Wikipedia definitions of Landrovers

Not bad really, considering it's an attempt to sum up over 50 years of Series/Defender models. You could write something the thickness of a workshop manual and still not cover everything in the history of the Series/Defender.

Alex

Not too bad, but I found some of the expressions amusing - for example, S2 as being "the first with modern appearance" (only because the Defender still looks the same!) or panel interchangeability for 30 years back - which takes us to late S2a times, when the panels were essentially identical back to S2; in fact if the panels are interchangeable back for thirty years, they are back for 48 years. And overhead valves are more modern than inlet over exhaust? Both were widely used before the first world war! JD

Alex nearly made me spill my Shiraz on 05/06/2006 22:06 by writing:

I'm sure Wikipedia would welcome the contributions if you wanted to add them.

Andy

As I said, not a bad generalisation. There are a few technical errors but no huge gaffes. As for panels, I can think of one part which hasn't changed since the very first S2. I believe that the tailgate from a S2 is still the same as the latest defender.

Alex

Interesting that this should come up. I made a couple of minor corrections to the main "Land Rover" entry the other day. I'm sure there is a lot people can add from this forum. It's dead easy and you don't even have to have an account to do so.

I did find it quite interesting to read though - you could definitely see some bias in the way some of it was written i.e. Anything built after the Defender is not a 'real' LR!

Matt

I find it difficult to think of panels that are the same, but there are quite a few that interchangeable - doors for example, or the cab rear panel, hard top and station wagon upper rear and side panels. In all these cases though details such as windows are different. JD

I'm firmly of the opinion that anything built after the Series III (ie anything on coil springs) is not a proper Land Rover.

Alex

Naah, the Defender was the most practical for the task that landrover made their name for --- off-road driving. The series trucks were the beginning, the Defender is the last of the factory-made off-roaders.

Those of you who just tootle around on the road in your leaf-sprungs are of course biassed.... For such stuff I'd say the first landrover released is the unbeatable one!

However landrover were about driving off-road, and for that, they peaked with the Defender. Earlier vehicles are heavily compromised by the drum brakes for a start, something that's been bought home to me by my purchase of a drum-braked off-roader!

I'd say Defender has to be included, as they follow the spirit of the thing, as does Range Rover Classic to 85, and to some extent Discovery I - i.e. designed as an off-road vehicle first, with road manners made as good as can be without too much compromise. Sadly the reverse is true these days.

Richard

Whilst I may agree, it does highlight issues with user-developed encyclopedia etc. - a "proper" encyclopedia would not have a personal bias. Though I do think that Wikipedia are pretty good in general at moderating what is on there - if I put "Land Rovers are much better than the crap produced by Jeep" it would soon be removed!

Matt

Owning a vintage Landrover is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, as one of the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder :)

I have to confess to being one who tootles around the roads (and a few gentle fields) in a 2A, not least because it's a vehicle I can take my own spanner to. But then I'm also firmly of the opinion that anything built after the Manxman (last of the classic steam turbine passenger vessels) is not a "proper ship". However, if I were a modern shipping company operator or a maritime insurer, would I feel the same? Here's to nostalgia!

Arthur

I'll partially agree with Richard the RRC was undoubtedly the motor that kept Land~rover afloat for a number of years but I would include all the iterations (I would kill for a softdash) which are just as capable offroad as the first Velars and I believe the Disco 1 is built in the same spirit ( no vested interest honest ) the car which really a) kept Land~rover profitable and b) killed the line has to be the Freeloader . Derek

On or around Thu, 08 Jun 2006 17:46:28 GMT, "Derek" enlightened us thusly:

Disco I was introduced to allow the rangie to go further upmarket, AFAIK. classic chassis and running gear with a more practical body - can't beat it, really.

Sadly the second sentence allready is incorrect. Land Rover build the

Greetings, Hans

Also not convinced about the merging of the "90" and the "110" into the "Defender" section, relatively minor though and otherwise a good page!

That's right, I believe - specifically for the Belgain Militray Police for airfield duties, so I'm told by someone who tends to know these things.

Richard

Having very nearly got the entire post 1986 parts catalogue on the site I'd have to say that the distintion between "90", "110" and "Defender" is utterly pointless - the only thing that changes at the appropriate VIN numbers is the decals. Td5's are *far* more of a disctinct model change but no one worries about that!

Richard

.. from a technical point of view. The 90/110 marked the end of the series trucks and the Defender introduced one of the most famous brands that the UK has, the 90/110 was the bridge between the two, from the past to the point we're at today. Personally I prefer a timeline to present things in the correct order as well, so the lightweights and the 101FCs etc being mentioned at the end seemed a little odd.

Aren't there differences in the engine and brakes between the 90/110 and the Defender?