Two Trip to Amsterdam
LRM jumps in with Gary Pusey and his supercharged 1949 Series I as they join the Land Rover Series One Club (LRSOC) on their one-of-a-kind commemorative pilgrimage to Amsterdam
LRM’S Patrick and Gary join the Land Rover Series One Club’s 70th birthday pilgrimage
Land Rover turned 70 on April 30 this year. Why that date? Well it was on that specific day in 1948 where three (some sources say two) of their 48 pre-production Land Rovers were shown to the world for the first time at the RAI Automobiel Teentoonstelling, also known at the Amsterdam Motor Show. For some the Land Rover light bulb moment is still the pioneering Maurice Wilks, the then engineering director at Rover, drawing in the sand on the Red Wharf Bay beach in Anglesey. For automotive historians there is no doubt that the official public Land Rover story began on the first day of that now famous Dutch car show.
While there are countless events to celebrate this milestone (see LRM special 70th anniversary issue April 2018), the LRSOC’S Amsterdam Pilgrimage, which was taking place almost 70 years to the date of the 1948 show, was one we just had to attend. Step up to the plate LRM contributor and Land Rover historian Gary Pusey, who owns a 1949 Series I 80-inch with some serious bark – it has a supercharged 2.0-litre Rover engine under the bonnet, so it can comfortably sit at 70 mph on a motorway. We are sure that Arthur Goddard, the first-ever Land Rover engineer, who attended the 1948 show, would approve. I meet Gary and Toad (his Series I has a bronze toad on the bonnet) at the Harwich port where we say goodbye to the Green Mamba, my Defender 110.
The Toad looks a little nervous as we board the big Stena ferry for the overnight trip to Hoek van Holland. After a great night’s rest we dock and hit the wrong side of the road. Amsterdam is only 50 miles way but while the Toad might be faster than a regular Series I, it is still pretty uncomfortable, so we do allow ourselves a coffee stop at the halfway mark to the city.
The weekend gathering is taking place at Camping Het Rietveen, Landsmeer which lies just to the north of the city. The weather gods approve of our gathering and they have treated the city to high summer temperatures. The grassy campsite is full of green trees and some faded and some shiny Series Is. If you look at an aerial shot of the Landsmeer, it looks like Botswana’s Okavango Delta; the green bits of land are surrounded by hundreds of waterways and the campsite is no different.
There are 34 vehicles in attendance and 31 of these are Series Is. There are supposed to be a few more here but some have suffered mechanical issues. Verner Jensen who was travelling here from near Copenhagen in Denmark in a 1950 80-inch suffered engine issues. Mechanics worked on his Land Rover, which was only 80 miles from the campsite,
for three hours but he was not able to continue. So he rented a vehicle and drove home. Sondre Mollestad who lives near Oslo in Norway tried to make the trip in his 1957 88-inch. Sadly it suffered differential failure just before he set off. Suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) Sondre transferred all his gear into the Volvo but unfortunately that broke down on the way to the ferry! Some things are just not meant to be.
Our arrival at the comfortable campsite coincides with the start of the scheduled Saturday scenic drives. Andrew Cross from the LRSOC is handing out road books and there are two routes to choose from or else we can just do both! The nearby Kiss Bakery has kindly donated lunch packs for all those in attendance.
There are nearly one million bicycles in Amsterdam and
“It is without a doubt one of the best Land Rover parties I have ever been to"
it seems as if they are all currently in the Landsmeer area as there is a bicycle race taking place along the first route. The Dutch are a fit and friendly bunch and they are quick to smile and wave when I get my camera out.
One of the highlights of the route is the town of Zaanse Schans where they have tried to create a 18th/19th century feel with period-correct traditional buildings. It feels as if we are driving back in time and we stop at the windmill museum to take it all in. We are not alone, this is tourist central and we leave as soon as a few bus loads of tourists arrive, though they seem more interested in our Series Is than the impressive windmills. The Dutch seem to make productive use of every single square inch of their tiny country and we admire the many tidy farms we pass. Thanks to the great weather many families have taken to the canals in their boats.
The highlight of the whole weekend happens later in the afternoon when all in attendance head for the new RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre in Amsterdam, home of the current Amsterdam Motor Show. Unfortunately the original site of the 1948 show has now been converted into apartments so we cannot go there for a group photo. We are honoured to have Tim Dines with us. Tim owns the oldest and most significant vehicle in our group, pre-production Land Rover number three, which was one of the Land Rovers at the 1948 show! Our friends from Holland have made a lovely banner with a picture of Tim’s Series I and the original RAI building on. It’s almost 70 years to the day when Land Rover first showed Tim’s Land Rover to the world and here we are in almost exactly the same spot that they did it. It does feel special to be a part of this rather unique celebration. All the Series Is in attendance neatly line up in front of the shiny new centre.
The celebrations continue at the campsite. Cees Vervat, the chairman of the Dutch Land Rover Register, delivers a speech and hands out a sweet orange shot for everyone to down. Andrew Cross has arranged a cake and it’s only fitting that Tim has the honour of cutting the first piece. The next minute we are all singing Happy Birthday to Land Rover. I get chatting to Clemens Kuenstner from Aulendorf, Germany, who has driven his 1957 Series I LWB 109-inch up for the weekend. It’s much further than what we had to drive and I only have respect and admiration for people
who have done the same. Everyone then enjoys the communal meal and the Amstel lagers flow late into the night. It is without a doubt one of the best Land Rover parties I have ever been to.
As the centre of Amsterdam is more geared towards bicycles than nearly 70-year-old Land Rovers, most of the group take a bus into the city the next morning. Gary and I need to head towards Maastricht where we are interviewing one of the most famous and respected Land Rover families in the world, the Houbens, for a future issue of LRM.
Once again the sun is out and my watch tells me that it is 29°Celsius again. The Rover engine is working hard in the heat and when we stop for fuel we notice a brown liquid on the ground – it’s from the radiator. We top up the water and the oil and the Toad is fine for the rest of the trip. It takes us about two and a half hours to cover the 150 miles to Maastricht. Not bad for a 69-year-old Series I. So, the next time you are in Amsterdam stop for a moment and reflect on the significant role this city played in our history.