Land Rover Series IIA
Then there's the tank. Land Rover's chief engineer owned a Jeep and felt that manufacturing a functional Jeeplike 4x4 could serve as an ideal stopgap--once there were enough sales of the model, Rover could discontinue it to focus on cars (a temporary solution to the company's postwar woes). Thanks to heavy rationing, steel was hard to come by, so the Land Rover's body is made from aluminum. It was first revealed to the public in 1948 and became so popular, it stuck around for nearly 40 years, as the Series I, II, IIA, and III. All generations of Land Rover were available as short- and long-wheelbase models.
This restored 1966 Series IIA, part of Land Rover's own collection, took some time to get used to. But once adapting to the transmission (its nonsynchronized first and second gears require double-clutching, and first is where third is today: straight up) and getting to know the controls, the Series IIA is a charmer. The headlight controls are on a collar that surrounds the ignition. There's a pushbutton start. Push a yellow floor-mounted button for 4WD in high range, or slide the red-knobbed lever back for 4WD low range.
The cabin doesn't have a dashboard, per se, but narrow strips of flat metal that ducting and wires run behind. Windshield wipers are operated individually by undoing a release and turning a dial on each one. Windows slide open and closed, and, even though heat and A/C are available, climate control is essentially nonexistent; it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
The Land Rover's curb weight is nearly 800 pounds less than the FJ40's, though its 77-horsepower engine gives it a distinct disadvantage on the highway. It can manage freeway speeds, but don't bother conversing with someone else in the cabin if you're going faster than 50.
It's just not built for the highway; this is a tool designed for farmers and field workers, which makes it unstoppable on a trail, chugging along with a slow, deliberate confidence. It won't be the first to the finish line, but it'll get there. Furthermore, the spare is mounted on the hood, making visibility acceptable, but storing it elsewhere would make a vast improvement. The one wing mirror, which is small, round, and impossible to adjust once in motion, is difficult to use and not so handy. Nevertheless, the Land Rover's age brings it a level of expertise on any and every type of terrain.