http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...oduction-Friday.html

Very interesting history ,quite a life !

Well at least the oil industry will be disappointed.

For keeping mechanics employed.

Africa eats Land Rovers for breakfast.

No 4x4 is impervious to any off road.

But some less so that others. And then there are the others that find tar roads pretty damn frightening; scares the fluids right out of them...

For those who don't like Landrovers take a look at the Camel Trophy years - amazing, though of course they did have backup.

Still - no other 4x4 has been as involved in anything like this.

http://youtu.be/UGWp8R-IqoE

Horse shit!

Camel Trophy is 1000% times easier than combat in Afghanistan.

Landrovers have seen combat in Afganistan too - with the Australian Army.........

And then there was Rhodesia, South Africa and Namibia....

Nothing like a team of professional maintainers to keep them running. Then again, they are Land Rovers and share a lot of common traits with a RAF Tornado - 17 hours of maintenance for every flight hour.

The Brits were flying Tornados down to our test range for a few months at a time and then they'd leave for a few months.

They fly 3 over, 1 or 2 will make it to our base. The rest are at Navy and USAF bases across America.

Tough bird to live with, Tomcat, Prowler, S-3 and etc all have similar issues as service life went on. A-D hornets are the same now.

Macs, if that were true you would see 30 Defenders for every Land Cruiser in Africa. But you see quite the opposite and for good reason. All the romantic notions associated with the Defender dissolve when you own one for off road use, then you curse romantic notions...

A lot of people think Land Rovers are common place in remote areas, I have lived in 15 states, 4 countries, and visited another 30.

in Namibia and South Africa they aren't rare, but not as common as Toyotas.

In Morocco, I never saw one.

In Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Japan I never saw one.

In Egypt, I saw a couple.

I have seen more Defender and Series land rovers in Australia than anywhere else. They still aren't common enough that everyone owns one, not like the FJ, Nissan Patrol or HiLux.

In Europe they are bloody uncommon unless you live in the UK or Ireland. Then they are still about as common as Jeeps wranglers are here, maybe less so.

I have seen Jeep wranglers in greater numbers every place I have ever been than Land Rovers.

I just bought a 2009 4500 EFi Cruiser with less than 80K on the clock. You simply cannot kill these things and unfortunately farmers are falling on hard times in southern Africa so you can pick them up for under $18K USD. I am trying to find more, but the 4500 EFi'S are a rare breed and no one likes to sell them.

My next purchase is going to be a Unimog U416. Another vehicle that you simply cannot kill. And yes, I am going to call it das Biest and it will have a flame job on the hood.

But they ain't a Cruiser. I'm headed down to Arkansas Saturday to pick up another FJ 40. Getting a 4BT diesel and ground up restore. Let the fun begin.

Had a 1988 Range Rover, best car I've ever had. Always said I wished Toyota made Land Rovers.

The Toyotas are much superior to the Range Rollers.

Some great historical photos in the article. Hate to see 'em go. Whether you love them or hate them, they are an icon.

It took a while, but it appears that the Japanese have finally won WWII!!!

The deed has been done and das Biest has been secured. A 1983 Unimog U416 long wheelbase with under 100,000K (farm truck) for less than a used Celica.


das Biest Lives...