By Jeffrey B. Aronson
Recently, the New York Times quoted Nicole Farhi, a French designer working in London. She owns a 1956 Mercedes 190 cabriolet and claims “no one else is allowed to drive it. Old cars only recognize one driver. You have to know how to coax it. I drive my Mercedes every day to my office off or Carnaby St., and always get a lot of thumbs-up.”
Series Land Rover owners will recognize the validity of her statements. Even Range Rover Classic and Discovery owners can find themselves having to give more detailed instructions than “make certain you put gas in it” when they loan out their Rovers. I have let others drive my two Series II-As, but never with enthusiasm or confidence. An offer to “take my car” is accompanied by a long list of starting, accelerating and stopping instructions that usually lead the recipient to say, “Never mind, I’ll walk.” Even in rain, snow and sleet! (…)

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