End of an era?

[Richard Moss]

If we use the "same broom, but with 2 new heads and 3 new handles" argument above, the "The world's longest-serving vehicle" claim gets beaten by Jeep as its Civilian models started being produced in 1945, three years before Land Rover.

Indeed, and by the same token, Toyota's claims for the Corolla being the worlds best selling cars are crap because they have been through about 9 generations.

[UKJeeper]

Indeed, and by the same token, Toyota's claims for the Corolla being the worlds best selling cars are crap because they have been through about 9 generations.

Don't get me started on Jeeps claim that the 2014 Grand Cherokee is "the most awarded Jeep ever* "



* across all versions of the Grand Cherokee. ZJ, WJ, WK, etc. NOT just this latest, completely different version.

[TerryG]

They say that every year, I just tune out to car adverts.

[UKJeeper]

They say that every year, I just tune out to car adverts.

Well, they are for new cars, and who on this forum wants one of those?!

[Grumpy Northener]

Due to nature of the day job - I need a decent 4 x 4 for towing / mud plugging up & down access tracks / river bank work etc - but it needs to double as road transport / daily - I cover a lot of miles - the current one (Hi Lux HL3 double cab) is 12 months old in mid November and already has 40,000 miles on it's back, so it needs to be comfortable. Most of the 4 x 4's out there are good at doing the towing / mud plugging job but few are comfortable and the Defenders cramped cab and over upright driving position along with the fact that the window has to be down so you can put your elbow out of cab just outdates it by 20 years.

However, it's not on it's own the Hi Lux I have is a 30 year old design just dressed up for today - and hell it's uncomfortable - it's has though they never thought about the driver when designing it The best all round 4 x 4 that I have driven over the past few years is Nissans Navara - did everything I ever asked of it and was really good comfortable to drive motor over the 150,000 miles that I had it for.

[Phil P]

UKJeeper is quite right. The CJ series just carried on from the Willys MB. The US Navy carried on using CJ2's and 3's when the MB production stopped. The original Landie was a Willys jeep 'Roverised'. That is why the wheelbase was 80 inches and the track was basically the same also wheel sizes. The Bantam jeep was designed and built in 49 days! When you design and build something that quick and base it on sound engineering and experience you don't have time to mess with the design after and bugger it up!! Thats 40 years of being a design engineer talking. Karl K Probst the original jeep designer got it right first time. It was his skill and knowledge that the Land Rover a success. I believe that Wolverhampton truck builder Guy Motors Ltd designed and built the first British 4x4 long long before Land Rover and even before Willys.

Sad if it's true about the Land Rover Defender but when I worked there 10 years ago they were assembling just as they did with the Series 1. That can't be cost efficient. I believe there is still a good market for an absolutely basic Land Rover like a Series 1with a full canvas top and where even rubber mats on the floor are an extra.

[TerryG]

The defender is still largely hand built. I can't find my bookmark to a youtube video showing the defender production line but it is very "model T"

[UKJeeper]

@phil p, yes, the first Lardy prototypes were Willy's (or maybe GPW 's?) underneath with recycled Spitfire (aircraft, not Triumph) metal used to make the bodies. Story has it that that choice was made because after the war steel was in short supply but aluminium was readily available.

The first CJ' s had a range of optional extras that would have made the LR's from the same era look... underequipped. Ploughs, piledrivers, forklifts, diggers, saws etc. They were the Unimogs of their day.

[UKJeeper]

@grumpy northerner, have you considered a diesel Toyota FJ80 or FJ100? Strong enough to tow your house, but very comfortable inside. Last for ever as well, as their resale prices reflect.

[Grumpy Northener]

grumpy northerner, have you considered a diesel Toyota FJ80 or FJ100? Strong enough to tow your house, but very comfortable inside. Last for ever as well, as their resale prices reflect

Unfortunately I am at the mercy of the bean counters - it's what ever deal with leasing company that they can do when it comes up for renewal, they are consistently moaning about the fuel efficacy of 4 x 4's in the fleet and if they had their way they would have us driving Smart cars - funny that they never get from behind their desks and come out to site to discover what the job entails & what the vehicle requirements are.