I always found myself drawn to the rugged appeal of Land Rovers, but it took until my mid-twenties to uncover their history within my own family.
Initially I thought the interest in Land Rovers was a new concept to me, but this was without the knowledge that my family actually had two generations of history driving them.
It started around the 1950s when my late paternal grandfather was living in eastern Africa
and spent many days behind the wheel of a Land Rover.
Years later he took my father for his for his first driving lesson in one, having sat my then 10 year old Dad on his lap and allowed him to steer when they lived in Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Today, I use my Defender 90 as a daily driver - it may be a little more luxurious than its
predecessors, but there is no denying its heritage in the famed off-roader established in
1948.
Showing my grandfather photos of my then newly acquired Defender 90 seemed to stir
long-forgotten memories, and the interest I found in these cars all started to make
sense.
Suddenly he was telling stories from his time in Africa as a young man - recounting tales of
his car falling into large elephant holes and driving straight back out.
Then, with a laugh, he explained that while following animal tracks in long grass he accidentally drove into the backside of an elephant before quickly retreating.
Looking back, I had always admired these cars and the story seems to have come full circle
now - every Landy has countless stories to share and the 90 will staying with me for a long time yet.
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