STARS OF STAGE TWO

The Stage Two Register 1976-84 marks the transition from leaf-sprung Series to coil-sprung Defenders

The Stage Two Register 1976-84 was set up last year by and for people interested in the development of the coil-sprung Ninety and One Ten. Thanks largely to its Facebook group it already has a large following of enthusiastic members.

The next step was to bring together the group’s members and vehicles, so the Register had its first public outing earlier this year at the Classic Land Rover Show at Gaydon, managing to put together an impressive line-up of these special – and now rare – vehicles. They ranged from a Stage One prototype from 1976 all the way through the Stage Two programme to the very special press launch Ninety with the registration number A90 JVC, which was featured in many of Land Rover’s first Ninety press releases.

This line-up was the most significant gathering of prototype and launch-event Land Rovers seen outside of the Dunsfold collection and showed the DNA of the Stage Two project from concept to production.

One of the leading members of the group, David Maingot, owns a number of these special vehicles, including the aforementioned press launch Ninety A90 JVC and a military rocket launcher high capacity pick-up, A177 GVC.

Stage Two Register founder member Ben Stowe brought CWK 6Y down from York with his family, towing a period caravan. The vehicle had been unused for a while and he had a rush to get it booked in for an MOT before the weekend. It was definitely worthwhile because he met up with a former Land Rover Demonstration Team member who recalled driving it back in 1983.

Stuart Martin got his 100in Military prototype DKV 540T back on the road again after a long lay-up, while Emrys Kirby brought his 1976 Stage One prototype RHP 175R.

Dave Harlow brought along his tidy very early production Ninety, which rounded off the story from the Stage Two project conception to finished Ninety and One Ten.