LAND ROVER has gone over to the dark side.

http://www.africanindaba.com/2...er-2014-volume-12-6/

For decades Landrover has been an extremely popular vehicle with wildlife conservation agencies, hunters and PH’s in Africa. These organizations and people are therefore an important target group for the company. In some countries Landrover dealers organize special events for hunters or offer vehicles that are specially equipped for hunting.
Interesting enough the Landrover Company has selected the “Born Free Foundation”, a pronounced British anti-hunting NGO as its “primary global conservation partner”. According to the company’s website “Landrover is committed to provide the Foundation with practical help by supplying vehicles as well as financial backing for the next five years, reflecting its integrated approach to building global sustainability.” Another animal rights’ campaigner, the “Environmental Investigation Agency”, which concentrates on undercover work against real and perceived wildlife crime and wildlife use, is also privileged to traverse London in a posh Range Rover Evoque.
Like most animal welfare groups, Born Free does only limited practical conservation work. It concentrates on animal welfare activities and also lobbies for its welfare objectives including denouncing hunting. In its own words the Foundation “fights to end this glorified ‘sport’”.
As an example for its animal welfare work six landrovers from the UK were used to transport a circus lion from a resort in Belgium to Schiphol airport. The poor animal was flown to Lusaka and then driven 800 kilometers by an escort of a landrover fleet led by a silver Discovery to Lilongwe in Malawi. There it is living now, again behind fences in a kind of zoo. Lion Simba (a very inventive name for a lion), as it was called, shares now this new confinement with a lion from Romania. It is unknown whether these two European lions find African fences more pleasant than European bars. It is also unknown whether this type of moving misused creatures around the world is only a publicity stunt to collect donations for Born Free or whether this is the “integrated approach to building global sustainability” Landrover speaks of on its website.
The little that Born Free does around the globe for conservation is at the same time used as a door opener for its anti-hunting propaganda and its efforts to close hunting. Also on CITES meetings, the Foundation is active to rally support against pro-wildlife-use decisions and to organize by different means votes for this cause.
On its website the Foundation agitates against hunting in Africa and killing game in “cold blood” and taking “grotesque trophies” home. Born Free concludes „that the ethical, social and biological problems associated with trophy hunting far outweigh any positive contribution the industry can possibly make.“ The Foundation is also active to put pressures on Governments to ban trophy imports. In 1993 the Foundation was instrumental to establish the so-called „Species Survival Network“, a coalition of animal welfare organizations, which works against wildlife utilization including hunting. Born Free’s President is also the President of the network.
Hunting is controversially discussed in the public. We as hunters know this. We are therefore all the time stipulated to evaluate what we are doing and to secure that our hunting is sustainable, ethical and positive for biodiversity in line with the relevant international conventions. African Indaba is a good example how hunters do not hesitate to criticize occurrences, which do not come up to accepted international hunting standards. We do not expect from a company like Landrover to agree with hunting as a way of sustainably utilizing natural resources and thereby contributing to species conservation and rural livelihoods alike. However, it is difficult to accept that an equally controversial anti-sustainable-use pressure group that tries to destroy hunting gets financed from the revenues of the landrovers, which also we hunters buy.
If you drive a landrover or plan to buy one, you may have a few questions to your local dealer.
Author: Rolf D Baldus

I think they have done this because there is hardly a ph left in Africa with a land rover. Trying to get business elsewere

Land Rovers are an excellent option for people who need to park their car on the sidewalk and need to get up the curb without body damage.

If it is the only car on the market, I would buy A horse...

Good riddance!

Have become so unreliable, like everything British Leyland makes1

A few years ago one of my friends had a Jaguar and a Range Rover.

He then bought a BMW.

After a while, his wife said "I never knew one could have a car that does not break down"

She was referring to either the Jaguar or the Range Rover being the workshop at any given time!

The old ones that I have dealt with in Africa (including one I purchased with a buddy) were all real pieces of work !!! I am not sure if that was because they were old or what ???

Admittedly they tend to break down more than modern Japanese and most other equivalents but they can pretty much always be repaired in the field which was the original intention and no doubt the management have pretty much always been kak but the vehicles themselves conquered half the world for decade after decade after decade so they can't be all bad.......

Easy choice.....no more Land Rover...ever...

The last of the "semi-decent" Land Rovers were the Series 3 - those that followed were total crap.

Let's get realistic - having to continuously tinker after a vehicle, whatever the make is not what I would call fun especially when in the middle of nowhere.

The introduction of the Cruiser brought the curtains down on the Rover and that is a fact that even the staunchest of its supporters have to accept.

However said and done, the latest model of Cruisers will be following in the wake of the Rover due to the introduction of an electronics management system which without proper diagnostic equipment, cannot be messed about with.

Those who are operating this latest batch of V6 & V8 powered machines have already had some negative experiences with the electronics department.

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:


The introduction of the Cruiser brought the curtains down on the Rover and that is a fact that even the staunchest of its supporters have to accept.

Undeniably the truth

Landrover & Jaguar are now owned by Tata (since 2008).

Tata have a solid reputation of making things work.

The market response to Jaguars seem to be quite positive now - a major improvement compared to the days under Ford.

Tata's own ute / pickup truck is gaining market share even in the Australian outback.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:

Tata's own ute / pickup truck is gaining market share even in the Australian outback.

Perhaps... if you consider the western suburbs of Sydney to be The Outback.

quote:

Perhaps... if you consider the western suburbs of Sydney to be The Outback.

Similar situation here in Texas - most land Rovers are seen in Highland Park (high rent Dallas area) and north Dallas. Most are driven by women hauling groceries and kids around.
You never see them off road on hunting ranches or see outfitter/guides driving them; there it is mostly GM and Ford pickups and SUVs.

I did see one once at a tony bird shooting resort where they provide everything but shooting your birds for you ( do not ask why I was there).

I do love mine both off road and to work And I would love to see a US pickup after a couple of years of serious off road driving.

I have had sl´s, ml´s, GLs, Audis, BMW etc but the Defender is a keeper! Is it a car for everyone?nope!

My father purchased a brand new Jaguar XJ 6 in the 80's.

It broke down 30 minutes after he drove it out of the dealership, and countless times there after !

Also one of my old school hunting buddy drives a Land Drover ute ( when its on the road ! )

I think a Massey Ferguson tractor would give you a better ride !


Leyland should of given the blue prints to the Japanese !


petermayall

What I like about a 110 rover high capacity pickup over the land cruiser pickup?
- Suspension
- ground clearance
- cheaper maintenance and repair cost
- fuel economy
- light (?) alloy body that never rusts

If toyota took these features from the landy and added them to the land cruiser pick-up it would be awesome!

All the 4x4 manufacturers go wrong when they try to make their vehicles too modern and comfortable by giving them too much technology.

To me, a good 4x4 needs to be as simple and indestructible as possible and that means having wind up windows, no central locking and no on board computers.

The more complicated a vehicle is the more chance there is that it can't be fixed in the middle of the bush with a bog standard tool kit and the epitome of that simple reliability are the earlier Land Rovers and the good old Jeep Wagoneers (fuel consumption excepting) which can be fixed with not much more that half inch spanner and a big hammer.

Mind you, it can't be denied that the size of the Wagoneers make them a harder vehicle to drive on some African roads.

Had a Land Rover once, was a very good 4 wheel drive, very tough.....when it ran. Had to ship it by truck once to Salt Lake City to be worked on, the dealer in Albuquerque was not able to fix it. The electrical system was a nightmare.

Now I have two land Cruisers, a restored FJ40, and an FJ60 highly modified. Much more reliable.

did someone ask me why I bought a Toyota FJ Cruiser after test driving it and the LR? I mean, other than twice the sticker price of the LR...

The FJ has not been back to the dealership except twice for the every 5K oil change.

In Europe there are very recent news that Land Rover is supporting a foundation that is called " Born Free" which seems very anti-trophy hunting in Africa. I cannot comment further on this but the behaviour seems so serious that CIC and DJV (the German Hunting Association) are asking for a statement from Land Rover what this is about. I had two Defender 90 and I am currently in the market for a Range Rover but I will definitely watch how this one turnes out. If Land Rover is against trophy hunting in Africa they are dead meat in my book.

PH told me all Land Rovers come with a complimentary Jack Russell Terrier; they just hate for one to be lonely when the vehicle breaks down

For whatever it's worth, Ted Turner rides around in a Land Rover Defender when he's in Montana. By "rides around", I mean driven around.

quote:

Originally posted by Badger Matt:
PH told me all Land Rovers come with a complimentary Jack Russell Terrier; they just hate for one to be lonely when the vehicle breaks down

Hahahah! Now that's funny!

And Ted can afford a team of mechanics, a dozen copies, and a warehouse full of parts to ensure at least one of them works.

Land Rover = Grossly overpriced junk.

No political reasons needed not to buy one!

I'm on my third Range Rover and I also had an LR2 for about a year. I'll admit that the earlier ones did have some issues but with the newer ones they seem to have resolved the quality control deficiencies of the past.

I'm almost up to 150,000 miles on my current one and I have never had to do a thing other than change the oil.

I have had other (classic) British cars such as Jaguar and MG which, granted, did have some "personality". It seems though, at least to me, that the constant breakdowns people love to talk about are more confined to British cars of an earlier era.

The dream Land Rover would be a Discovery with a Toyota diesel engine and with the centre cubby box removed.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
The dream Land Rover would be a Discovery with a Toyota diesel engine and with the centre cubby box removed.

...and didn't support anti hunting activists.

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
The dream Land Rover would be a Discovery with a Toyota diesel engine and with the centre cubby box removed.

... and didn't support anti hunting activists.

Very true...... but then again, we should be blaming the fidiot management for that rather than the vehicles themselves

For ten years I had the single cab 4500i cruiser and now I have just bought the new double cab v8 turbo diesel.time to take the kids hunting with me otherWise I would have just kept the old one

African Folk lore believes that The Landrover was designed and left here by the Brittish after they where evicted , so that they could keep punishing the Boers for years after they had left.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Good riddance!

She was referring to either the Jaguar or the Range Rover being the workshop at any given time!

It´s very known overhere if you must drive Jaguar you need to have two of them. You need one to drive while the other one is in the repair shop.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
The dream Land Rover would be a Discovery with a Toyota diesel engine and with the centre cubby box removed.

... and didn't support anti hunting activists.

Very true...... but then again, we should be blaming the fidiot management for that rather than the vehicles themselves

Agreed, but the only way to change management is to stop purchasing and supporting their product.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/02/...ana-electric-safari/


Interesting article about an upscale game lodge in Botswana that has gone to electric Land Rovers.

On any other African safari you would expect to hear the roar of a diesel engine as the hulking vehicle shudders into gear, breaking the stillness of dawn.

I must have missed the Mac trucks being used as hunting vehicles.
The diesel trucks I've ridden in while on safari were quite nice.

Land Rover; English speak for "Roadblock"...

I wish they sold that model here...and yes I am a believer in extended warranties.

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Landrover & Jaguar are now owned by Tata (since 2008).

Tata have a solid reputation of making things work.

The market response to Jaguars seem to be quite positive now - a major improvement compared to the days under Ford.

Tata's own ute / pickup truck is gaining market share even in the Australian outback.

That may be true, but as far as I know, the bulk of them are still produced in England == which speaks for itself as to vehicle quality.

I did note in the news that a new Land Rover plant is being opened in Brazil. We'll see if that makes a difference, though I believe that the target market is Argentina.

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
I do love mine both off road and to work And I would love to see a US pickup after a couple of years of serious off road driving.

I have had sl´s, ml´s, GLs, Audis, BMW etc but the Defender is a keeper! Is it a car for everyone?nope!

You are nuts! My Dad lives in some of the roughest country on the planet ranching in Texas. Dodge, Fords, and Chevy's have been getting it done all my life. Not only does the truck go...but it often pulls a trailer towing a horse or cattle through those places.