Sightings: Holiday 2016 - Rovers Magazine

As winter approaches—or depending on your location, buries you—it’s time to stock up on winter supplies for your Land Rover, as well for your house. Winter preparations remained underway while Sighters from around the country turned their gaze to the sights and sounds on Land Rovers around them. Whether movies, catalogues, videos, television, or the internet, they had no problem finding lots of them!

It’s always helpful for veteran and novice Sighters alike to review the rules that govern when we award a Coveted Mug:

Rule # 1 – All Sightings receive recognition and our appreciation, but not necessarily a mug. We reward only those Sightings that capture the unique qualities of Land Rovers and their owners, and display them in a distinctive way.

Rule #2 – If your Sighting doesn’t really surprise you, it won’t surprise us, either—thus, we can’t award you a mug. We’re delighted, but not surprised, that Land Rovers appear in British television programmes, British publications, films with British themes and shows about African safaris. You shouldn’t be surprised, either, and should consider looking for other ways to get a coffee mug.

Rule #3 – At an ever-changing date before publication, we close off the Sightings; for this issue it was April 30. If we’ve mentioned the Sighting in an earlier issue, we might not mention it again. If you’re new to the family of Land Rover enthusiasts, you may not have seen your Sighting in an earlier issue.

Rule #4 – We’re not outfitting your kitchen. If you qualify, one mug per Sighting per issue.

Rule #5 – Sightings that are Land Rover references in books go to our Literary Land Rover editor for mention, but only when space permits.

Rule #6 – Psst… email submissions—remember we can’t send a mug by email. Send us your full name and shipping address, too.

Rule #7 – Grudgingly, very grudgingly, the Editor admits he might have made an error. Let us know if you think you’ve been jobbed, but all decisions of the Editor are final.

Television loves Land Rovers, but sometimes, they’re just “too hot,” reported Keith Comess, Portland, OR. He noted that an Israeli channel determined that a swimsuit advertisement with supermodel Bar Refaeli with a Defender was just “too hot.” Did they mean the model or the Defender? Jorge Shedden, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, enjoyed the same commercial. Mike Jablonski, Longmont, CO, found a glimpse of a Defender in an episode of Motor Trend’s, Dirt Every Day. Brian Jones, Raleigh, NC, spotted the Defender in the television series Preacher.

Sightings: Holiday 2016

Peter King, Signal Mountain, TN, asked, “When was the last time you saw a Land Rover on NCIS?” He noted a Series III on an episode set in the UK. Amy Burton [see Rule #6] saw the same episode. In another entry Peter King asked, “When was the last time you saw a FC 101 anywhere?” This one appeared in an episode of Hawaii 5-0. In a third, he noted the article on our overlander friends Graeme and Luisa Bell in their 130 in Outside Magazine. And a fourth included the presence of a 109 used as a camera truck by the Star Wars special effects production team. And in a fifth, he caught the scene in The Martian when the head of NASA arrives to a Chinese rocket launch in a Range Rover.

Advertisers know that Land Rovers can enhance the appeal of their products. Joseph Powell, Mount Olive, AL, noted the Defender in the Fjall Raven ad in Overland Journal. Ed Hart, New London, CT, spotted a Defender and Range Rover Classic in an ad touting Honda styling. Demetra Gordon, Bartlett, TN, and Annette Simpson, Belle Plaine, KS, noted the Defender rear window in the Sundance catalogue. Matthew Flanagan, Fair Haven, NJ, couldn’t pass by the Defender in the Oakley website. John Porter, Melbourne, FL and Matt Nelson, Sharon Springs, NY, reported a Defender in an OutsideGo.com ad, but forgot to tell us where to find the ad [see Rule #2].

Sightings: Holiday 2016

Charles Joerss, Larchmont, NY, spotted a handsome Defender 110 soft top with CT plates used for the Gilt catalogue. Danny Valdez [see Rule #6] spotted a Defender cockpit in a Travel + Leisure magazine article on viewing elephants in Africa. John Kinnear, Ridgefield, CT, enjoyed a photo of Queen Elizabeth driving her Defender in an article in Vanity Fair.

In an unusual Sighting, James Chang, San Antonio, TX, found a Defender 90 on a box of floodlight lamps he bought recently. Adam Hyder, Charlotte, NC, spotted a nice drawing of a Series I accompanying an article on gene research on the autism information site: spectrumnews.org. John Dillingham, Canton, GA, spotted a Series Rover in a book about smallpox eradication efforts worldwide. Stephanie Dias [see Rule #6] sent in a photo of the door of Coast and Country Outfitters with a beautiful silhouette of a Series 109. It appears on their website, too. Rusty Hunt, Aptos, CA, noted that a website “that you might not want to open at work” featured attractive women draped over and around Defenders—which, he noted, he actually did recognize. Bill Conn, Snohomish, WA, spotted the Defender in Northwest Brewing News used as a “beer reconnaissance vehicle”—what a noble undertaking! Ann Williamson, Sharon Springs, NY, noted the presence of military Land Rovers on coverage of the Syrian civil war.

Sightings: Holiday 2016

We’ve mentioned these in previous issues, but we want to thank Sighters for their diligence. Donald Smith [see Rule #6] noted that an email blast from Orvis featured a Land Rover. David Russell, Snellville, GA, noted the Defender in the Behr Paint commercial. Dan Anderson [see Rule #6] spotted the Series Land Rover that appeared in Woodstock. Greg Calvetti, Mt. Lebanon, PA, spotted the Defender in a Dick’s Sporting Goods poster for Eagle Luggage. Jason Sheehy, Mount Sterling, OH, also enjoyed the Behr commercial. Mac Surber, Westborough, MA, and Keith Comess, Portland, OR, noted the Defenders in the Patagonia catalogue. Marty Kilcourse, Stratford, CT, enjoyed seeing Land Rovers continue in the Orvis catalogue. Jerry Staar, Burnaby, BC, Canada, always likes the connection between the British icons Barbour and Land Rover.

Winners: