HISTORY: THE STAGE TWO STORY

Back in the 1970s, Land Rover knew it had to do something drastic to fight back against the Japanese invasion of 4x4s that were making inroads into the company’s traditional markets.

Land Rover, then state-owned, relied on government investment. Once the cash injection was approved, it came up with a twostage plan to replace the outdated Series III.

Stage One addressed the Series III’S lack of power by fitting a Range Rover V8 engine and gearbox, while Stage Two took it further and not only created a new vehicle but also transformed the factory production process.

The Stage Two Register 1976-1984 is a Facebook group set up last year for people interested in the development of the coilsprung Ninety and One Ten, the forerunners of the later Defender 90 and 110s.

The group has gathered together a number of interested parties including the owners of some hugely significant vehicles in the Defender story. Within the group there are five fully-engineered prototypes, a 100in military prototype built for the French army, at least two CWK-Y registered pilot production One Tens, EHP-Y dealer launch vehicles and two press-launch Ninetys.

There are also a significant number of owners of early production vehicles and the page acts as a platform for people to share information and occasionally source parts.

There were a number of changes to the coilsprung vehicles in the first couple of years of production and these are now being identified. This is the chance to note early developments and collect stories about how the models developed from 1976 onwards.

If you want to find out more about the Group, or if you own an early Ninety of One Ten or even a Stage 2 prototype, then take a look at the Group’s Facebook page: The Stage Two Register ’76-’84.