Range Rover
(1978)

The Range Rover was one of the first vehicles with “Permanent” four wheel drive and has a lockable differential in the transmission between front and rear axels.
This one has sixteen forward and four reverse gears. Powered by a 3.5 litre high performance V8 petrol engine this vehicle is thirsty although it is capable of 25 miles per gallon if driven conservatively.
Although much of the bodywork is aluminium its unladen weight is over two tonnes.

In the early eighties I needed to tow approximately two tons of equipment in a trailer up Slievenamon Mountain in Tipperary and was pleased that this vehicle climbed the very difficult last two miles although it used four gallons of petrol.
Two gallons per mile sounds excessive but if you had to carry the equipment on your back you too would be happy to spend the few pounds on petrol! Remember that 4x4 vehicles were not common twenty years ago!

3rd August 2003