Jeffrey AronsonNothing makes me smile wider than seeing the impact of Series Land Rovers on new generations of Land Rover enthusiasts. Whether the flat sides, eye-catching proportions and bold rivets of a Series I or the barrel-roll sides of a Series II/IIA/III, the Series Land Rovers make even the most hard-hearted of styling critics’ hearts melt.
Allen Zhang, Brea, CA, clearly adores the design and styling of a Series Land Rover, so much so that he sold his much-loved ’95 JDM Discovery I when, last May, he found his ’60 Series II. No matter what he tried, however, the 2.25 L petrol engine ran rich and rough. He posted his issues online and I offered to help diagnose the problem.
His mate, Bill, tried to help Allen figure out the reasons for the poor running. Through online video feeds and phone calls, we checked the ignition system first. When all checked out, we moved onto the carburetor, which we realized was a replacement GM Rochester. Allen ordered a replacement Weber from Rovers North. When Bill sent photos via text, stating, “it doesn’t fit,” I shared them with enthusiast Mike Capozza, Scarborough, ME. He noted that the intake manifold adapter piece was missing; ordering one did the trick! If only problems with my own Series Rovers could be solved so easily.
Linking enthusiasts from coast to coast, continent to continent, is one of the many satisfying reasons to be part of the Land Rover enthusiast community. Enjoy cruising around Orange County and beyond, Allen!
As enthusiasts, we carry a torch for our beloved Land Rover family lineups. Not surprisingly (but perhaps unfairly) we worry whether the current crop of JLR leaders share our passion. In recent months, interviews with two JLR executives have allayed some concerns.
For the past two years, Sam Allen has served as the Brand Director for JLR NA for Defender and Discovery. In person and via phone interviews, his stories identify him as a “car guy.” Raised in Oxford, his upbringing included being the son and grandson of multiple generations of automotive engineers. “I grew up surrounded by cars and motorcycles,” Sam said. “My family rebuilt and restored MGBs, Triumph GT6s and VW Beetles, refurbishing the mechanicals and bodywork of both. By age 15, I’d left school and joined an apprentice program at Austin Rover. There I studied the fine points of panel work, including English wheel work.”
“After 6 years, I realized that I would need further education, and I attended Oxford Brookes University and Coventry University for my BA degrees in Auto Engineering and Mechanical Design. I worked with Land Rover and Jaguar in a variety of roles: testing engineer, Six Sigma quality assurance, etc., and became a component design and testing engineer for Jaguar and Land Rover.”
“In 2011, I moved into a more commercial role, involved in developing and assessing the cost and value determination for features such as tow assist, terrain response, automatic suspension lowering. My most satisfying discovery on the latter feature came when I realized an existing part could also achieve the suspension lowering!” For Jaguar, I served as an engineer for the I-Pace and later, a project manager for the F-Pace.”
“Two years ago, I applied for the position of Brand Manager for the Defender and Discovery in North America and moved to the US. The whole Land Rover ethos resonates with my personal love for travel, overlanding and surfing. I’m extremely proud that my job also lets me celebrate my Land Rover lifestyle.”
Sam happily attends Destination Defenders (the next East Coast event is rumored to return to upstate New York in April) and other special Defender events. Take the time to introduce yourself; he enjoys connecting with other enthusiasts.
Back in August at the Pebble Beach Concours, I entered the rarified (for me) world of the Range Rover House experience. Over the past two years in the US, Range Rover Houses have popped up in Park City, UT, and Pebble Beach, CA; internationally, Range Rover Houses have appeared in Paris, Abu Dhabi, Cape Town, South Africa and Maiim Vision Village, near Seoul, South Korea.
Generally, the closest I get to a Range Rover is when I mooch the use of one, such as Bob Steele’s ’79 Range Rover Classic or Nancy McCaig’s 2009 L322, or when JLR offers members of the media a curated test drive.
At Pebble Beach, I met Chris Cattle, who serves as the Bespoke Client Liaison Consultant with JLR SV (Special Vehicles). That posh title masks a genuine Land Rover enthusiast. As Chris told me in a phone interview, “My involvement with Land Rover started when I was 12 years old, when my father bought a used 1966 Series IIA SWB petrol truck cab Landy. I later learned to drive in it. My father had an engineering business in Redditch and my brother and I would go there in the school summer holidays and learn the art of stripping Land Rovers. We’d clean, fix, re-model and redesign the vehicles using the equipment at the company. We swapped many into V8s from the then-P5B Rovers (which we also owned alongside the Land Rovers) along with the normal modifications seen back then: roll cages, centre rear fuel tanks, alternative diffs, carburator swaps, custom exhausts and brakes upgrades.”
“Our driveway was like a used Land Rover lot, with several Land Rovers in many states of “restoration.” Our neighbors often complained about the noise of loud V8 engines and the general look — which did not fit in with the elevated area. But I was hooked, and my father also; later buying many new Land Rover Series, Discovery and Range Rover models. We belonged to the MROC (Midland Rover Owners Club) and enjoyed holidays at Eastnor with caravans and the club, entering competitive trials with a Series III LWB, Series IIA SWB Safari and a mix of SWB Series I and II with V8s.”
SV Bespoke created a one-off Range Rover L460 named “Asimolar,” honoring a unique cove in Monterey Bay, as a fund-raising opportunity for the Monterey Bay National Marine Fishery Foundation. Chris noted the design elements “were themed to align with the marine life that you see in that area. The bespoke paint scheme of two-tone blues, along with the interior fabrics, reflected the spools of light you would see on the water.” The creation of the Asimolar was accomplished remotely by a creative team “that is very well-traveled and super-talented; it’s leaders were Phoebe Lindsay and Swati Rai Dahanda.”
Chris insists that “Land Rover has always had a bespoke approach; there’s been a version of SV from the early days of the marque. From our position, SV and vehicles personalization has always remained a constant. We are involved with engineering (the Defender OCTA was an SV product), born out of our desire to create a more elite Defender. It was designed by really passionate people who had experience with elements of the Range Rover Sport suspension.”
“And I’m delighted to say that the OCTA still has its wellies on it!”
It’s equally exciting when you discover a genuine enthusiast working at a Land Rover dealership. Happily, I’ve found some recently. For example, last August I walked into the clubhouse at the Quail Resort, Carmel, CA, to wash up after off-roading at the Land Rover Experience. The glances I received from the staff reflected their doubt as to whether I belonged in such elegant quarters. Not only did I understand their skepticism, I agreed with them.
Imagine my shock when I turned around to see someone I knew: Scott Rouleau of Land Rover Santa Barbara. (To be honest, imagine his shock at seeing me there!) While I was there just trying to clean up, Scott had spent much of the day at the resort in a training program for his position as a Sales Associate.
Scott has refurbished and restored Series Land Rovers and Defenders, so I was not surprised when he walked me out to a parking lot to see a spectacular Defender 110 L316. Most recently, he partnered with Cooper Murray of the Vineyard Series to create the second Santa Barbara Series with over 50 vehicles and enthusiasts from as far away as South Carolina.
Lawrence Michelon, Virginia Beach, VA, President of ROAV, reminded me that Land Rover Richmond has served as a long-time supporter of the club and once again, provided victuals at the recent Mid Atlantic Rally. As enthusiasts, we can go a long way to help dealerships “bleed green.”