Jack Dobson
Our man Down Under is back in Blighty with JLR hotshots
THE last four weeks I have been back in the UK visiting friends, family and getting a gigantic fix of Land Rovers. The last time I was over here was a very brief visit five years ago. With that hideously long flight over here I felt this time it needed to be for a decent spell. I arrived on the hottest day of the year, a blistering 38 degrees at Heathrow. This was not how I remembered the weather in the UK! I was met by a representative of Jaguar Land Rover who led me to an Evoque which somehow I had managed to wangle for a week. This was the first time I had seen the new one and it was a lovely car to drive. The joystick for selecting drive is a definite improvement over the dial its predecessor had and I like the updated styling. It is a bit like a mini Velar.
My destination for the first night was a beautifully rustic pub nestled in the heart of Exmoor. It was great to have proper pub food and a pint of ale! Simple pleasures.
Next day I visited Exmoor Trim. Nancy, their Marketing Manager, very kindly agreed to give me a guided tour of their factory and new showroom. They seem to have a great team and their passion for Land Rover and their products was evident as I was led round all the stages from production through to despatch. It is quite staggering how many trim options they now offer.
My next stop saw me visiting Bearmach in Wales. I have been an ambassador for them for a couple of years and whilst I have had lots of contact with Nicole and Danielle from their marketing team, we had never actually met. Persuading me to swap my flip-flops for more sensible shoes, they gave me a tour which included their array of shiny new galvanised chassis. It is a huge operation and mind boggling the amount of orders they process each day. I could have stayed there all day but it was time to jump in the Evoque and head to Solihull.
Now, I claim to be a Land Rover enthusiast but weirdly I had never been to Solihull before. I located a hotel on Lode Lane (could it really be anywhere else?) and suffered very little sleep due to a combination of jet lag and overexcitement. The next morning I found myself driving onto the hallowed ground. Range Rovers, Discoverys, Velars and Evoques were everywhere. Ridiculously enthused, I was guided through to the Land Rover Experience which included a tour of the factory and of course the legendary Jungle Track. The sheer scale of the factory and the technology used to manufacture the vehicles is hard to describe. Truly awe-inspiring stuff and I think all Land
Rover enthusiasts need to see it for themselves. I actually think the tour would be interesting to anyone, even those without an interest in cars.
After taking Range Rover Vogue round the Jungle Track I was met by Michael Bishop driving ‘Cambridge’, the 1954 86in Trans-africa Expedition Series I. We headed over to Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works. In contrast to Solihull there was very little automation going on, instead each vehicle had several people working on them. As well as the more vintage vehicles there were also several Defender V8 works undergoing their transformation. It looks like the V8 was meant for the Defender. I really want one!
Jumping into Cambridge (one of the most rapid Series Is I have ridden in) we called in at Public Relations Manager, Kim Palmer’s place to have a look at his gorgeous 90 Heritage and talk all things Land Rover.
The following day saw me back at Classic Works with Michael where I was allowed a closer look at all the vehicles including the Range Rover Classics. The level of detail and painstaking lengths they are going in resurrecting these vehicle is unbelievable. It is like being transported back in time to when they first rolled off the production line. Seriously impressive stuff and far beyond anything I could create.
Next we took Michael’s AC 260 preproduction Series I out for a run on his unofficial tour of Land Rover landmark locations including Packington Ford where the promotional video of the very first Land Rovers was shot. Not surprisingly this was my first run in such an early vehicle. I was surprised how quick it was and how effective its brakes were. I was handed the keys and found myself piloting this hugely-historically significant vehicle. No gears were grated and, despite my nerves, I actually found myself rather enjoying it. Could the day get any better? Big thanks to Michael and Kim for giving me such a fantastic time.
That afternoon I reluctantly drove to Kelmarsh for the Land Rover Show. I say reluctantly because it was pouring down and the only footwear available to me was a pair of trainers or my flip-flops. I was going to get wet feet. Ignoring the rain it was actually quite a fun and day and I met lots of great people including the editor of LRM who very kindly sorted out my accommodation for the evening, thanks Pat. I was also able to pick up a few parts for my Australian fleet which I managed to successfully hide in Leah’s suitcase.
“The level of detail and painstaking lengths they go to [at Land Rover Classic] in resurrecting these vehicles is unbelievable”
■ When Brit Jack Dobson emigrated to Australia in 2010 he brought his passion for Land Rovers along with him.