As I sit and consider the 65 year history of the brand, I would submit that Land Rover has done a better job than all others in inspiring people to explore, and by doing so, they inspire people to buy Land Rovers. Mutual of Omaha, Camel Trophy, G4 Challenge, The Great Divide Expedition, etc.
There are few travel pleasures that match driving an open top Defender through the desert.
Land Rover understands the emotional connection we can have with a mechanical thing, what that mechanical device not only says about us as individuals, but where we might be driving too. Sure, it just might be to the local coffee shop, but in a Defender 110, the spectators watching you lumber pass are convinced you are driving someplace interesting, someplace special. I consider the impact that first Camel Trophy article had on me as a young person, a triathlete and college student living in Southern California that was captivated by the images of sand glow Discoveries busting through mud and brush, the competitors participating in the triathlon of driving, combining orienteering, physical challenges and teamwork to overcome the most remote and rugged terrain on the planet – I was hooked. That inspiration changed the course of my life, ultimately resulting in my first trips to Mexico in a Discovery II, all uploaded to my first blog, expeditionswest.com. Expedition Portal and then Overland Journal followed, all influenced in some way by that first article, an article about Land Rovers, about adventure.
My 1997 Camel Trophy application. It was never filled out, as I was still active duty military and not eligible. The event changed forever the next year.
That is what I appreciate most about Land Rover – they have inspired me to explore.
Happy Birthday Land Rover. . .
Do you have a Land Rover story to share, a photo of your first Land Rover? We would love to see it. Contribute in the discussion here: 65 Years of Land Rover: Thank You for the Inspiration
I purchased this expedition guide many years ago. It is from April of 1972, the year I was born. It is just a booklet and so much of it is simple and filled with common sense- much has changed in the last 40 years. Everything is so much more complex.
Scott Brady is an adventure traveler, publisher and photographer, best known for his overland travels by 4wd and adventure motorcycle on six continents and for being the founder of the website expeditionportal.com and the print publication Overland Journal (co-founder). As a driver, Scott is the only American to win the rugged Outback Challenge and has completed a full land circumnavigation of the Northern Hemisphere, starting in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and ending in Magadan, Russia. Scott’s articles and photography have been featured in dozens of print publications and his adventures have been viewed on television programming in 120 countries. Scott lives in Prescott, Arizona and is currently completing a seven-continent expedition in two Toyota VDJ78 Land Cruisers (Expeditions 7).
