An everyday occurrence seems to find us outside chatting up and taking photos with Land Rover Enthusiasts dropping in to say “hi” at Rovers North. Yesterday’s glorious weather was filled with sun and puffy white clouds, a perfect day for a visit! Two worldly travelers from down under arrived in their Land Rover Defender 110 [...]

After a winter of driving the QE I only around the island, the April trip to New Hampshire felt rather inviting. During the winter I had carefully made a list of all the required maintenance tasks required before departure, and assiduously avoided all of them until the last minute. For example, filing worn-out points instead of replacing them did not eliminate stumbling and bucking under load—a likelihood along the long, hilly roads across Maine into eastern New Hampshire.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER BRANDS RANK IN THE TOP FIVE AMONG NAMEPLATES IN J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES 2010 AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE, EXECUTION AND LAYOUT (APEAL) STUDY Jaguar Ranks 2nd among Nameplates; While Land Rover Ranks 5th, Improving Four Ranking Positions and Range Rover Receives the Award for Large Premium Crossover/SUV, In a Study that Measures Customers’ Delight [...]

ALL-NEW RANGE ROVER EVOQUE PROTOTYPES GO UNDERCOVER – All-new Range Rover Evoque enters final-phase testing. – Global test programme will cover millions of miles in extreme endurance conditions. – It’s no secret: funky ‘camouflage’ wraps designed to introduce the new Range Rover Evoque to the world. – Over 17,000 individual tests to be completed on [...]

New Range Rover Evoque dominates the web The new Range Rover Evoque has made a big impression online since the car was officially unveiled at Kensington Palace last Thursday. The launch party was broadcast live on the Land Rover Facebook page, and the video was streamed to a further 110 big-name automotive and lifestyle websites. [...]

text & photos: Bo Vilmos Widerberg [Bo Vilmos Widerberg, Tampa, FL, is a program manager for an online education company; he also teaches online courses for two universities. His wife and twin children take delight in this most recent addition to their family –ed.] Blame this one squarely on the television set. When I was [...]

Text and photos by Bill Burke

The red Moab dust blew into my eyes as I squinted to get a clear look at the worn U-joint on my Defender 90’s driveshaft. Changing a U-joint in the wind and sand will be a hassle, but that’s nothing compared to repairing it once it’s failed. I pulled into a less windblown wash and dug out my tools. I chocked the tires, unlocked the center diff and shifted into neutral in both gear boxes. Rummaging through the wrenches I wondered why I have to change this particular U-joint so often.

Text: Taylor Congleton [Taylor Congleton owns and operates T. Congleton Rovers, a full service Land Rover shop, and Overland Corrosion Protection, a Waxoyl protection service for all vehicles, in Westford, VT. Taylor also serves as the Field Technician for Rovers North Fleet Sales –ed.] Owners of Discovery Series I’s, Defenders and Range Rover Classics have [...]

text: Matt Martin & Aaron Williams
photos: Matt Martin

This year’s SCARR (South Central Area Rover Rally), held from April 15-18, provided further proof—if any was needed—of Texas hospitality. Our driving instructions pointed us in a new direction, the Hidden Falls Adventure Park in Marble Falls, TX, but the old tradition of a warm reception for organizers and attendees alike, still felt firmly intact. After a long drive from Vermont in a Defender, that reception meant a great deal to us. In the frigid north, we’re used to receiving grunts and nods at Land Rover events; when we come to SCARR, we’re overwhelmed by the warm greetings. Believe me, we never tire of meeting fans of Rovers North!

My affliction began gradually, and in retrospect at an age too young to be considered a mid-life crisis. First came BMX bikes, then mountain bikes, then rock-climbing, then kayaking—really, anything outdoors would do. I had a serious allergy to pavement.

Then, while driving back to college in 1994, I passed the Land Rover dealership in Santa Barbara and spotted a vehicle unlike any other, slowly revolving on a rotating display. Even from my fleeting vantage point on Highway 101, I could tell that it was overbuilt. Boxy in shape, it was not for everyone, but it was for me.

Over the next 13 years I graduated college, secured and quit my first real job, enrolled at medical school, moved to Oregon for my residency program, got married, and bought a house. But my disease was never in remission, only barely under control. I explored remote parts of Oregon from the saddle of a BMW 650GS dual sport bike. I found off-road motorbiking a solitary sport; I could not share it with friends, including my wife, Jessie. Then, in the summer of ’07, while riding the BMW down fire roads in the Mt. Hood National Forest, I passed a soft-top Defender. Inside sat a family, including a dog, whizzing by me with wide grins and waving hands. With visions of that boxy car from ’94 spinning through my mind, my disease resurfaced in a full-blown relapse.