I recently saw a video with Harry Metcalfe from Harry's Garage together with Jeremy Clarkson, talking about their 3rd gen Range Rovers and how they seem to be the perfect car for them, unsurpassed by every other modern Range Rover. I found it especially impressive, that Clarkson, who has access to pretty much every vehicle out there, chose to stick with his "old" Range Rover for this long. Of course we aren't all farmers in the english countryside, but it's nontheless impressive that a car has remained unsurpassed for this long.
@@KittRemboyes, they are junk and I sold mine on a payment plan for $700. Yes, I sold mine to someone who could I only pay me a couple hundred dollars here and there!
I've had a few of these and still have a 93' Vogue in my collection. They are quintessentially British. Charming, elegant, and understated fun. However, something is always broke or in the process of breaking. It leaks everywhere and the rust forms overnight.
Reliability was not mentioned in the video… I always wondered how these stay so popular, considering the reliability. Growing up in the late 80s, one of the elementary school teachers had a range rover. I had no clue what it was, but I knew it was special, and I would always constantly look inside the interior to check it out.
@@Wasabi9111 My 94 county lwb (vogue lse) has been in the family since 97. I know its entire breakdown history up to its current 280k mi. Most reliable car in human history I'm sure. Even the air suspension remains. I think the bad rep is from people driving the aluminum v8 low on coolant or when its overheating. Doing so probs means a $12k bill for new liners. As for mine its had a light switch, an air suspension down button, ive adjusted the door locks when they stopped working. Timing chain, fuel pump, $150 air springs get replaced every decade, viscous coupler as is usual in other bw tc cars. Just normal maintenance items only. Nothing like the nightmares of the later cars, like the original range rover sport which has lots of body off repair problems or like the Hondas and Toyotas that my family members drive that are nothing but issues.
The main thing imo about the Range Rover, which makes it stand appart from the pack - is that is a status car. And certain people do own it. Unlike the Land Cruiser or Lexus or other 'Premium SUVs'.. You don't 'just' buy a Range Rover. It's always a sense of magestic-ness about it. And it's the vehicle which royal family would and do use. So basically combining that with an off the road capabilities and you have a car which has it's wide strong appeal. You don't want a Land Cruiser, you just buy it cause it's a sensible purchase, But a Range Rover - you want that. Strong character with these cars. A rare breed. esp nowadays. Got to say not so sure about the brand (as well as the Jag) after TATA deal. R322 was the last that 'did it' for me. Great mini-doc. Very insightful, thanks for your dedication.
And there you have it - well put sir. Be it a Rover, an Alfa, or any number of other vehicles the very best are more than just "a car". There will always be more "logical" vehicles (usually of Japanese decent) but those are appliances. If you want something that stirs you, something special, you have to reach beyond raw number and find that intangible "something". The RRC gets it. The L322 as well. Not so much the P38, and as we move into the L405 and newer I'm not sure though given time perhaps they will reach that status as well.
Thank you for this video, it bought back a lot of great memories. My dad was a Range Rover fanatic and had a number of them. I was driven home from the hospital one! The ones I am old enough to remember were a 1974 model, and a 1985 Vogue. He later engine swapped the 85 with the later 4.6 from the then-new second generation Range Rover, lots of great memories of watching him do the swap in the garage. I would love to own one; I feel the window is closing for good, honest, inexpensive examples. Thanks again for the great video.
The Range Rover Classic is my favorite car!!! Have an 86, one of the best years in my opinion and I am amazed that issimi did the job and studied the model and brand really well!! Congratulations to everyone involved in the making of this video!!
Derek, excellent review, very well done and extremely well researched. You have truly done an amazing job and further stamps in the fact the you and Jason are fun, informative, engaging and exceptionally entertaining to watch. Thank you!!!
Bravo! I love how you characterise the acceleration as 'inexorable'. That big V8 woosh propels you forward like a great ship of state. I have rarely been as happy in a car as I have been in a classic Range Rover. Driving around Tanzania in the 90s with one was sublime. Yes, I was very good friends with my mechanic, but it always got me home.
I'm a big Land Cruiser fan. But can't deny them old landies are just a thing of beauty. I don't care if new ones are a bomb on wheels that can explode anytime. These old landies are worth having and they have way more presence than an old land cruiser. Fully restored 40 and 60 series crazy prices make you think if they are really worth more or the same as a mint 3.5 two door classic range.
A lot of period footage made it feel incredibly cinematic (guessing you couldn't thrash up a Classic lmao) but the story definitely paints a picture. There's nothing it needs to prove anymore and I think even with a less than concours example... like you said; there's something so charming, elegant and stylish about these; doors are comically square, odd ergonomics. It's quaint. You can't call it durable but I'd take a chance with one of these than a same-era G for that alone (a quality Jags have too, I'd add) It surely makes sense too it stopped being the standard of the world for reliability (lol) when the Land Cruiser came in en masse but it definitely conquered people's hearts. The only newer shape that keeps the spirit of the Classic intact, I feel, is the L322 and it's unfortunate that no such care to a car's actual capabilities matter anymore for the SUV buyer but with a Range Rover I think it almost doesn't matter just because of how iconic it's become. Perhaps that's where the new Defender comes in. But yeah "Who says the British can't cook?"... the Range Rover birthed and made the SUV sexy, maybe to our detriment.
You've done very good research in making this video. The one point I'm aware of that you are off on, however, is that when Land Rover Limited was spun-off from what was then B.L.'s "specialist car division," both the former and the latter remained viable divisions of B.L. I can't recall exactly when the name was changed from "British Leyland" to simply "B.L. U.K. Ltd.," but it was still essentially the same company. As I heard at the time, the name "British Leyland" had picked up a bad reputation. Thanks very much for this interesting video that you obviously spent some considerable time in researching and putting together! Andrew "Andy" McKane IV, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii.
The picture you show is of Maurice wilks the designer of the landrover, you called him spencer, which was his older brothers name, who was a technical and managing director of landrover. LR was built around Maurice’s design though.
I had a 3rd gen I sometimes regret letting go. I love the Classic but I just don't have the patience and fortitude to own an old Rangie anymore. Great video! Ill just own a Rangie vicariously through those that do have the patience, fortitude and deep pockets. Ill happily drive my American version of a Land Cruiser Prado.
The range Rover classic is light year's ahead of any car in it's Cass up to this day ...and it's done at a level of suffistication that is even beond the word itself ......I I own one and I just love her😅
I think the psychology behind increased love for cars like this is, that people perceive today's times as getting more and more complicated. Current car design included, but on a broader scale, hundred years back, not withstanding that on average you will have been poorer with less possibilities, due to your choices and perspectives being limited, life was simpler, certainly less cerebral. When you needed trousers you went to the one of two shops in town that had trousers. Today you'll read 50 reviews on your pair of trousers and try to find the cheapest price, order 6 different models. So, getting back to this Range Rover Classic. It's design is functional. It certainly isnt fancy. But that's the appeal of it. It's the White Album of cars.
Magic, DTHS! My aunty had a mid - late '80s example. Frightening is what i would call the cornering. Turns out it had no sway bars. Not sure if it was supposed to, but it sure needed them. Any reliability aside, new, long wheelbase, Range Rovers are one of the nicest places to sit (for the money).
Fascinating that the LR haters will still watch all the LR content footage out there and then feel the need to post negative comments. It must be an inferiority complex. And, of course, other marques of 4WDs have never ever broken down have they?
Always will have the haters. Most commonly Toyota people; I feel they’re most jealous that their favorite brand doesn’t have the notoriety & accomplishments of the Land Rover. I’ve had both, and I’ll always take the LR/RR over any Toyota offroad.
Oh crikey 😮 - SNAP❗ I have 1991 (now with a transplanted 300tdi and ex-LR90 manual box) and a 2004 L322 with the BMW M57 engine; great minds think alike 😁😁😁
I'd say the tittle is unjust especially considering its opposite of what video really entrails. Love the range/land rover, my mum had a 1995 Diesel Manual in british green named Delta with all the off road extras including bullbar and spotlights, roof basket, lifted etc and was a real dream, I have great memories of going on multiple road trips around NZ in it with my mum when she had enough leave from the navy for two week trip every 1-2 times a year.
British Racing Green? The green colour is a tribute to the Irish govt. which allowed racing on public roads in Ireland in 1915 when it was prohibited on roads in Britain.
SHAME on Derek - The 1963 JEEP Wagoneer - a U.S.-made, Brooks Stevens HALLMARK of Industrial Design - Standard FOUR Doors, offered Carpeting, Radio, a CHOICE of Rigid OR Independent Front Axles ( ! ), and many other Comfort & Luxury FACTORY Options - I Repeat: From 1963, incl. A/C, WELL Before the R-R got 4 DOORS -- For CRYING out LOUD, Derek !! ...
Feels more truckish than the 4runner. Not surprising. Toyota spent some time on the 3rd gen and up to make it more palatable to people who wanted a camry, but offroad. The steering accuracy and feel is quite good. Won't flex like a solid axle 4x4 though
I was lucky enough to own a limited (200) edition 2 door version (the CSK edition) created for the 20th anniversary. Unfortunately I rolled it over and it was written off; the nicest car I've ever owned!
That Spen King Range Rover would be worth a fortune nowadays, even if it was totalled and still in "written-off" condition; no doubt someone in GB would restore it and sell it at a vast profit.
From 91 to 05 I was responsible for tooling approval and Engineering deviation reports of the Land rover V8 block and head.which came with the the classic and P38. I was responsible for tooling approval of TD5 code name storm head but not block.
I like how people from modern day look back thinking it doesn't drive like modern vehicles. Yeah out it to work and watch your modern garbage beep and buzz. This truck will never be made ever again and generations will always try to replicate it with modern engineering which simply doesn't work. Cheers
@@bngr_bngr Er, no it isn't. Any older vehicle will require maintenance obviously, but Land Rover/Range Rover parts are plentiful (therefore cheap) and easy to replace (also therefore cheap). At least with my two Range Rovers, I'm not paying a quarter of my monthly salary for products that I will never own, as I would if I was to have a new Range Rover sitting on my drive, waiting to be stolen.
How I wish land rover maintained its heritage..It was a big mistake to sell it to BMW and later to the lousy Indian group TATA..!!!!!! Now it's difficult to find a reliable Range Rover because of selling this brand to groups that are money focused than quality and reliability..Now land cruiser a Japanese brand beats the Land rover brand hands down
The 1948 didn't have a locking diff. Unless you're talking about transfer case diff what's means it has regular awd then 4wd. Every time someone talks about CDL as a locking differential the rest of the world is thinking of locking axle diff. CDL is 4x4 to the Awd vehicle. The fact they didn't have it on some makes it seem special to those who have it which is stupid it should have never not had it for an off-road only company
Kind funny that the corvair had a easier time crossing the Darien Gap than the Range Rover... I'm aware that they had a 4x4 truck as a support vehicle.
The Range Rover concept, and some (many?) of its individual elements, are brilliant, as so many fans have always cheered. Yet, the _application_ of all the elements, into a brilliant overall vehicle, seems to have been crippled by all the usual maladies of the British auto industry. Brilliant _potential_ , but rarely (never?) fully realised. So, to meet the persistent enthusiasm for these devices, has a variety of genuine, permanent fixes, mods, components, etc, ever eventuated? (Other than forking out the stupendous/exclusive cost 🤑😵💫of a restomod product - Kingsley and others.) Like, overcoming the persistent leaks, the continual electrical failures, the propensity for engine leaks and overheating..? I'm sure there's more. 😬 No, I'm not about to buy one - just curious, and _maybe_ in the future. 😏
The original Range Rover Classic is devoid of complicated electronics, very workhorse like - but with some creature comforts, very robust and easy (therefore cheap) to fix. They are like Marmite: you either love 'em (and therefore are willing to put up with occasional foibles and dribbles) or hate em'. I've loved everyone of 'em I've owned (but that probably says more about me than it says about my Range Rovers).
Oh, and as you no doubt are very aware, falling in love can take a very long time (and can happen without you even realising that that is what is happening). My wife will confirm this, and she should know (not talking about Range Rovers now, btw). 😁😂🤣🤣🤣
Wheres the clips of them breaking down? And you need whitworth tools. These would sit at shops for weeks waiting for parts and the one who specialized in them charged big bucks. Rose colored glasses. You need to find one like this where a rich guy owned it, took care of it and spent on the maintenance. Any example other than well maintained stay away from
I take it you've never owned one. First, no whitworth on a RRC. Second, they are actually quite reliable compared to their contemporaries assuming you actually maintain them and don't just drive it until it breaks. Lastly, they are quite easy to work on and maintain yourself and all hard parts are readily available; the only things hard to come by these days being things like some of the interior trim and such.
The poor parts availability thing is mostly a US only thing, especially when they were still being made. Much like with the German car makers, the parts are much cheaper and quicker to obtain when you live in the UK or Europe.
Yessir US. Worked on them in the 90s into 2000s along with Jags. I do know them well. You might be right about the whit tools on these my memory serves. But I remember owners leaving their cars for months. I remember two times in particular repairs were almost double the vehicle value and the owners just left them at the shop. Never came back to get them. Sat there for years, had to get state to get the title. Shops lost money on the english cars. Alfas and fiats were the same way. They were worth so little back then and broke down often. Nice cars fun to drive but the US buyers didnt realize you had to really keep up with these. I hear you, but that's what I remember. Some are too young to know those times or look back with rose tinted glasses. These were old man suvs. They didnt mind not seeing the car for weeks or months. Unless you had multiple cars and were that rich, took a big hit with the maintenance over the years, you'd have a nice example now and the values are going up again. Only so many survived.
@@codename_wind_official The leaving cars in shops and never coming to get them back seems to be a very American thing. When it does happen in the UK, the shop owner and the owner of the car will usually agree on a price and the mechanic will either fix it up and sell it on or get the scrap money for it, at least from what I’ve been told
Why is that funny though? The Rover V8 was a long lived engine that powered the Range Rover into its second generation, it powered the Rover P5B, the Rover P6 3500 and 3500S, the SD1, the Land Rover Discovery, certain models of the defender and series III Land Rover, and a huge number of British sports cars, including the Morgan Plus 8 and, in 5L form, the TVR Griffith 500 and the Chimera 500. It was an incredibly versatile V8 with lightweight construction by the standards of the time and a half decent power output for each of the displacements it came in. There were reliability issues, but as with a lot of things coming from British Leyland, this tended to be more down to quality control during manufacture rather than a design issue. In the UK, certainly, the Rover V8 was an incredibly significant engine, which still gets used in UK-built hot rods and in V8 swaps in RWD vehicles, due to the wide availability of parts, the ease with which you can obtain the engine, it’s aforementioned flexibility, and the wide range of mechanics that have experience working on these engines.
@@therealturbofanisme It’s a pretty great engine, all things considered. What aspects do you consider when looking at what would be the greatest, or more correctly in this case, one of the greatest?
@@Jo3man96 to me it's not just popularity but the objective characteristics of the engine. BMW's inline 6, whether you look at the M54, N52, or S54 - that architecture is astonishingly good. Small block Chevy, for very obvious reasons. Ford's Voodoo V8 in the GT350 for how special and high revving and unique it is 2JZ Toyota engine for how stout it is. 1UZ/2UZ Toyota V8s for their longevity and smoothness. Honda K-series for its ubiquity + power capability Honda's F20/F22c engines for being engineering masterpieces producing insane power and revs for its displacement The Rover V8 got the job done, sure, and it powered some very cool vehicles. But it was never particularly great at whatever job it was doing. Almost always underpowered and thirsty.
@@therealturbofanisme being an all alloy engine in the 1960s was pretty important, and the power output, given its displacement and the time it came out, was actually pretty good, the 3.5 making 160 hp. What you need to remember is there is that american manufacturers at the time would rate horsepower when running engines without any ancillaries, including a water pump. The reduction in power ratings in the early 70s in america had a fair bit to do with changing their rating system, alongside the new regulations. MPG wise, it’s actually not much worse than my Alpina B10 3.3, which given it’s an engine design from the 1960s, and it being a V8, is pretty good going in my book. It did an excellent job in the car it was initially intended for, the Rover P5, giving it some much needed pace, while retaining refinement that the car enjoyed with the previously used Rover I6, and did a pretty good job in the Range Rover and in its sporting applications. The 5.0L variant in the TVR Griffith 500 put out 340hp, which for an engine initially designed in the 60s being used in the 90s is extremely good. The S62 in the E39 M5 made around 50hp more, but that was a much more modern and complex engine. It was a little bit more than the SN95 mustang cobra, which was putting out around 320ho using the modular V8, a much newer engine design. The engines you mentioned are all fine engines, but the Rover V8 should be up there with them for it’s early use of all aluminium, which made it an astonishingly light engine for the time (when they put it in the MGB, they didn’t have to alter the set up of the car, as it weighed the same as the 4 banger MG had used previously) and it’s flexibility in use, being used for family saloons, off road vehicles, and sports cars. The fact that it won the paris-dakar twice in a range rover proves its durability and capability in the off road sphere, there’s the aforementioned use in the rover P5B and P6, where it was generally praised for being refined and decently powerful for the time, and showed its capability in sports cars, especially in the morgan plus 8 and the TVR Griffith 500. It even won the BSCC (now BTCC) in a Rover SD1 in 1984 and got the DTM title in 1986, along with various other race wins in the 1980s touring car scene and a class win at the 1984 Bathurst 1000.
the first vehicle a third of the world ever saw would have been the Jeep. as it was used by the usa and its allies in ww2 and was shipped to every continent and used throughout the entire war. even after the war it was often abandoned in other countries and claimed by those who found it and they used it in their towns, cities, and villages, and in the mountains and jungles. the jeep was on every continent for 10 years or more before there was ever a land rover to arrive. its also pronounced willeez and not willis. ww2 promotional films and the entire usa military called it the willeez jeep. it was never called willis jeep...not until youtube came around, and people watched kaiser films where the goofy accent promoter sounded like willis. lets have you pronounce Willy...now add an "S" to Willy. Willys is pronounced Willeez. and willis is pronounced willis. is it really necessary to explain this to people like they are in first grade? its exhausting!
See, here's the difference - You buy a toyota because you don't like cars and just need an appliance that will be be the least involving possible. You buy a Range Rover, or any great car, because you WANT one. It's aspirational. Nobody dreams of owning a toyota. That's why all toyotas are beige. They are fine automobiles but utterly devoid of interest; of passion. They are the epitomy of design by committee and above all strive to be non-offensive to all as many people as possible. Do not innovate; do not take chances; do not rock the boat. Always play it safe - that is the toyota way.
@@bunt28what’s any different than a “LAND CRUISER” than any other Toyota? I would say nothing. They’re boring and over priced. I’ve owned both and still own Land Rover.
I recently saw a video with Harry Metcalfe from Harry's Garage together with Jeremy Clarkson, talking about their 3rd gen Range Rovers and how they seem to be the perfect car for them, unsurpassed by every other modern Range Rover. I found it especially impressive, that Clarkson, who has access to pretty much every vehicle out there, chose to stick with his "old" Range Rover for this long. Of course we aren't all farmers in the english countryside, but it's nontheless impressive that a car has remained unsurpassed for this long.
Also loved how they pretty much confirmed they would never own a 1st gen RR lol. That was a fun watch!
@@KittRemboyes, they are junk and I sold mine on a payment plan for $700. Yes, I sold mine to someone who could I only pay me a couple hundred dollars here and there!
@@KittRembo what r u talking about? harry has at least 2
I've had a few of these and still have a 93' Vogue in my collection. They are quintessentially British. Charming, elegant, and understated fun. However, something is always broke or in the process of breaking. It leaks everywhere and the rust forms overnight.
Reliability was not mentioned in the video… I always wondered how these stay so popular, considering the reliability.
Growing up in the late 80s, one of the elementary school teachers had a range rover. I had no clue what it was, but I knew it was special, and I would always constantly look inside the interior to check it out.
Had a 91, always problems with windows not working, stuck seats etc. couldn’t get rid of it fast enough!
@@Wasabi9111 My 94 county lwb (vogue lse) has been in the family since 97. I know its entire breakdown history up to its current 280k mi. Most reliable car in human history I'm sure. Even the air suspension remains. I think the bad rep is from people driving the aluminum v8 low on coolant or when its overheating. Doing so probs means a $12k bill for new liners. As for mine its had a light switch, an air suspension down button, ive adjusted the door locks when they stopped working. Timing chain, fuel pump, $150 air springs get replaced every decade, viscous coupler as is usual in other bw tc cars. Just normal maintenance items only. Nothing like the nightmares of the later cars, like the original range rover sport which has lots of body off repair problems or like the Hondas and Toyotas that my family members drive that are nothing but issues.
I expected to just peek in for a quick glance at this video. I did NOT expect to walk away ASTOUNDED by the quality of this production. Well done!
The main thing imo about the Range Rover, which makes it stand appart from the pack - is that is a status car. And certain people do own it.
Unlike the Land Cruiser or Lexus or other 'Premium SUVs'.. You don't 'just' buy a Range Rover. It's always a sense of magestic-ness about it. And it's the vehicle which royal family would and do use. So basically combining that with an off the road capabilities and you have a car which has it's wide strong appeal. You don't want a Land Cruiser, you just buy it cause it's a sensible purchase, But a Range Rover - you want that. Strong character with these cars. A rare breed. esp nowadays.
Got to say not so sure about the brand (as well as the Jag) after TATA deal. R322 was the last that 'did it' for me.
Great mini-doc. Very insightful, thanks for your dedication.
And there you have it - well put sir. Be it a Rover, an Alfa, or any number of other vehicles the very best are more than just "a car". There will always be more "logical" vehicles (usually of Japanese decent) but those are appliances. If you want something that stirs you, something special, you have to reach beyond raw number and find that intangible "something". The RRC gets it. The L322 as well. Not so much the P38, and as we move into the L405 and newer I'm not sure though given time perhaps they will reach that status as well.
But I want a land cruiser and not a range rover
And this is exactly why I purchased my L322 4.2L supercharged. I’ve driven so many different vehicles but nothing felt like a Range Rover.
Thank you for this video, it bought back a lot of great memories.
My dad was a Range Rover fanatic and had a number of them. I was driven home from the hospital one!
The ones I am old enough to remember were a 1974 model, and a 1985 Vogue. He later engine swapped the 85 with the later 4.6 from the then-new second generation Range Rover, lots of great memories of watching him do the swap in the garage.
I would love to own one; I feel the window is closing for good, honest, inexpensive examples.
Thanks again for the great video.
The Range Rover Classic is my favorite car!!! Have an 86, one of the best years in my opinion and I am amazed that issimi did the job and studied the model and brand really well!! Congratulations to everyone involved in the making of this video!!
I've owned a lot of cars in my life. The only one I really miss is my 1992 Range Rover.
I didn’t know about the Darién crossing. That’s spectacular even by today’s standards.
I feel blessed to be living through Derek’s oligarch phase🙌🏻
He hast been living trough this phase for the past 98 years
"It's good to own land"
He's entering his plutocratic era 🤩
Derek, excellent review, very well done and extremely well researched. You have truly done an amazing job and further stamps in the fact the you and Jason are fun, informative, engaging and exceptionally entertaining to watch. Thank you!!!
Your videos have a strong addictionfactor! Thank you for your effort. They are so interesting!
Yes. Yes. Very regal. Long live Lucas!
The thing about Landrover's is you either have or you don't. Truly majestic beasts.
“Range Rover” beauty in all means
We had 5 of these over the 80s and 90s. Thank you hyphen Scott. I listened to every word on baited breath.
This little documentary is fantastic, very well executed
So fitting that this comes out just when Hyphen has to go to Alberta to get the SD1
They did a video on the carmogenous Chanel the other day about the rr
Bravo! I love how you characterise the acceleration as 'inexorable'. That big V8 woosh propels you forward like a great ship of state. I have rarely been as happy in a car as I have been in a classic Range Rover. Driving around Tanzania in the 90s with one was sublime. Yes, I was very good friends with my mechanic, but it always got me home.
I'm a big Land Cruiser fan. But can't deny them old landies are just a thing of beauty. I don't care if new ones are a bomb on wheels that can explode anytime. These old landies are worth having and they have way more presence than an old land cruiser. Fully restored 40 and 60 series crazy prices make you think if they are really worth more or the same as a mint 3.5 two door classic range.
A lot of period footage made it feel incredibly cinematic (guessing you couldn't thrash up a Classic lmao)
but the story definitely paints a picture. There's nothing it needs to prove anymore and I think even with a less than concours example... like you said; there's something so charming, elegant and stylish about these; doors are comically square, odd ergonomics. It's quaint.
You can't call it durable but I'd take a chance with one of these than a same-era G for that alone (a quality Jags have too, I'd add)
It surely makes sense too it stopped being the standard of the world for reliability (lol) when the Land Cruiser came in en masse but it definitely conquered people's hearts.
The only newer shape that keeps the spirit of the Classic intact, I feel, is the L322 and it's unfortunate that no such care to a car's actual capabilities matter anymore for the SUV buyer but with a Range Rover I think it almost doesn't matter just because of how iconic it's become. Perhaps that's where the new Defender comes in.
But yeah "Who says the British can't cook?"... the Range Rover birthed and made the SUV sexy, maybe to our detriment.
Loved it . I love Land Rover and everything it stands for. Thank you for this lovely history lesson .
Beautiful video...problem is that I want a Range Rover Classic now.
Lmfao same
You've done very good research in making this video. The one point I'm aware of that you are off on, however, is that when Land Rover Limited was spun-off from what was then B.L.'s "specialist car division," both the former and the latter remained viable divisions of B.L. I can't recall exactly when the name was changed from "British Leyland" to simply "B.L. U.K. Ltd.," but it was still essentially the same company. As I heard at the time, the name "British Leyland" had picked up a bad reputation. Thanks very much for this interesting video that you obviously spent some considerable time in researching and putting together! Andrew "Andy" McKane IV, Maunaloa, Molokai, Hawaii.
I usually pass on viewing any material on such vehicles, but they way DTS presents, this was well enjoyed. Thank you!
Same here.
My all time favourite 4x4!
You always produce such high quality videos. I really appreciate your work.
That size comparison was understatement. It's both slightly narrower and shorter than new Mazda 3 hatch.
How is that visually possible?… Every time I see one, it’s still looks pretty big.
Right!? Older cars just had different proportions! Now cars are so huge and bulky that you need at least 18" rims to make the wheels look propotional
modern embodiment of David e davis' writing. phenomenal.
I must say your steering technique is very professional. This is the way top tier drive training teaches you how to drive. Good video too, keep it up.
Thank you. I always enjoy the thoughtfulness of your video essays.
The picture you show is of Maurice wilks the designer of the landrover, you called him spencer, which was his older brothers name, who was a technical and managing director of landrover. LR was built around Maurice’s design though.
So good I had to watch it twice!
Brilliant video, subscribed!
I had a 3rd gen I sometimes regret letting go. I love the Classic but I just don't have the patience and fortitude to own an old Rangie anymore. Great video! Ill just own a Rangie vicariously through those that do have the patience, fortitude and deep pockets. Ill happily drive my American version of a Land Cruiser Prado.
First class work, calm and considered, beautiful cinematography, well researched and presented, many thanks to all involved. 🧔🐶
"alluminUM"
I will never get accustomed to that 😂😂😂😂😂
"It had doors and a roof, true luxury" 😅
This guy reminds me of Scully from the X Files dictating an autopsy. All the facts, but with some poetry and beauty to it.
Brilliant video, been looking forward to this since you did a Carmudgeon episode on it! 😂
The range Rover classic is light year's ahead of any car in it's Cass up to this day ...and it's done at a level of suffistication that is even beond the word itself ......I I own one and I just love her😅
I think the psychology behind increased love for cars like this is, that people perceive today's times as getting more and more complicated. Current car design included, but on a broader scale, hundred years back, not withstanding that on average you will have been poorer with less possibilities, due to your choices and perspectives being limited, life was simpler, certainly less cerebral. When you needed trousers you went to the one of two shops in town that had trousers. Today you'll read 50 reviews on your pair of trousers and try to find the cheapest price, order 6 different models. So, getting back to this Range Rover Classic. It's design is functional. It certainly isnt fancy. But that's the appeal of it. It's the White Album of cars.
Yes…. And I am a proud owner of a 1994 County LWB model. Love it.
Great video on a great classic, Derek! As always, thorough and well researched.
Magic, DTHS!
My aunty had a mid - late '80s example. Frightening is what i would call the cornering. Turns out it had no sway bars. Not sure if it was supposed to, but it sure needed them. Any reliability aside, new, long wheelbase, Range Rovers are one of the nicest places to sit (for the money).
Always had anti-roll bars retro-fitted to any Range Classics I've had that weren't already fitted with them.
Always admired these. They look like old money.
i love how opulently, thoroughly, and dialectically verbose hyphen is
Say what you want but the classic RR is gorgeous
Fascinating that the LR haters will still watch all the LR content footage out there and then feel the need to post negative comments. It must be an inferiority complex. And, of course, other marques of 4WDs have never ever broken down have they?
Always will have the haters. Most commonly Toyota people; I feel they’re most jealous that their favorite brand doesn’t have the notoriety & accomplishments of the Land Rover.
I’ve had both, and I’ll always take the LR/RR over any Toyota offroad.
Great video! Really enjoyed this and I love my Range rovers … 1990 classic and my troublesome L322 2005 Range Rover Vogue SE
Oh crikey 😮 - SNAP❗
I have 1991 (now with a transplanted 300tdi and ex-LR90 manual box)
and a 2004 L322 with the BMW M57 engine;
great minds think alike
😁😁😁
It’s a great combo.. I love them both
I'd say the tittle is unjust especially considering its opposite of what video really entrails. Love the range/land rover, my mum had a 1995 Diesel Manual in british green named Delta with all the off road extras including bullbar and spotlights, roof basket, lifted etc and was a real dream, I have great memories of going on multiple road trips around NZ in it with my mum when she had enough leave from the navy for two week trip every 1-2 times a year.
British Racing Green?
The green colour is a tribute to the Irish govt. which allowed racing on public roads in Ireland in 1915 when it was prohibited on roads in Britain.
Love the Mazda style gauges in the later ones. Another great video.
Fun that the General Lee (5:07) is what's shown as an example of having POWERRRR.
13:48 that car in the paddock is SO stuck hahahaha
Do they still make land rover with PTO? When was the last model made with pto
This one was good fun.
A real British legacy
SHAME on Derek - The 1963 JEEP Wagoneer - a U.S.-made, Brooks Stevens HALLMARK of Industrial Design - Standard FOUR Doors, offered Carpeting, Radio, a CHOICE of Rigid OR Independent Front Axles ( ! ), and many other Comfort & Luxury FACTORY Options - I Repeat: From 1963, incl. A/C, WELL Before the R-R got 4 DOORS -- For CRYING out LOUD, Derek !! ...
Great video
Love the video, but feels like it should be mentioned their modern driver example is a fully restored RRC from Congleton.
I must admit the only reason I bought a Classic was that it was exhibited at The Design Museum in London (in those days)! 😎
WOW❗
Feels more truckish than the 4runner. Not surprising. Toyota spent some time on the 3rd gen and up to make it more palatable to people who wanted a camry, but offroad. The steering accuracy and feel is quite good. Won't flex like a solid axle 4x4 though
I was lucky enough to own a limited (200) edition 2 door version (the CSK edition) created for the 20th anniversary. Unfortunately I rolled it over and it was written off; the nicest car I've ever owned!
That Spen King Range Rover would be worth a fortune nowadays,
even if it was totalled and still in "written-off" condition;
no doubt someone in GB would restore it
and sell it at a vast profit.
We love our RRCs. We have 3.
From 91 to 05 I was responsible for tooling approval and Engineering deviation reports of the Land rover V8 block and head.which came with the the classic and P38. I was responsible for tooling approval of TD5 code name storm head but not block.
Great video. Range Rover are quite nice cars
"quite nice?
Oh, how terribly British of you, dear chap.
😮😁😁😁🤫👍👍
Cool video! How about one on the Pajero Evolution?
great job
Where's Magasga?
Nice!
Thank you John Thomson,
Fast Show Jazz Club
😁😁😁 .. 🚬👌😉
First luxury 4WD
Haha clever job on the thumbnail! Perhaps A.I. could flip it for you
troppo bella!
a good starter car
“Airfreighting differentials from England caused a 25 day delay”.
You think they’d have used a faster plane!
I like how people from modern day look back thinking it doesn't drive like modern vehicles. Yeah out it to work and watch your modern garbage beep and buzz. This truck will never be made ever again and generations will always try to replicate it with modern engineering which simply doesn't work. Cheers
Yeah but the maintenance and repair cost is ridiculous.
@@bngr_bngr that is definitely said by someone who has never owned a Land Rover product out of warranty 🤣
@@affordabledcgenerators1607 I own several old cars. No sense getting rid of them just because they are old.
@@bngr_bngr
Er, no it isn't.
Any older vehicle will require maintenance obviously,
but Land Rover/Range Rover parts are plentiful (therefore cheap) and easy to replace (also therefore cheap).
At least with my two Range Rovers, I'm not paying a quarter of my monthly salary for products that I will never own, as I would if I was to have a new Range Rover sitting on my drive, waiting to be stolen.
@@ericdunn555 if you do your own work that might be true.
My dads was C351 UKV. Four after the launch silver vogue.
Coventry registration number;
most Range Rover test cars had Coventry registrations.
Where in California was this? Or is it just the car that is from California?
All hail the algorithm
I have a L405 and 1995 RRC. I always get compliments when I take the 95 for a spin. Truth be told, I look for excuses to drive the 95.
No locking differential on any leaf sprung landrovers.
How I wish land rover maintained its heritage..It was a big mistake to sell it to BMW and later to the lousy Indian group TATA..!!!!!!
Now it's difficult to find a reliable Range Rover because of selling this brand to groups that are money focused than quality and reliability..Now land cruiser a Japanese brand beats the Land rover brand hands down
The 1948 didn't have a locking diff. Unless you're talking about transfer case diff what's means it has regular awd then 4wd. Every time someone talks about CDL as a locking differential the rest of the world is thinking of locking axle diff. CDL is 4x4 to the Awd vehicle. The fact they didn't have it on some makes it seem special to those who have it which is stupid it should have never not had it for an off-road only company
The First rovers were part time 4x4, meaning you locked it into 4x4. They were not AWD.
Kind funny that the corvair had a easier time crossing the Darien Gap than the Range Rover...
I'm aware that they had a 4x4 truck as a support vehicle.
Since 1996 i owe a mint ans original 1978 2 door classic range rover
WOW❗
An appreciating asset;
credit to your foresight
for picking one of those up
👍👍👍
The Range Rover concept, and some (many?) of its individual elements, are brilliant, as so many fans have always cheered.
Yet, the _application_ of all the elements, into a brilliant overall vehicle, seems to have been crippled by all the usual maladies of the British auto industry. Brilliant _potential_ , but rarely (never?) fully realised.
So, to meet the persistent enthusiasm for these devices, has a variety of genuine, permanent fixes, mods, components, etc, ever eventuated? (Other than forking out the stupendous/exclusive cost 🤑😵💫of a restomod product - Kingsley and others.)
Like, overcoming the persistent leaks, the continual electrical failures, the propensity for engine leaks and overheating..?
I'm sure there's more. 😬
No, I'm not about to buy one - just curious, and _maybe_ in the future. 😏
The original Range Rover Classic is devoid of complicated electronics, very workhorse like - but with some creature comforts, very robust and easy (therefore cheap) to fix.
They are like Marmite: you either love 'em (and therefore are willing to put up with occasional foibles and dribbles) or hate em'.
I've loved everyone of 'em I've owned
(but that probably says more about me than it says about my Range Rovers).
Oh, and as you no doubt are very aware,
falling in love can take a very long time
(and can happen without you even realising
that that is what is happening).
My wife will confirm this, and she should know
(not talking about Range Rovers now, btw).
😁😂🤣🤣🤣
How can you tell this story and not mention the disastrous reliability of these trucks through their entire history.
Wheres the clips of them breaking down? And you need whitworth tools. These would sit at shops for weeks waiting for parts and the one who specialized in them charged big bucks. Rose colored glasses. You need to find one like this where a rich guy owned it, took care of it and spent on the maintenance. Any example other than well maintained stay away from
I take it you've never owned one. First, no whitworth on a RRC. Second, they are actually quite reliable compared to their contemporaries assuming you actually maintain them and don't just drive it until it breaks. Lastly, they are quite easy to work on and maintain yourself and all hard parts are readily available; the only things hard to come by these days being things like some of the interior trim and such.
The poor parts availability thing is mostly a US only thing, especially when they were still being made. Much like with the German car makers, the parts are much cheaper and quicker to obtain when you live in the UK or Europe.
Yessir US. Worked on them in the 90s into 2000s along with Jags. I do know them well. You might be right about the whit tools on these my memory serves. But I remember owners leaving their cars for months. I remember two times in particular repairs were almost double the vehicle value and the owners just left them at the shop. Never came back to get them. Sat there for years, had to get state to get the title. Shops lost money on the english cars. Alfas and fiats were the same way. They were worth so little back then and broke down often. Nice cars fun to drive but the US buyers didnt realize you had to really keep up with these. I hear you, but that's what I remember. Some are too young to know those times or look back with rose tinted glasses. These were old man suvs. They didnt mind not seeing the car for weeks or months. Unless you had multiple cars and were that rich, took a big hit with the maintenance over the years, you'd have a nice example now and the values are going up again. Only so many survived.
@@codename_wind_official The leaving cars in shops and never coming to get them back seems to be a very American thing. When it does happen in the UK, the shop owner and the owner of the car will usually agree on a price and the mechanic will either fix it up and sell it on or get the scrap money for it, at least from what I’ve been told
😀👍
"the rover V8 would become one of the greatest engines of all time" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Why is that funny though? The Rover V8 was a long lived engine that powered the Range Rover into its second generation, it powered the Rover P5B, the Rover P6 3500 and 3500S, the SD1, the Land Rover Discovery, certain models of the defender and series III Land Rover, and a huge number of British sports cars, including the Morgan Plus 8 and, in 5L form, the TVR Griffith 500 and the Chimera 500. It was an incredibly versatile V8 with lightweight construction by the standards of the time and a half decent power output for each of the displacements it came in. There were reliability issues, but as with a lot of things coming from British Leyland, this tended to be more down to quality control during manufacture rather than a design issue. In the UK, certainly, the Rover V8 was an incredibly significant engine, which still gets used in UK-built hot rods and in V8 swaps in RWD vehicles, due to the wide availability of parts, the ease with which you can obtain the engine, it’s aforementioned flexibility, and the wide range of mechanics that have experience working on these engines.
@@Jo3man96 "most significant" i could maybe get behind. Greatest? Woof.
@@therealturbofanisme It’s a pretty great engine, all things considered. What aspects do you consider when looking at what would be the greatest, or more correctly in this case, one of the greatest?
@@Jo3man96 to me it's not just popularity but the objective characteristics of the engine.
BMW's inline 6, whether you look at the M54, N52, or S54 - that architecture is astonishingly good.
Small block Chevy, for very obvious reasons.
Ford's Voodoo V8 in the GT350 for how special and high revving and unique it is
2JZ Toyota engine for how stout it is.
1UZ/2UZ Toyota V8s for their longevity and smoothness.
Honda K-series for its ubiquity + power capability
Honda's F20/F22c engines for being engineering masterpieces producing insane power and revs for its displacement
The Rover V8 got the job done, sure, and it powered some very cool vehicles. But it was never particularly great at whatever job it was doing. Almost always underpowered and thirsty.
@@therealturbofanisme being an all alloy engine in the 1960s was pretty important, and the power output, given its displacement and the time it came out, was actually pretty good, the 3.5 making 160 hp. What you need to remember is there is that american manufacturers at the time would rate horsepower when running engines without any ancillaries, including a water pump. The reduction in power ratings in the early 70s in america had a fair bit to do with changing their rating system, alongside the new regulations. MPG wise, it’s actually not much worse than my Alpina B10 3.3, which given it’s an engine design from the 1960s, and it being a V8, is pretty good going in my book.
It did an excellent job in the car it was initially intended for, the Rover P5, giving it some much needed pace, while retaining refinement that the car enjoyed with the previously used Rover I6, and did a pretty good job in the Range Rover and in its sporting applications. The 5.0L variant in the TVR Griffith 500 put out 340hp, which for an engine initially designed in the 60s being used in the 90s is extremely good. The S62 in the E39 M5 made around 50hp more, but that was a much more modern and complex engine. It was a little bit more than the SN95 mustang cobra, which was putting out around 320ho using the modular V8, a much newer engine design.
The engines you mentioned are all fine engines, but the Rover V8 should be up there with them for it’s early use of all aluminium, which made it an astonishingly light engine for the time (when they put it in the MGB, they didn’t have to alter the set up of the car, as it weighed the same as the 4 banger MG had used previously) and it’s flexibility in use, being used for family saloons, off road vehicles, and sports cars. The fact that it won the paris-dakar twice in a range rover proves its durability and capability in the off road sphere, there’s the aforementioned use in the rover P5B and P6, where it was generally praised for being refined and decently powerful for the time, and showed its capability in sports cars, especially in the morgan plus 8 and the TVR Griffith 500. It even won the BSCC (now BTCC) in a Rover SD1 in 1984 and got the DTM title in 1986, along with various other race wins in the 1980s touring car scene and a class win at the 1984 Bathurst 1000.
Great video but terribly photoshopped thumbnail
.
the first vehicle a third of the world ever saw would have been the Jeep. as it was used by the usa and its allies in ww2 and was shipped to every continent and used throughout the entire war. even after the war it was often abandoned in other countries and claimed by those who found it and they used it in their towns, cities, and villages, and in the mountains and jungles. the jeep was on every continent for 10 years or more before there was ever a land rover to arrive. its also pronounced willeez and not willis. ww2 promotional films and the entire usa military called it the willeez jeep. it was never called willis jeep...not until youtube came around, and people watched kaiser films where the goofy accent promoter sounded like willis. lets have you pronounce Willy...now add an "S" to Willy. Willys is pronounced Willeez. and willis is pronounced willis. is it really necessary to explain this to people like they are in first grade? its exhausting!
Range Rover classics are cool and good looking but they are almost completely terrible
Still cant beat TOYOTA LANDCRUISER
See, here's the difference - You buy a toyota because you don't like cars and just need an appliance that will be be the least involving possible. You buy a Range Rover, or any great car, because you WANT one. It's aspirational. Nobody dreams of owning a toyota. That's why all toyotas are beige. They are fine automobiles but utterly devoid of interest; of passion. They are the epitomy of design by committee and above all strive to be non-offensive to all as many people as possible. Do not innovate; do not take chances; do not rock the boat. Always play it safe - that is the toyota way.
@@donhappel9566 sir i m particularly talking about LAND CRUISER, not any ordinary Toyota.
@@bunt28 donhappel9566's comment still applies...
@@bunt28what’s any different than a “LAND CRUISER” than any other Toyota? I would say nothing. They’re boring and over priced.
I’ve owned both and still own Land Rover.
Meh episode😢
Bad car, avoid
Such insight - tell me more!
@@donhappel9566 😂😂 - while you own one of the greatest discos out there!
stilted, pedantic syntax.
❤❤❤❤
this is great! @straydogclassics