Jeffrey AronsonLance Estes, Atwater, CA, has watched every video on the “First Overland” and “Last Overland” expeditions, featuring “Oxford,” the 1955 Series I that, in 2020, crossed the US. He has the books by Tim Slessor and Alex Bescoby. When he heard rumors that JLR’s The Great Expeditions display at last month’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance would include the storied Land Rover he’d never seen in person, he drove 2 ½ hours to Carmel, dropped $100 to park his car and walked onto the Pebble Beach grounds in search of his Holy Grail. Not only did he see Oxford — he got to ride in it.
Pebble Beach officials reported an event attendance of 20,000 and most attendees wound up crowding around the ten Land Rover expedition vehicles on display at the Concours. In my eyes, they edged out the 229 Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Duesenbergs, Packards, Rolls Royces, Mercedes and other marques on display along the fairways.
In 2024, JLR and Land Rover Classic broke new ground at the nation’s premier Concours d’Elegance — one of the most significant worldwide — with their display of the Land Rovers of Queen Elizabeth II. That Land Rover display presented the story behind each of the Royal Land Rovers; this year, placards told the stories behind each expedition from 1950 to 2013. Jaguar Land Rover Classic’s Mike Bishop and JLR NA’s Jeff Ehoodin worked for a year to find, prepare, transport and organize the display. While Jeff worked on the logistics with the Pebble Beach team, Mike used his international contacts to curate a remarkable collection of Land Rovers that did “important things.”
No velvet ropes or chains separated the Land Rovers from the show’s attendees. Doors remained unlocked. Placards in front of each vehicle told their impactful stories; the presence of Land Rover Classic curator Mike Bishop, Pollyanna’s current steward/owner Tom Pickford (both from the UK) and US private owners Tyler Lucks and Ike Goss answered questions and filled in details all day. You felt sorry for the classic car contestants parked nearby as their stunningly restored cars seemed neglected compared with the historic Land Rovers.
The show field did not provide the only locale for celebrating Land Rover history. Pebble Beach offers many forum presentations over the four days of the event. Land Rover added significantly with a fascinating panel comprised of JLR Classic’s Mike Bishop, Overland Journal founder and Land Rover enthusiast Scott Brady, Tom Pickford and moderator Jeff Ehoodin of JLR NA.
The Great Expedition Land Rovers included:
and team: Alaska–Cape Horn, crossing the Darien Gap
Once again, JLR opened a Range Rover House to the enthusiast community. As you entered the grounds, you spied an original VELAR prototype Range Rover, Bob Steele’s 1979 Range Rover Suffix F, a 1971 Range Rover from the British Trans-America Expedition – complete with dents, bruises and worn interior — a Silk Trail Range Rover diesel hybrid and the majestic 2025 Range Rover SV Asilomar. You could ask questions of Range Rover Special Vehicles Director Chris Cattle, take a test drive in one of several Range Rover models, view presentations of Range Rover’s 55-year history, and meet hundreds of other enthusiasts. The product specialists and Land Rover Driving Team instructors saw to it you were thoroughly spoiled, visually and gastronomically.
All the major auction houses opened up for business that week. In addition to hundreds of vintage and classic cars, we spied an 80’ Series I Land Rover Reborn at the Gooding/Christies auction building. In our eyes, it stood out from all the Ferraris, Shelby Cobras, Lamborghinis and Maseratis that filled out the lot. And I’d love to take credit for timing my Lyft ride up the traffic-clogged 17-Mile Drive to the show field to the exact moment that the Land Rover convoy headed toward our ride-share. Sitting in a traffic jam for 20 minutes never felt so good.
The Pebble Beach Concours’ Sandra Button said, “This special class gives us the opportunity to celebrate cars that made their mark by forging new paths through some of the most difficult terrain on our planet.” Joseph Griskonis, Santa Cruz, CA, joined many other automobile enthusiasts at the Land Rover display. He summed up their reactions when the owner of an ’06 LR3 gushed, “Yes, there were a lot of perfectly restored cars at Pebble Beach, but these Land Rovers were the stars!”
Jeff Ehoodin, organizer of the “Great Expeditions” display, Senior PR Specialist, JLR North America
“Our adventure heritage is a primary element of our genetic code. Expeditions form a central part of the marque’s adventure in concert with our contribution to our motor sport history. Sharing these vehicles with the public is such a natural thing to do, a way to give back to the automotive community. It enables us to present something inherent to the Land Rover marque. Each of these ten Land Rovers, Range Rovers and Discoverys tells stories of the vehicles and the adventurers who traveled in them. These stories, past and present, are deeply embedded within the DNA of the brands.
I had the honor of driving a 1998 Camel Trophy Defender 110 300 Tdi support vehicle Land Rover with overland legend Scott Brady over the weekend. It was my first time driving this engine configuration. As we crossed the presentation ramp in front of thousands of automobile enthusiasts, my first thought was, “I don’t just want one, I need one of these!”
The public response to “The Great Expeditions” exhibition was overwhelmingly positive, and we were delighted to share this curated display as a way to give back to the automotive community at large.”
Mike Bishop, Land Rover Classic UK
“My friend, Jeff Ehoodin of JLR North America, asked me to curate a set of ten historic Land Rover for this year’s Pebble Beach display. One of my aims was to put together an underlying theme of expedition travel through the Americas. (which was most of the Land Rovers if you take Oxford’s recent successful US tour into account, an expedition I was personally involved with), but I also decided to add the Range Rover Hybrid Silk Road Expedition to the mix.”
“Another aim was to highlight the Land Rovers registered or owned by JLR North America. For example, Barbara Toy’s “Pollyanna” was taken back by the factory in 1959 in exchange for the Series II, and just fits that situation. A third aim was to highlight the work of Gethin Bradley, Land Rover’s PR man of the 1950s and early 1960s, a team member of the 1954 Oxford & Cambridge Africa Expedition and a good friend of mine in his later years. He cast the die that is the Land Rover expedition genre, and it was a pleasure to see it celebrated after 75 years.”
Scott Preston
“Since childhood, stories of overland expeditions have thrilled me. As a kid I wore out my VHS tapes of Camel Trophy competitions and the British Darien Gap expedition. So when I heard that JLR Classic and JLR North America would create the Great Expeditions display at the Pebble Beach Concours, I jumped at the chance to attend.
Like me, many enthusiasts stopped to take pictures and lean against the Land Rovers and Range Rovers; a few even crawled underneath or sat inside them. One man told me he had driven hours from Sacramento and paid a hefty entry fee just to see “Oxford,” the 1950 Series I of the First Overland Expedition. He had brought along his autographed copy of Tim Slessor’s book and pressed it against the oily underside as if anointing it. He received permission to sit in the driver’s seat and looked moved to tears.
The presence of these Land Rovers allowed us to reach into the past, to connect to adventures we yearned to undertake. In some way, many of us are looking to undertake on our own expeditions, not to break records or go farther or faster but to become an adventurer, to take our own journey and to stand on the shoulders of giants that have come before.
My weekend culminated in an unexpected treat when I got behind the wheel of the Camel Trophy Defender 110 support vehicle. My jaw still hurts from my ear-to-ear grin! Many bystanders watched our final procession, yelling to us that we had the best display at Pebble Beach. One bunch signaled their appreciation by lifting — in unison like Olympic judges — their auction paddles with 10s on them!”
Bob Steele
“When Mike Bishop of JLR Classic [UK] mentioned that he needed a Range Rover Classic two-door, I modestly suggested he consider “Bernie,” our ’79 Range Rover Suffix F. Many hands, including those of Mike and Rovers North’s Mark Letorney proved instrumental in the 7½ year restoration. To my delight, Mike chose “Bernie” to represent the marque to US enthusiasts at the Range Rover House at Pebble Beach.
Land Rover Classic curated a collection of notable Range Rovers to be on hand for the Pebble Beach Concours, including an original Velar — a 1969 prototype leading to the production of the original Range Rover, the Darien Gap Suffix A Range Rover (on loan from the British Motor Heritage Museum and one of the two known remaining Great Divide Range Rover Classics. At the Range Rover House gatherings, just before the Concours day, these important early builds joined the bespoke Range Rover SV Asimolar Edition. I shared the history of “Bernie” and the historic details of the original Suffix Range Rovers with hundreds of guests. What a sight to see both the original Range Rover and new models featured prominently!
As a JLR corporate executive noted, “‘Bernie’ was the belle of the ball!”
Gail Longstreth, @gailsgarage296
To a young car enthusiast like me, the hardy ‘72 British Darien Gap Range Rover, complete with its expedition dents, took its rightful place on the grounds as I approached the Range Rover House. I was delighted to find it still fully equipped with all its original expedition gear and battle scars from its successful journey across the Darien Gap. This Range Rover proved the brand’s legacy of versatility and durability fifty years on. I found myself thrilled by Range Rovers both old and new.
Inside the Range Rover House, I stood in awe of the thorough display of the new bespoke Range Rover customization options before encountering the exhibit’s shining star — a one-off, fully bespoke, beautifully specced Range Rover SV Asilomar. I was stunned by the ombre blue paint scheme featuring no less than three hues, which was well-complemented by a luxurious light blue interior and exterior chrome accents. I’d go so far as to say it might be the marque’s most beautiful car, which bodes well for Range Rover’s bespoke program. Exploring the compelling vintage and modern Range Rovers at Range Rover House was a highlight of my Monterey Car Week!
Jamie Tam, JLR Product Specialist
Working the Range Rover House is a different atmosphere than Destination Defenders, but I love working both. The Range Rover event feels more exclusive in comparison, especially with the presence of the Range Rover SV Asilomar as the capstone of the generations of Range Rovers on display. I so enjoy the enthusiasts who attend each event; at this Range Rover House, the atmosphere was incredible. We worked very hard to make their experience above and beyond, to remember our guests’ names and faces from previous events. We want our guests to feel as if we share a genuine friendship for the marque as well as for them.
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