by Gustaf Kupetz

This is a continuation of a trip I took to the UK.

Heritage Motor Centre along with Dunsfold are the candle holders of the mighty Land Rover mark. Dunsfold being almost more of a private shop where the mechanic’s might find plesent place to visit. But that was a few hours away and Gaydon was just a short 1 1/2 hr. ride away. The Heritage Motor Centre as it turns out was quite the interesting place to visit. It is located not that far from Solihull in the town of Gaydon, of which it is typicaly called. But what is interesting is they are right under the watchfull eye of the Jag/LR design & engineering center. It’s the big modern building just behind and to the right.

As you drive up the most impressive thing is the TD5 powered 110 sitting in front of the place. Hmm I secretly though I’d think they’d have the ford transit powered defenders by now? Oh well off we were into the pages of history. First little guy right in front of you was HUE the first production LR. You almost forget you need to pay as you scramble to look the think over. One sweet ride I thought, the soft top would be killer in my Minnesota winter though!

Next up were just a flurry of different rovers, concept RR Sport, NAS 90, Pinky the SAS series, Pope Trucks, an old tickford, The Tomb Raider but what had to be the sweetest vehicle on display that day was the Range Rover from the Britsh Trans-Americas Expedition. This thing looked as though they’d simply hosed it off and pulled it right into the show room full of all the overpriced Rolls & Bentleys. I betcha you could have still fired that baby up and bludgeoned my way around Moab, I’m sure they wouldn’t notice any new dents.

I coulda spent much more time there but with so much to do and at the end of our trip the days were past and only the hours remained. Our flight took off arse early the next AM and we’d still had more to do on the trip so off to the 110 off road course. We paid to go on this ride so although we were not expecting high flying defenders we did wanna get our pounds worth!

The fella loaded us up into the left hand drive white TD5 and drove off around the back side of the hill, Than there it sat, a brand new 2008 defender oh now that’s cool.. cool it was for we than jumped out and switched into a right hand drive defender! Boy this guy must be some off road legend? As we wheeled around the track he demonstrated the anti stall technology & we tried to figure what camel trophy guy this musta been?? “Me? No, I got this job through my son who worked summers here at the museum” ahh never the less he did his best to “put his wellies into it” I must confess, being a seasoned off roader, I’m still impressed how far those trucks can tilt on a side hill. I know my NAS 110 would have been pushing it’s limits with all the heavy Safety Devices cage work it has.

The trucks look pretty much the same as the old ones but inside and throughout you can tell Ford has waved it’s magic wond. For up close almost nothing is the same! From the aluminum fly-wheel, new doors, bigger fuel tank, rear seats, engine, tranny, dash. Much has been written about these so I won’t waste a bunch of time but the one thing you notice is the B-pillar seems more forward, as it would be, the front seats are further back and the rears are further back yet. Everybody seemed happy with the leg room… could it be coming to America? Ahh I just had to stick that in there, sorry. Back to the seats, hmmm they are comfortable though, I’ll have to wait for a wrecked one and slip in a used set.

All in all it was indeed a fun side trip and well worth it even if your not much of a rover buff. Of course, it helps to be into some kind of cars like Jags, Bentleys, Austin Healys or Austin Martins.

Would you lie to see more pictures of Gaydon?

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