Friday, May 1, 2015

The Range Rover Experience...

Held in prestige, the Range Rover has been the vehicle choice for upper class Britain and her shrinking Commonwealth for decades. Feature rich and capable, the 1970 introduction of a permanent 4wd mid sized vehicle encouraged trans-continental overland explorers to adopt and prove the capability of the new Land Rover brand. The 1971 crossing of the Darien Gap by Range Rover, led by Colonel John Blashford-Snell, proved the Range Rover but required plenty of air support to fly in axles and other important items that needed re-engineering.
Photo Credit: Range Rover Classic Website
Roll on the 1980's and Range Rover needed a new proving ground for their vehicles.  The Camel Trophy, only a year old, introduced the Range Rover as the flagship 4x4.  Not many vehicles exist after the event as it was rumoured that Land Rover had all the participant vehicles crushed.
Source: http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1126885
Although capable, this vehicle has not inspired independent overlanders to adopt it as a trusted platform, preferring the rugged Defender and even the Discovery.
The question remains: Why is the Range Rover not popular?  A fact: the Mercedes G-Wagen has more trans-Africa trips associated with it than the Range Rover!
Range Rover vs Defender 110


TV Series: Breaking Loose - A family in Search of Roots

Jusalulu
Five years ago, Luca and Sameena (plus two kids), departed Italy for Pakistan via North Africa.  The orange Fiat truck became their home for two years, during which they filmed the journey,  the highs and lows of trans-continental overland travel.

The TV Series has just been released with a wonderful introduction about the journey.  Unfortunately, the Vimeo clip can't be embedded so head over to GA&A:  Breaking Loose - A Family in Search of Roots