Thread: LR "reputation"

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Land Rovers had a reputation of continuous improvement right until the end of the series 2a when the British Automotive Industry was nationalised by the Government as British Leyland under the leadership Lord Stokes (a Triumph man). At the time the Rover Co Ltd had a number of good projects in the design phase, like the Llama forward control, the Road Rover and Range Rover. The only one of those that got off the ground was the Range Rover and then although having waiting lists of several years BLMC did not provide any capital improvement funding to expand the production facilities.

Regarding the Land Rover marque, instead of having a County style vehicle in the 1970s (which was possible after the launch of the Range Rover) we had to wait for 15 years for it. As an interim measure we were provided with the dud Series 3 and it's abysmal IOE 6 cylinder* which allowed Toyota and Nissan who continued their improvement to take market leadership. (Remember that both Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrols were still leaf sprung and had 3 speed gear boxes at the outset of the Series 3 Land Rover.)

When you talk about reliability, in a recent UK survey the current D3, RR Sports and Freelander 2s have come in top for buyer satisfaction, a significant jump from being near the bottom with the D2 and Freelander 1.

Diana

* Why did the British Leyland U.K believe that Australia could only have the de-tuned 2.6 litre IOE 6 cyl, when the North American market got the Westlake headed 3 litre engine - a far superior engine in it's Land Rovers.

Diana,

I wonder if the P4 2.6lt IOE six that was stuck in the Land Rover was the same motor that was in the 2.6 Humber Super Snipe. It certainly looked the same

I've never come across anything like the sheer hate for Land-Rovers that exists in Australia. I had mine with me when I lived in Canada for several years and people absolutely loved them. That was because there wasn't anything even close to a Landie available over there.

Over here, it's weird how much abuse you can cop just for owning one - even if it's not broken down!

Originally Posted by RonMcGr

Diana,

I wonder if the P4 2.6lt IOE six that was stuck in the Land Rover was the same motor that was in the 2.6 Humber Super Snipe. It certainly looked the same

Ron

Having never seen the engine on a Humber I couldn't say, what I do know is the 2.6 litre 6 cyl configuration was a de-tuned version of the standard specification of the 1950's Rover 90, 100, 105 and 110 in the P4 model cars. The original Land Rover 6 cyl (the ones used in SIIA and SIIB forward controls) share many parts in common with the P4 cars and the MkI 3 litre P5 . The MkI 3 litre P5 production ended in 1962 about the same time as the launch of the SIIA forward control and about a year before the 6 cylinder was launched as an option in the SIIA Forward Control export models (1963).

The 6 cyl engine arrived in the normal control Land Rover in 1967 was the 1950's specification 2.6 litre 66 Kw, at the same time the Yanks got was the 91Kw Westlake Headed version of the 2.6 engine for their Land Rovers.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Ron

Having never seen the engine on a Humber I couldn't say, what I do know is the 2.6 litre 6 cyl configuration was a de-tuned version of the standard specification of the 1950's Rover 90, 100, 105 and 110 in the P4 model cars. The original Land Rover 6 cyl (the ones used in SIIA and SIIB forward controls) share many parts in common with the P4 cars and the MkI 3 litre P5 . The MkI 3 litre P5 production ended in 1962 about the same time as the launch of the SIIA forward control and about a year before the 6 cylinder was launched as an option in the SIIA Forward Control export models (1963).

The 6 cyl engine arrived in the normal control Land Rover in 1967 was the 1950's specification 2.6 litre, at the same time the Yanks got was the 99Kw Westlake Headed MkIII 3 litre P5 engine (launched in 1965) for their Land Rovers.

Diana

Diana,

I have not been able to find other info on the similarities.
IOE engines were used by Humber, Rover, Triumph and Coventy Climax, Jeep and Hudson, to name a few.

I really like a lot of Nissan and Toyota 4x4 products..... But I love land rovers.

And if you surf those other threads, most of the time the "Experts" have a Pajero parked in the driveway, and to them a dirt car park at the Nursery is an off road trip. Especially on Overlander!

A lot of the people pay out on Landys because they think it's funny, and because Land Rover people really Love their cars and are thin skinned and react. Which I see as a psoitive! No other make has that kind of passionate following.

You just cannot explain it to someone who doesn't own one!

Originally Posted by RonMcGr

Diana,

I have not been able to find other info on the similarities.
IOE engines were used by Humber, Rover, Triumph and Coventy Climax, Jeep and Hudson, to name a few.

Wouldn't know much about any of those specifics, while checking the patents listed on a replica "Car Number" ID plate sold by a well known rubber supply company for the Series 1, I came across a 1932 patent for the Rover IOE arrangement. Whether they are the same or used under licence I do not know. (After all the original JEEP was a Bantam design and Bantam was a US subsidiary of Austin of Cambridge UK).

Diana

P.S. Just for your info the ID plates, mentioned above, list the Rover patent for the front wishbone suspension on the Rover P3 and P4 cars, so I doubt that they are supposed to be used on the Series 1 Land Rover. In fact I know they are different.

I guess with not owning a lot of 4wd's in my time I have been quite sheltered from the LR bashing. I dearly love them though, this is my dad's fault for doing a SIIa hardtop up in the 70's and going bush for six months of the year. Oh what a life at 7!

I guess I always knew after that just what a 'real' 4wd was. A Land Rover! Certainly rescued everything else up in god's country back then!

Most people I mention the LR to these days either don't have a clue, start talking about their Tojo or are aghast at what I got her for anyway.

LLL (Long Live LandRover)

Nathanial

IMO the reliability thing still exists due to poor/indifferent marketing by LR in Australia. Not just advertising, but the whole overt and covert approach that toyota are so good at.