Some folks go nuts for these things. This is a 1962 Land Rover "Series 2" and blame the "city boy" in me for not fully appreciating it's rugged industrial design. A man-ish, brute like design unabashedly if not unapologetic-ally inspired by World War II American Jeep's. However, as with most old trucks or whatever this is officially classified as, technically it's a cross between a car and a farm-tractor, I don't see what many see in a vehicle that has the road manners of a golf cart.
If you're so inclined, this one might be somewhat of a bargain at $4,000 seeing that in good condition these can go for over fifty-grand. Blimey. Our Shelby, Ohio (hour or so southwest of Cleveland) based Series 2 here, the seller also noted it's a LWB (long-wheelbase) has a homemade "hard half-cab" and has been sitting for a while. The seller doesn't go into detail about how long "a while" is or was but judging by the half moons of mud on the tires me thinks that "while" has been a very long time. Amazing those tires can hold air too. Seller claims the frame is solid. Well, if they say so.
From back here we can see just how homemade that "hard half-cab" actually is. When new, the cab was open into the bed area. On the lower bed walls, the area is boxed and supported two to four upholstered jump seats. As practical as these things allegedly were, with this compromised bed area I don't see how that was really possible. Might be good for hauling troops but mulch? Not so much. All that garbage on the floor of the bed no doubt material from the canvas covering that would have gone from the top of the cab to the back of the bed. They not clean this out to show off how authentic this is? Literally and figuratively, this thing is a mess.
At the risk of oversimplification, if I may, the "Land Rover sttry" is an interesting tale of unforeseen opportunity meeting circumstance. What is it they say about necessity being the mother of invention?
After World War II, Rover, which was a builder exclusively of luxury automobiles, along with the rest of the British automobile industry, was in a state of dire financial circumstance. What's more, with the British government doling out limited resources, they could only supply Rover with enough steel to build approximately 1,100 automobiles. However, if they were to produce a practical vehicle that could be used to help the worn torn country rebuild, they'd provide them with more material. Thus the practical, go anywhere and do anything "Land" Rover was born. The "land" in "Land Rover" implying the vehicle was to work the literal land.
With a body built of aluminum panels kept flat and straight to ease of assembly, a fully-boxed iron frame and a four wheel drive mechanism inspired by American Jeep design, much to Rover's surprise, what was supposed to be a stop-gap vehicle became a smash hit. Ultimately, the Land Rover came to outsell Rover automobiles by some two-to-one. Rover also imported hundreds of thousands of them to markets like Australia and Africa at a handsome profit. That tells you why when you go on "safari" or watch an action adventure moving in the jungle, chances are you're going to see an old Land Rover and not an old Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Bronco or whatever. No manufacturer over here save for Jeep was producing anything like it until the mid to late 1960's.
I don't "get" these but that's not to say I don't appreciate and respect those that do. I think this is way too far gone to be worth even four-grand but I could be wrong. Comment below if you're interested and I'll do my best to hook you up with the seller. Happy doing whatever it is you do with these things.
No comments:
Post a Comment