- Why buy an SUV inspired by classic Land Rovers when you can have the real deal?
- A Land Rover Series II offers a stripped-down, old-school 4×4 experience, yet with overdrive it can also be driven on the highway.
- There are a few modern touches including a Marshall speaker and even cupholders.
There’s no real way to prove it as a fact, but it is said that for many people in less-developed countries, the first automobile they ever saw was a boxy Land Rover, bouncing over rough terrain. Rugged, simple, and if not terribly reliable then at least easy to repair with whatever you had on hand, the original Series Land Rovers were well suited for exploring far-off lands, much like the plinth helmet and khaki shorts often worn by their drivers. Bring a TrailerThe design of the Series Land Rover has become iconic—and much imitated. But you can’t beat the character and charm of an original. Something like this 1970 Land Rover Series IIA up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It’s been comprehensively restored and has everything you want in a vintage Landie, from iconic inboard headlights, to auxiliary jerry cans, to a canvas roof. This is the type of vehicle that turns even a normal drive to get takeout into an expedition.The idea that Land Rover is now a luxury brand would bring a brief bark of laughter from anyone who owned a Series Landie in-period. They are the automotive equivalent of a Wellington boot, although occasionally less waterproof. The later Series III was a little less agricultural, but this IIA is unapologetic about its basic roots, with all manner of exposed metal, rivets, wing nuts holding the windshield on, and a series of levers controlling the transfer case.Bring a TrailerSome modern conveniences have been grafted onto this classic, such as a Marshall speaker and a custom cupholder arrangement. The original owner of this Land Rover would have no idea what to do with a cupholder, but it’s nice to have a place to put your water bottle.The 2.3-liter inline=four made a little over 70 horsepower and put that power to the ground through a four-speed manual gearbox with overdrive and a two-speed transfer case. The seller here notes that the vehicle will cruise at 60 mph, and that the transfer case does leak a bit. All vintage Land Rovers leak. It’s how you know they have fluids in them.Beyond the general charms, the appeal here is the exacting and frankly exhausting level of restoration performed. This example has a new frame, an overhauled powertrain from gearbox to axles, fresh brakes, a stainless steel exhaust, rebuilt instrumentation, and a host of extras from specialist Rovers North. Judging from pictures of the underside, you’d think it was brand new.As it’s so thoroughly overhauled, this could very well be the one true reliable Series II Land Rover out there. But that’s not really what’s lovely about a Landie. The appeal is in driving a vehicle that needs a certain level of mechanical sympathy and a handiness with a spanner. They are such simple machines that it’s easy enough to diagnose the latest stumble and then sort it out yourself, with the type of self-sufficiency that you might have needed to cross the Kalahari or navigate the Amazon jungle.Related StoriesNew Land Rovers trade vintage simplicity for modern complexity, and lose a bit of their soul as a result. This Series IIA comes with the homely honesty that built the brand. You’ll never be happier behind the wheel, or peering under the bonnet, than you will in a classic Land Rover.The auction ends on April 30.Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: caranddriver.com
