Jeffrey Aronson
Victor Barden, Rome, GA, age 14, has a dream of refurbishing a Series Land Rover of his own, and upon graduation from high school, embarking on a 2,100-mile trek with his father, Norman, a majority of which will be off-road.
Victor writes, “I got into the Land Rover world by default, as both of my parents drive Land Rovers, and I have grown up with them my whole life. Land Rovers are distinctive and unique, especially the old Landies. The boxy look and the rugged style has always set them apart for me. I have always wanted to have my own Landy that I could overland and explore the world in as much as possible.”
Long-time Georgia enthusiast John Dillingham, Canton, GA, helped Victor and Norman source the lad’s first Land Rover, a ’62 Series IIA 88”. The Land Rover had sat in a field south of Carrollton, GA, with the predictable results from close contact with Mother Nature. However, in Victor’s eyes, it became the perfect start for his “Little Blue Truck” project, which will culminate in a father-son adventure.
This past summer, Victor and Norman made a trip to Vermont to stop at Rovers North to meet up with Zack Griswold, Mark Letorney and other staff members – and to purchase needed parts.
In between school classes, activities and home chores, Victor has started saving up funds for his epic project. The artistic enthusiast has designed a celebratory line of clothing and decals to help raise funds for his build.
Victor is insistent that he rebuild the Series IIA himself, with minimal help from his father. As the parable reminds us, “A man builds a house, but the house builds a man.” Rebuilding a Land Rover will also help build a man, and Norman could not be prouder of Victor’s determination.
We think that repairing and/or rebuilding a Land Rover with a son or daughter is Fabulously British, and we can’t wait to see the results of Victor’s work become another family adventure four years from now.
[Follow the Little Blue Truck project on Instagram, Facebook and
YouTube at @genisisoverlandllc -ed.]
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