never, to our knowledge, has a candidate for office made use of its great go-anywhere features to carry his campaign to the people. Great good luck to you, sir.”
Land Rover and Kitman ran a print ad extolling the virtues of a Land Rover as a campaign car. Quoting Kitman, that ad says “in my line of work, as a Republican presidential candidate, the campaign car is a key to success… what I like best about my Land Rover is that it goes anywhere. In New Hampshire, it took me right up to the ski slopes, solving one of my most vexing problems as a politician. I don’t like to shake hands. My Land Rover made it possible for me to park next to the ski tows and personally wave to 3,000 voters as they went by – none the wiser. If you are planning o to run for President, or even Prime Minister, I would like to call your attention to the virtues of the Land Rover as the perfect campaign vehicle.”
What Jaime Kitman remembers about the car was that he got to play in the “way, way back” of a “slow and rough riding vehicle. Optional Kodaik heater notwithstanding, I also remember it as quite chilly. But I remember it mostly as deeply, undeniably cool. That’s why I spent the next 30 years pestering my old man to buy one… if he hadn’t run for President, I might never have been introduced to Land Rovers, and I wouldn’t have my current vehicle of choice, a 1995 Defender 90 SW.”
So when a presidential aspirant contacts you, ask him/her the marque of their campaign car. It will tell you more about the candidate than any platform statement or webcast. Anyone with a Land Rover would get my vote.
Copyright 2008, Jeffrey Aronson and Rovers North
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