Sightings - Winter 2021 - Rovers Magazine

These are the times that try one’s soul – winter is upon us here in New England. While we’re shoveling snow and scraping ice, we know of readers who are still applying sunblock. Whatever! We still thank you for the many submissions for this issue.

As always, it’s useful for novice Sighters and veterans alike to review the rules of the contest:

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 as well as their owners, and display them in a distinctive way.

Rule #2 – If your Sighting does not surprise and delight you, we’ll likely feel the same – thus, we can’t award you a mug. We expect to see Land Rovers in British television programs, British publications, films made in the UK or with African Safari themes. These Sightings are appreciated but not mug-eligible.

Rule #3 – At an ever-changing date, we close off Sightings. For this issue, the date was January 31, 2021. If we’ve mentioned the Sighting in an earlier issue, we might not have the space to mention it again. If you’re new to the community of Land Rover enthusiasts, you may not have seen your Sighting in a previous issue.

Rule #4 – We can’t outfit your kitchen. If you qualify, one mug per issue.

Rule #5 – Sightings of 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 Coveted Mug by email. If you want consideration for a mug, send us your full name and shipping address.

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

Allstate Insurance ran a terrific TV campaign called “By The Mile” and its commercials ran throughout the fall. Ashley Rock, Providence Forge, VA; Danny Finnegan, Wyndmoor, PA; Brenton Lane [see Rule #6]; Derek Leath [see Rule #6]; Nancy Salisbury [see Rule #6]; Jeremy Vimislik, Seattle, WA; John Dillingham, Canton, GA; Bo Prillaman, Vero Beach, FL; Sherry Block, Hadlyme, CT; Jim Potter, Leawood, KS; Brandon and Renee Montgomery, Summerville, GA and Steve Stricker, Oxford, MS, saw the commercial.

Catalogue creators flocked to Land Rovers for the holiday season. Dan LeVan, Boxford, MA; Kenneth Gummerson, Baltimore, MD and Andy Buck, Birmingham, AL, enjoyed seeing the Land Rover 109” on the cover of a Peter Millar catalogue. Howard Morrison, Savannah, GA; Rick Sunderland, Golden, CO; Ryan Lynch, Hudson, WI; Tom Devitt, West Lake Hills, TX and Kraig Mackett, Perrysburg, OH, spotted a Land Rover on the cover of a Yeti Hauliday Gift Guide. (Scott Just, Berkley, MI, might have seen the same catalogue, but we can’t be certain. ) Theodor Backman, Cape Coral, FL; Vincent Chung, Chappaqua, NY and Kraig Mackett also spotted the Defender 110 as part of the cover of the Summit Racing Holiday Gift Guide. The toddler daughter of Robert Jackson, Lewiston, MT, was working through the Orvis catalogue when she saw a Defender 110 in the Barbour ad section. Barry Fein, Manhattan Beach, CA, spotted the NAS Defender in the latest Aether catalogue. Frank Adcock [see Rule #6]; Matt Hutchison, Richmond, KY; Raman Sidhu, Huntingdon Valley, PA and Aubrey Taylor, Raleigh, NC, enjoyed seeing the Defender 90 SW in the Vuori catalogue.

Advertisers benefit when Land Rovers appear in their print ads. James Reed, Halfway, OR, spotted a Series III with British license plates in an unnamed ad in Vogue. KYB Auto Parts put a Series IIA on their advertisement, noted William Stewart, McMinnville, OR. Kohl’s ran a Christmas flyer special that featured a Discovery 5 ride-on toy, noted Loic Fabro, Herndon, VA.

When the Wall Street Journal wanted you to read about urbanites fleeing to challenging situations in the countryside, their lead photo was a hedge-fund looking sort standing in front of a Defender 90 soft top, noted Brent Lane, Saco, ME.

Social media outlets thrive when Land Rovers are present in their feeds. Rick Prudhomme, Hendersonville, NC, spotted a Drive Coffee can with a Defender 90 on the front and a Travelpro post with a couple lounging in a forest atop a Land Rover. Melanie Ruggieri, Southport, CT, spotted a very handsome [with Maine license plate!] 88” pickup on the Serena & Lily Instagram feed. P. T. Schram, Churubusco, IN, spotted the roofline of an LR3 or LR4 in a ProFootballTalk.com feature on Antonio Brown joining Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The British company Fat Face included a patina Land Rover in their Fall email marketing, says Kraig Mackett, Perrysburg, OH. Chris Liles, Richmond, VA, was surprised to see a RHD Series Land Rover in an online promotion for Bookings.com, when the “deals” were all in the USA. Roy Adams, St. George, UT, spotted a couple leaning against the front end of a Defender in a Costco online ad for drones.

Tom Devitt, W. Lake Hills, TX, couldn’t miss the Defender 110 on his ShopMoment photography feed. The JohnnieO clothing brand featured a Land Rover on its sponsored Instagram feed, noted Ryan Johnson, Tucson, AZ and Tyler Buck, Birmingham, AL. Melanie Ruggieri, Southport, CT and Danny Finnegan, Wyndmoor, PA, saw that Anthropologie shared a Christmas photo from a follower featuring a Defender 110 with a Christmas tree tied to the roof. Dave Bobeck, Washington, DC, spotted a Land Rover Defender exterior mirror in a BusDepot.com ad promoting its utility over a VW Vanagon mirror! When Overland Sheepskin Outfitters wanted to promote their durability and longevity, they put a Defender into their online advertising, reported Ted Jones, Fayetteville, AR. Jason Sheehy, Mount Sterling, OH, found a trio of a Series IIA, a Range Rover Classic and a Discovery I on a Carpe Diem t-shirt. Corey Anderson [see Rule #6] spotted the rear of a Range Rover Classic on his Amazon app promoting upscale winter clothing. Rob Goodall, Henrico, VA, noted that Treadwell Tires promoted its all-terrain tires using several images of a Defender. John Dillingham, Canton, GA, noted a rural English scene, complete with a Series Land Rover, on a Miaprintspro.com Instagram post.

Video producers still love to pull in eyeballs with the inclusion of Land Rovers. Chris Viola, W. Babylon, NY, spotted a Series Land Rover police vehicle in a 1978 police video. On the Discovery Channel’s “Undercover Billionaire,” one undercover contestant drives a 2020 Defender to her next location, noted Harold Basel, Latrobe, PA.

Movie producers and directors love to include Land Rovers to attract audiences. Tim Drennan, Loxahatchee, FL, noted a Defender 110 on the highway in the American movie “Vice.” As he told us, “my Rover senses were at optimal performance to see, if for only a moment!” Kip Hunsinger [see Rule # 6] spotted Nicolas Cage on the set in Dubrovnik, Croatia, with a Land Rover Defender 90 being used in the film “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” Bo Prillaman, Richmond, VA, spotted a Land Rover in the trailer for “Pennyworth.” Dixon Kenner, Ottawa, ON, enjoyed seeing a RHD Series pickup in promotions for Peter Rabbit 2. Elizabeth Prillaman, Richmond, VA, saw a Series 109” in the Christmas movie “Holly Star.” The 2009 film “Christmas on the Bayou” resurfaced and Steve Lister, Utica, OH, caught the leading man using a Series IIA as his daily driver. Bo Prillaman, Richmond, VA, spotted a trio of Defenders on an archaeological dig in “Redemption Day.” Mark Hollahan, Jacksonville, NC, reported that the couple fleeing aliens in “Save Yourselves” did so in a Series III; clearly speed was not of the essence.

Chris FitzMorris, Gotham, NH, enjoyed seeing a Land Rover 110 pickup like his in front of the British products store Craghoppers. Karen Sindar, Santa Rosa, CA, caught the Land Rover used by the nearby Prohibition Spirits distillery. Kraig Mackett, Perrysburg, OH, spotted an additional Land Rover used as a prop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida. He believes that “even Disney and Mickey Mouse are not immune to the need for more than one Land Rover!” Robert Hall, Anchorage, AK, spotted a Defender 110 holding up a surfboard shop sign in Honokaa, HI.

We’ve mentioned these Sightings before, but we thank Sighters for sharing their enthusiasm. Leslie Bright, Kingsport, TN; Ian Popiel [see Rule #6]; Jonathan Greene, Pikeville, NC; Patrice Nielson, Sterling, VA; Milton Milner, Hendersonville, NC and Bryan Peroni, Hollidaysburg, PA, enjoyed seeing Series Land Rovers again in the Orvis catalogue. PrAna clearly adores its connection with Land Rover. Chip McElearney, Seattle, WA; Lisa Monish, Pensacola, FL and Kyle Madigan, Warner, NH, all spotted the Land Rover rear door in PrAna’s Fall catalogue. Thompson Smith, the magazine’s inventive Creative Director, spotted a 109” SW in an internal PrAna marketing piece. Renee Montgomery, Summerville, GA, enjoyed seeing a Land Rover t-shirt in a Southern Point Company web promotion. Daniel Bradke, Kingwood, TX, spotted the rear of a Land Rover in an online ad for FreeFly apparel. We’re happy to see that the enthusiasts at Huckberry [featured in Fabulously British] continue to feature Land Rovers, as reported by Tyler Buck, Birmingham, AL and Chris Shane, Manhattan Beach, CA. Kevin Finnegan, Centerport, NY, spotted a Defender 110 in American Express marketing.

Winners: