Not strictly classics to the purest, but to me the older Landrovers certainly are. Don’t under estimate the fun factor, or their value. The full fun factor applies to pre-December ’72 models because you can drive them without road fund tax, and you don’t need seat belts on earlier models. So during summer, (and summers are getting dryer and warmer), you can go topless. Think of it…. hood off, sticks off (the frame that supports the hood), doors off, windscreen down, no safety belt (on pre-64 models), and you don’t even have to wear a crash helmet or leathers. You get the fresh air, the sun, and all the sounds, plus the fear of “rolling it” at maximum speed (60mph). I tell you, it’s fantastic - beats biking.

Landrover is a company that lost the plot. Of all the motor builders in the UK, Landrover perhaps epitomised the sad state of our industry most. Landrover were engineers, not people who made and sold a product that customers wanted. It took the Japs to do this for us in the ‘70s, and it took Landrover ten years to catch up, by which time it was too late.

Landrovers have their cult followers, and I’m one of them. I love them - unstable in wet conditions, steaming up on the inside in autumn, freezing up in winter, the heaters are useless, and the diesel engines they made were a joke. But they go on forever, and you can adapt them with other manufacturers’ running gear. When something “goes”, or drops off, you just bolt on a replacement, and they’re easy to get at (that’s if you don’t mind spending half a weekend getting the floor pan and seats out just to change a clutch).

Landrovers aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, mainly because a new Landrover, or should I say Defender, looks like any other Landrover back to 1948. But, Landrovers are good starter classics, if you want to develop your DIY skills, because everything bolts and unbolts. Ironwork can be welded, aluminium panels can be replaced and spares are abundant, even original new stuff going way back. Models to go for are any Series I, early Series IIs, especially Station Wagons and Safari models, and Series II Forward Control. Warning! Unless you want to go mud plugging, steer clear of the hybrids. These only have value to the mud pluggers, and when they go out shopping, they only want ’em cheap.

EarlySeries Is, especially 80” models tend to go for more than 86" models. If you go for an 80”, be prepared to drive with your knees in your Adam’s apple. Most Landrovers have been used as workhorses (don’t buy one from a farmer, no matter how cheap). There are some bargains to be had buying from the Government, but look out for 24V jobbies, and signals vehicles that have the dreaded rot caused by electrolytic action between the iron radio frame and the aluminium body. So, any mint, short wheelbase (SWB) will do, up to Series III. But beware conversions, unless done by a professional, or a very good amateur. Long wheelbase (LWB) models tend to be less popular, but I’m not sure why this is. Maybe it’s because the turning circle is rubbish, and they tend to be underpowered, unless fitted with a V8. A word about engine size that is increased from manufacturers original - any fool can make a car go faster, but the trick is stopping it in an emergency. So, if you increase the bhp, make sure you increase the braking, and don’t forget to tell your insurer you’ve modified the vehicle.