text: Alexandra Sailer
photos: Sailer Images (Steffen and Alexandra Sailer)

Our beloved Defender 110 arrived three weeks later than promised, and sat for nearly another week on a wharf waiting to get into the quarantine area. Depressed and angry, we almost decided to have the Rover’s container loaded on a ship straight to Los Angeles, when the express agent finally called. On May 16, we finally could meet customs and quarantine officers at the quarantine depot to have the Landy cleared—if there weren’t a bunch of flies coming out, that is…. As we arrived, we couldn’t believe our eyes. This was a quarantine depot? It looked like a totally open area. The Landy sat out of its container coated in a thick layer of dust! It turned out the very nice customs officer paid far more attention to the Landy itself than the dirt (once again). Happy not to find foreign soil in any of the critical places, the agent released our Land Rover. Still, yet another missing piece of paper delayed us; our express agent hemmed and hawed, and finally, we drove off with the Rover. Cross this “custom service” off our recommendation list!

Story & Photos by Louise Orlando and Andrew Barbour [Louise Orlando and Andrew Barbour, Cape Charles, VA, took their 1960 Series II from London to Capetown 16 years ago. This is the final chapter in their remarkable trip –ed.] When the Ugandan border guard stamped our passports to make our escape from Zaire complete, we [...]

What, where, and when was your first Land Rover experience? That is a tough one. The hoop set on my dad’s 109 was my first jungle gym. Throughout my childhood my parents exclusively drove Land Rovers so I have no conscious beginning to my Land Rover interest. Actually, my mom had a Triumph for a [...]

Story & Photo by Jim Edson [Jim Edson, Irving, TX, entered the Land Rover world with a rare ’95 Discovery manual transmission. Once hooked, he upgraded to a 2004 G4 Discovery. He’s a past president of the Texas Rovers and now serves as the webmaster of their site, www.texasrovers.org. Here’s his story on the 2008 [...]

Parents of Land Rover, Tata Motors, will appreciate the unique appearance of Land Rover models. They clearly resonate with the American and international public. The qualities that we love as Land Rover enthusiasts clearly captivate those who rouse popular passions. Movie directors, advertising art directors, and consumers agree if there’s a Land Rover present, you [...]

Story and Photos by Eric Evans [Eric Evans and his wife, Tessa, and their ’97 Defender 90 SW, live in Naples, FL. The owner of a commercial landscape company, Eric entertained RN News readers when he bought his ex-MOD 109” from Rovers North and drove it to Florida. We’ve read of his explorations of Big [...]

Story & Photo By Calef Letorney The plan was to drive my Ex- MOD 300 TDI 110 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Vermont in three days, by myself, fully loaded and pulling a heavy trailer, in the middle of a July heat wave. To succeed I needed to drive at least 15 hours a [...]

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrived in Virgina for the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown colony and the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. Before they left Great Britain I requested that they include a 2007 Defender in the royal baggage. Their last trip was in 1991; within two years, we had the Defender 110 [...]

Dear Rovers North, Thanks for reprinting the Land Rover Enthusiast article a couple of years ago [Summer 2005 article by Kevin Girling -ed] about Land Rover Centurion Adventures in South Africa. I was finally able to go this past week for a 7 day Ivory Route trip. It was absolutely fabulous and well done. Our [...]

By Jeffrey B. Aronson A considerable part of the appeal of Land Rovers is your involvement in their lives. Given a dash of aptitude and some extra fortitude, you can maintain, refurbish and even enhance your Land Rover. You’re limited only by your imagination and your finances. For inspiration, enthusiasts turn to magazines, Rovers North [...]