RIP Bearmach. And a python in the engine bay

Iwas shocked to hear that Bearmach has gone into administration. This is a company that had been around since 1958 and I think was generally considered to be one of the leading suppliers of quality aftermarket parts for Land Rovers. Thanks to my Instagram efforts, I was an ambassador for the brand and had been for over five years. During that time I had got to know many of the employees and was struck by how supportive, fun and passionate they all were. It’s actually thanks to Bearmach that I got my Series IIA shipped from the UK over to Australia – together we hatched the rescue plan and I have no doubt it would never have happened without their support.

So what caused such a well-established company to cease trading? I am told a combination of Brexit, Covid and ill-advised operational decisions. Whatever the reasons, losing Bearmach represents a huge loss to the Land Rover community and my heart goes out to those who have lost their jobs.

I write this fresh from the All British Day – an annual car show held in Brisbane (there are similar events held nationwide across Australia). There were over 600 cars in attendance and one surprise included a Ford XR3I cabriolet (I am not sure they were ever sold here, so it was likely a personal import), which brought back memories of when I was much younger. Cars of the eighties were so much more distinctive than they are now.

Land Rovers definitely represented a sizeable chunk of the show line-up with plenty of Series Is, IIAS, IIIS and Defenders on display. I chose to take Old Girl, my 109 IIA which meant giving it a wash beforehand. Thinking about it, this was the first time I had washed it since I repainted it nearly a year ago. Land Rovers look best with a bit of grime though, right? Actually, it was quite nice to see it clean again and look at how the bodywork has fared. Old Girl was gleaming on show day and it was lovely getting so many positive comments.

Just as I was about to head home I got chatting with some guys selling various bits of Land Rover. I mentioned I might be after a Deluxe bonnet if they had one. It turned out that they did but I would have to check it out at their workshop. Luck was on my side as it was on my way home. A deal was struck and triumphantly I returned home with yet more Land Rover bits to add to my collection. It has been a big month buying up parts and this was the second such bonnet I’d bought.

In Australia there seems to be a shortage of Deluxe bonnets with the spare wheel recess. I now have three set aside for future projects – I think they look much nicer than the more common, razor edge-style. I have also bought three Rover V8s and two incomplete sets of hood sticks. The V8s are earmarked for a Series II and Series III restoration project (for which I am super excited). Ten or 20 odd years ago it was easy finding a Rover V8, but these days they are not quite so plentiful so I feel if one comes up I’ll just buy it. The hood sticks could end up on any number of future project. The last complete set I bought from the UK cost an eye-watering A$1000 in shipping.

I also nearly bought another Land Rover this month. I was browsing Facebook Marketplace and saw an advert up for a very rusty Series IIA 88in. Whilst I was not interested in buying yet another rusty 88in, a much better-looking IIA 109in caught my attention in the background. Thinking I was being smarter than everyone else, I messaged the seller asking if he might consider the 109in. He agreed to let me come and take a look at it, and that’s when he told me scores of other people had also enquired about the same vehicle. Damn it, seems you Land Rover folk are all just as cunning. And the vehicle? Well a few negatives – it has been on regular trips to Stradbroke Island as evidenced by the fish, the bull-bar and a rusty rear crossmember. The owner lifted the bonnet so I could peer into the engine bay where I was greeted by a huge carpet python. Beautiful snake and nonvenomous, but it did go some way to dampen my enthusiasm to crawl around underneath the Land Rover so I could inspect the chassis… I surmised that the car would likely need a new chassis, so I made a fair, but somewhat paltry offer. The owner has said he will have a think about it. With limited space at my workshop I now rather hope he decides not to sell it to me – there simply is no room. The current count is 12 Land Rovers (four of them are mine, the others, customer vehicles). I do sometimes look around the workshop and wonder how I got myself into this position.

After literally years of mulling over merchandise ideas, I have finally got my act together and have had stickers and baseball caps made up bearing my company logo. No, this is not a shameless plug, more an opportunity to say how hard it has been. I can’t believe how long it has taken me to approve the designs and get things into production. You can see more over on my Instagram account: @dobbo_down_under.

“The current count is 12 Land Rovers (four of them are mine). I do sometimes wonder how I got into this position”