Santana

Hi guys

Just seen a strange vehicle parked across the road from my house.

It looks like a re-styled defender and it says "santana" on it.

Is this a Land Rover product or a modifed defender?

Thanks

Spanish built Land Rover

Nah, a good group from my younger days !!

:-))

Neither, really.

It shares the Defender 'look' as a result of them having originally built Land Rovers under licence but the Santana product has evolved in its own way. They've got leaf springs for a start.

I don't believe that there is now any direct connection with Land Rover.

Derek's provided the link.

On or around Wed, 14 Mar 2007 22:58:35 +0000, Dougal enlightened us thusly:

In days of old when me were bold, and women not invented.. oh, hang on, wrong story.

The Santana factory produced locally-assembled CKD kits up 'til the end of series III. At that time, when Lode Lane was going over to coil springs, it wasn't thought viable to re-equip the Santana factory and so the assembly of CKD vehicles stopped. Santana continued to produce the series III and developed parabolic springs which improved the ride and a one-piece fibreglass roof, ISTR. They also produced a few of their own forward-control version, but they're really hens-teeth territory.

The series IIIA (as you might refer to it) was further developed and refined into the thing they sell now, which is a damned fine truck. Iveco engines, parabolics, and a new body shell which among other things has narrower wheelboxes (and consequently wider door opening) and no seatbox to get in the way in the station wagon versions. The body is also a one-piece unit, rubber-mounted to the chassis.

not any more, no.

Typical male society - inventing drills & telegraph poles (and presumably real time communications) before women.....