>To us non-NorthAmerican listers, it's amusing/sad/worrying that so many
>people seem so hell-bent on ignoring the later models.
>
>In the UK, the culture of Hybrid vehicles is much stronger, so we don't
>get as bogged down in the leaf/coil issue.
Ian, I think the schism exists in American minds because Rover pulled out
of North America early in the series III production life. Then came back
to North America about 15 years later with a Range Rover priced and
marketed to upscale professionals as a luxury SUV.
By that time the series rigs were mostly in the hands of independent
minded, somewhat out of the mainstream people, who had to mail order all
parts and learn to do most all their own maintenance. It was a challenge
to keep a rig going when the cost of rebuilding a gearbox or power plant
usually exceeded the value of a OK running vehicle.
Rover North America targeted status conscious people with large chunks of
disposable income and fed them the genteel sporting country life as the
Land Rover lifestyle.
So yes the American/Canadian series owners are a very different breed of
person than LR North America's target customer and the schism is quite
real.
However, for better or worse the Disco and Range Rovers are not holding
their prices well and older North American examples are coming into the
hands of the same kinds of people who ended up with the series rigs. So
the schism is closing. Some of us chalvanistic series types just have
not raised our heads out of the engine bay long enough to notice.
TeriAnn Near Santa Cruz, California
My old car: 1960 Land Rover 109 owned since 1978
My new car: 1961 Triumph TR3A owned since 1986
"Who could ask for anything more"
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Jul 05 2001 - 12:52:47 EDT