Classic & Sports Car – August 2018

LAND-ROVER AT SEVENTY
On 30 April 1948, three Land-Rovers attended the Amsterdam Motor Show and,
in doing so, gave what would become known as the Series One its debut to the buying public. Of those three 80in examples, two were ensconced in the main hall, surrounded by the latest offerings from Dodge, Panhard and Renault, but a third was driven from the UK, placed outside and listed as a ‘demonstrator’ –
after all, this was a vehicle that would trade upon its practical ability, so it made perfect sense to rely on more than just a static pairing. That vehicle was chassis L03, now owned by Tim Dines and the third of the pre-production 80in Land-Rovers to come out of the Solihull factory. Now one of the world’s most significant Land-Rovers returns to the scene of its first off-roading success, seventy years on.