Page 74 - Panama City Living Magazine

HOW WE ROLLROVER READYThe “Centre Steer” also avoided the pesky problem of building two di erent versions at the time, for left-hand or right-hand drive. Early paint choices were limited by postwar supplies, meaning various shades of green were the only colors o ered. The Land Rover marque has since gained iconic status among other recre- ational vehicles.It is easy to spot an o -road vehicle driver; sun- glasses, wide smile, hair ying in the breeze... it’s a lifestyle. Just one look at the extra-large Land Rover Defender conjures images of safaris in the desert and nights spent in tents under the stars. Lynne’s keen fascination with her Land Rover shines through as she shares its story.Tell us about your Land Rover Defender–of all vehicles you can own, why is this your fa- vorite?I have pined for one for probably 35 years. I just love that boxy, safari look, not to mention, it’s a vehicle with no boundaries. I didn’t origi- nally seek out right-hand drive, but it certainlyadds to the car’s uniqueness. I came close to buying a Land Rover about twenty years ago. There was a dealer near my home, and I drove by almost daily; occasionally I would stop in and test drive one. My son was about 16 at the time and I remember him saying, “Why on earth would you buy an old vehicle like that, they ar- en’t even made any more and must be hard to repair!” So, I bought a Jeep instead, for reliabil- ity and convenience. Jeeps were great with kids and big dogs; you could just hose the Jeep out. And they were so reliable in the snow; where I lived it would not be unusual to have 60 inches of snow in two days. But I never forgot about the Land Rover.Driving the Defender must be quite different than a typical car, especially with its size and right-hand drive?It is. But surprisingly, it is also quite comfort- able. We found our Defender in Sarasota, at a company that specializes in importing and re- furbishing them. At the time, I had little experi- ence with right-hand drive. Driving in heavy traf- c through Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Tampa was my rst adventure with it...by the time we arrived home, I was completely comfortable. And, when you are driving an unusual or a vin- tage car, perfect strangers will ash a “thumbs up” as you drive by. Cars have an amazing abil- ity to bring back memories and nostalgia.There must have been some glitches along the way...?The rst time I stopped for fuel, I was unsure which side of the car the gas cap was on, much less where it was located. There I was, wander- ing around the car at the gas pump. I nally gured it out but, by then, there were about eight guys gathered around, asking all kinds of questions. What is it? Where did you get it? Right-hand drive? They had never seen one before, didn’t know what it was, and wanted to know more about it. That kind of curiosity and enthusiasm is contagious! It has a 2.5 li- ter four-cylinder turbo-charged diesel engine and gets 16 miles to the gallon on the high- way. It can seat nine passengers, and has great room for cargo.74 • March - April 2018 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com