Officially hooked
Our deputy ad manager has convinced his wife that the green oval is the way forward
My name is Louise. You may have read about me, because at time of writing I’m the fiancée of LRM’S Land Rover-mad deputy advertising manager, Steve Miller. I’m writing this just two weeks away from getting married and I’ve bought a new car, having sold my beloved Toyota Auris Hybrid. I say new car very lightly as it is, well, not new. It’s a 1998 three-door Discovery 1, fitted with a 300Tdi engine.
My Toyota had been a thorn in Steve’s side for over three years since we first met. The seating position gave him a bad back to the point where his moaning became intolerable. The visibility was reduced because of the large side pillars, and the benefit of having a hybrid (electric motor for town use) part of the car never got used to its potential as we drive mostly on faster country roads and A-roads. The list of why this car was unsuitable seemed to go on.
Finally, I’d had enough and decided to buy something more comfortable. Steve soon piped up and said that our good friend, Farmer David, was thinking of selling his Discovery. Bear in mind I’d never even seen it, but Steve described it as in really good condition for its age, low mileage and maintenance costs. Plus, we could always enrol our mate Pete as chief mechanic (no more main-dealer Toyota bills), and I could carry out basic servicing myself. To be fair, I thought it sounded like a great deal and I have liked all of Steve’s Land Rovers that he has owned in the past, so I agreed.
We advertised my Toyota for sale and within three days it had been sold and collected. We headed over to get my new car from Farmer David and I took my first ever drive in it.
Yes, it smelt like mould and it was full of cobwebs, but I didn’t care. I was instantly hooked! It needed a damn good clean and I have to add my own personal touches to it, but it drove really well. Steve felt a little bad as it was the polar opposite to what I was used to. He kept asking me if I was okay and had I made the right decision selling a 2010 lovely shiny car for this – a smelly old Land Rover – but I am more than just okay with it, I’ve even joined the Discovery Owners Club.
The local guys at the car wash did a fantastic job of valeting the Disco and I soon put my bits and bobs in it. The novelty has definitely not worn off because I love driving it; the visibility is amazing and I enjoy the high driving position. The seat and arm rests are so comfortable. I think I will be very happy with my new car.
After going to a number of Land Rover events I have met a lot of enthusiasts and have the utmost respect for them. They’re genuine, hard-working people who enjoy their vehicles so much they would travel all over the country just to show off their work and meet other like-minded enthusiasts. I hope I can get my hands dirty with my car as I think I am equally as enthusiastic about Land Rovers as you all are.
I’ve made my list of jobs to do on the car and can’t wait to get started on them... Watch this space.