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Want a rugged all-terrain work horse?
Jeep, Dodge PowerWagon or maybe a custom built Ford
or Chevrolet/GMC truck was what Americans thought of.
The same answer was found in South America. Prior to
BMW's takeover of Land Rover, and then Ford in the 1990s
(now Tata), Land Rover was the European, Asian and African
answer to the same question.
The closest comparison to Land Rover has always been
Jeep, but the purchase philosophy has been different
from the beginning. Both were introduced to the public
right after World War II. Jeeps were inexpensive and
rugged, but wore out with abuse and could be replaced
relatively cheaply. On the other hand, Land Rovers were
expensive and were supposed to last a long time no matter
how they were abused.
My introduction to Land Rover was in England in the
1970s where wealthy farmers used them as gentleman's
transportation. One such farmer kept a Rolls-Royce in
his garage along with the Land Rover. Although well
used, I do not think the Land Rover got much abuse,
but he drove it with manly pride on appropriate occasions.
Today, at least in America, both Jeeps and Land Rovers
get that type of treatment and little use of their off-
road potential. How I would love to actually drive a
Land Rover across the desert and through jungle terrain
testing both my driving skills and endurance against
the vastly superior capabilities of the legendary Land
Rover.
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