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.
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| 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.
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!
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| Range Rover vs Defender 110 |
