[Boatanchors] Partially Off Topic Questionþ

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I've generally assumed it was a marketing idea but it couldn't have very 
well have been for the US$ market as except for gray market, the only 
Defenders shipped to the US were three or four years in the 90's.  British Leyland 
(sorta the Brit equivalent to what Hussein has tried to do to the current US 
market) pulled out of the US in the mid 70's.  Either '73 or '74 for Land 
Rover.  For a number of years, I bought parts for my vehicles whenever I was 
in or coming home through England.  Mostly at Southern Counties in Crowley.  
Which was an easy taxi ride from the Copthorne and Gatwick.  I owned two 88 
Petrols and two 109 Diesels.  Currently own only one Disco.  For reasons not 
germane to this discussion, I got rid of all my Series and several tonnes 
of parts.

In a message dated 8/10/2009 9:14:14 PM Central Daylight Time, 
ka1kaq at gmail.com writes: 
> >Well, actually the ones from the positive ground period were Series I, 
> II,
> >and early Series IIA.  The Defender came out in 1983/84 with the
> >introduction of the One Ten and then the Ninety.  I've never read an
> >explanation
> >(believable) as to why they called these Defenders instead of Series IV.
> 
> 
> I had heard that it was to appeal more to markets like the US that were 
> more
> 'name oriented' vs European countries that used numbers &letters on most 
> of
> their vehicles. Also heard that it had to do with the legacy of Land 
> Rover's
> role throughout the world. Who knows! I had two 88s, a Series IIA and a
> Series III that ended up in tiger stripes (zebras were old hat). One of 
> the
> best vehicles ever as far as reliability and simplicity/ease of 
> maintenance.
> Both had excellent bodies but suffered from the usual frame rot. Used a 2m
> CB in the Series III with a magmount stuck to a toolbox cover in the back
> bed. Solid state gear didn't hold up well to the pounding and exposure,
> though.  Would've been fun to run a GRC-19 or some original Brit BA mil 
> gear
> in it, but the YL of the day won out instead with her 'more civilized 
> ride'
> argument. C'est la guerre!
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480