text: Jeff Aronson Land Rover unveiled its newest concept car, the Range Rover Evoque, at the Paris Auto Show this summer. Autoweek reported that this stylish take-off from the earlier LRX design should appeal to “woman and fashion-conscious urbanites.” Victoria Beckham, formerly Posh Spice, has agreed to serve as “an adviser to Land Rover on [...]

After a winter of driving the QE I only around the island, the April trip to New Hampshire felt rather inviting. During the winter I had carefully made a list of all the required maintenance tasks required before departure, and assiduously avoided all of them until the last minute. For example, filing worn-out points instead of replacing them did not eliminate stumbling and bucking under load—a likelihood along the long, hilly roads across Maine into eastern New Hampshire.

Words: Jeffrey B. Aronson It’s every enthusiast’s dream and nightmare rolled into one. The newly-revived Downeast Land Rover Club put out a call in late January for a shop day, a chance to have your Land Rover poked and prodded by strangers who claim to know what they’re doing. Admit it, it’s hugely entertaining to [...]

Words: Jeffrey B. Aronson You’re probably wondering about the photo of the QEI. Yes, that’s an outhouse behind it, and no, I’m not bolting it to the Rover to create a custom Dormobile. I live in the kind of island town where you have to be careful about what you wish for; if, for example, [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson Every fall in Peanuts Lucy Van Pelt entices Charlie Brown to kick the football she’s holding for him. For decades the end result has been the same – Charlie Brown kicks at the ball just as she yanks it away. I know the feeling. You’d think that after last year’s humiliation [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson Ahem, it’s time to eat crow. Rovers North generously put my article about the QE I serving as an appealing prop for an L.L. Bean catalogue shoot on the cover of the Winter 2009 issue. In addition, I found myself compelled to mention its appearance to most of the 1,200 people [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson
While driving the QE I, my ’66 Series II-A 88” SW, down Vermont’s I- 91 late one winter, I noticed the power dropping off dramatically. Good fortune dictated that this would happen right near a rest area so I coasted in and opened the hood. Nothing looked amiss electrically so I pulled a spark plug, and then all four. Each plug resembled a licorice stick. A sooty, oily gunk covered up what should have been the electrode gap. I cleaned each plug in turn, screwed them back in, started up the car and continued on my way.

Two questions sprang to mind. How did the plugs get so coated, and how on earth did the car keep running? The latter question underscores one of the endearing qualities of Land Rovers. Unlike their owners, they don’t show their age.

This past week in Maine, over 145,000 homes lost power in a storm that began early Monday morning. Three days later, over 20,000 homes and businesses remain without electrical service. Regional power companies note that the high amount of snow, poor road conditions, and extreme weight of the moisture-laden snow all contributed to the slow [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson Whenever I change the oil and filter on either Land Rover, I also check the fluid levels in the transmission, transfer case, overdrive, front and rear axles, swivel balls and steering box. It’s very telling that the latter items – professionally replaced on the QE I by East Coast Rover with [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson A fisherman friend came up to me in our island’s village parking lot, a wharf on the edge of the main harbor. “You know, Jeff,” he said, “You can actually buy cars made after 1980.” He then touched the door handle on his family minivan and watched the door slide open [...]