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August 23, 2006
A classic gets an update
Land Rover announced the changes to the venerable Defender, perhaps my favorite same-as-it-ever-was SUV.
Look at the lines, nearly the same now as they were twenty years ago -- the very picture of utilitarian purpose, of form following function.
I particularly appreciate the 90-degree angle where the roof meets the rear of the truck, the antithesis of modern, aero design. More "stylish" SUVs have a forward rake of the back end, creating a downward slope of the roofline as it passes beyond the rear doors, supposedly helping the truck cut more efficiently through the air, but also cutting into the available storage capacity of the vehicle.
It's what I liked about my old truck, a Dodge Raider, which was actually a re-badged Mitsubishi Montero (I used to say the only thing Dodge made on the truck was a small profit). Derided by the critics as a passe design, suffering from its boring boxiness, I loved it because it simply made no concessions to style -- and consequently had something of a timeless air about it. It never looked old or out of date.
The Defender has that same quality. Having avoided the latest trends in automotive design, it simply remains ageless in its form and function.
And now the Brits are offering it in a hi-tech, fuel-sipping diesel version. Praise be!
Now, if we can only get them to import it to the Colonies, my Land Rover lust can be satiated.
Posted by Mike Lief at August 23, 2006 07:35 AM
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Comments
This design looks like a 1974 Bronco I had. The 66-77 Bronco's were the only thing Ford did right.
The only experience I had with a LR wasn't a very good one. 4-wheeling at Kaena point, western tip of Oahu, I had to pull my buddy's 10+ year old Rover out of the mud a few times. There was also something wrong with his engine and would frequently die.
Admittedly, those faults were probably due to poor maintenance and not engineering issues but the Land Rover doesn't look like a tough vehicle to me. I know it is, but it just looks wimpy, especially that first picture. I thought it was a silver painted Suzuki Samauri.
Posted by: Trickish Knave at August 24, 2006 02:54 PM
Of course, the Land Rover pre-dated the Suzuki by about 35 years, so who's copying whom, eh?
To my eyes, the Land Rover looks rough and tough, and remarkably unchanged from its earliest iteration.
Posted by: Mike Lief at September 12, 2006 07:13 PM