96 LANDROVER MONTHLY
LAND ROVER LEGENDS
leaving gift which is awooden plinth with a pewter scale
model of a Defender 110 with itsrear end embedded in the
side of a Discovery, which caused a great deal of amusement
when itwas handedover! But after I’dretiredRoger brought
me back as a contractor and I spent another threeyears with
the team, which had now transformed itself into the Land
Rover Experience, before finally deciding in 2005 to pack
it in.”
As well as spendingover 30 years with the company, Land
Rovers ha ve also dominated Colin’s family life. “I’ve always
had LandRovers,” says Colin,“and I always will. As a family
we were re gular participants in off-road trials competitions
and used ourvehicles to tow our caravan to and from an
event, and I’veowned manyvehiclesover theyears. I had an
80-inch for a while and modified that with arear-mounted
V8, and thatwas exchanged for a 1973 RangeRover which
we eventually turned into an 88-inchhybrid.
“In 1975 I also bought one of the pre-productionVelars
from the company when they’d finished with it. Thatwas
YVB 156H andwe used it for holidays in the UK and on the
Continent and itwas also the course car in a couple ofrallies,
including the 1976 Castrol Rally.Unfortunately, Lesleywas
involved in an accident with a skip lorry shortly afterwards,
and the carwas declared a write-off. I bought it back from
the insurers, dismantled it and sold off the parts. The chassis
was bent one foot sideways at the front but Istill founda
buyer for it!With thevalues of pre-pro RangeRovers going
sky-highover recentyears, I’d probably have been better
leaving the wreck in the garage!
Today, that garagestill houses two comp safarivehicles
that are runby Colin and Lesley’s son, Ben, who competes
with considerable success as a member of the Peak &
Dukeries Land Rover Club. “They’re in our blood,” says
Colin,“as we walk past his two Discoverys and he shows me
around the garage. And right now I can’twait to see the new
Defender, and I’m sure there will be one on the driveway
pretty soon!”
LREvehiclesat playColin’s leaving gift
celebrated his
momentat
Billing in
2002!In the blood: Colin’s son Ben’s trialler in action