YES? It’s not that hard to see why we become personally attached; falling so easily and heavily for our car(s) and why it becomes imperative to be true to the brand - the very essence of what your vehicle represents.
NO? You may snigger however according to an AutoTrader survey*: “More than 70 percent of respondents feel “very attached” or “somewhat attached” to their cars, with 36 percent describing their vehicle as an “old friend” and more than a quarter saying they feel sad when they think about parting ways with it.”
However not satisfied with the survey scope I thought I would ask you directly “How do you feel about your Land Rover?”
I posted this question on various Land Rover Facebook groups; your response was, like so many relationships, filled with conflicting highs and lows.
Here are a few of your comments:
The kids loved it, for them climbing into it was the start of an adventure every time, even going on the school run they always wanted to go the bumpy way.
JOHN
Every good thing in my life links directly to me owning a Land Rover. My kids, my mates, my job, where I live all would not have happened without being a landy owner.
CHRIS
Deaf, sore and poor - but grinning like a Cheshire cat every chance I get to drive it.
NEIL
It’s part of your lifestyle. For me its a complete love at first sight feeling every time I drive her. Its a classy vehicle for young and old, has character as well as a brotherhood established between landrover owners. I always have the comfort that when I break down another landy will stop if it made it that far. You won’t get that with other vehicles. It’s an amazing feeling going through town topless and passing by another landy owner who acknowledges, the beast that you have tamed, with a mere nod of the head.
Every trip in a landrover is a road trip and an adventure.
ALNICH
They give me joy. Rebuilding my series 1 helped me with my depression and PTSD while I was signed off work. It gave me a sense of worth and achievement.
PAUL
Makes all the sadness go away.... shift that little lever up and left and I’m free. Nothing’s gonna stop me and not much stops it.
TOM
She is part of my family. Everyone in my household refers to Souixsie by name. All my previous Landies were as much a member of the family as the current one.
HENK
I feel in a different world in an old Land Rover. A simpler world. One without modern stresses of phones, emails, work, mortgages, ECUs. Life passes more slowly, and I feel totally at peace with life. My wife comments that she can tell when I have out in the LR, just my demeanour.
MATTHEW
Some days yaaayyyyyy, brilliant....whooppee lets go up the mountains....then..what is THAT noise, you can’t be serious, I just spent 400eu last month...omg...thats IT... (Next day)....its alright, I love you really, we’ll get through this.....
NICOLE
Makes me feel good. It’s the icon of going anywhere. I can stand on the roof, I can sit on the wings, unlike the other 4x4s where you’ll dent it. On the other hand, you can literally feel the elements; you get wet when it rains, you’ll be dusty when travelling on gravel roads, you’ll feel the wind even though the windows are closed...
TOMMY
110 4c and it makes me feel cold mainly due to drafts as the heaters do work!
NATHAN
They put a smile on my face and have convinced me that bleeding knuckles are normal.
DAVE
They make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside and empty in the pocket on the outside.
ABEL
Depends on my Rover’s mood. When it’s happy & running good, I’m on top of the world in love. When it’s being uncooperative, I feel frustrated but I still love it. Put it this way... I had a boyfriend who wanted me to get rid of my Rover.... I still have my Rover. He’s history.
CAMMY
I’m a retired nature conservation man in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal - east side on the Indian Ocean. I drive a 1959 ex-Kenyan police Land Rover Series 2 SWB station wagon which my brother and I rescued from being a hen house in 1973. Gave it to our father who got it up and running and used for a few years. I duly took it over from the old man and have been driving it for nearly 40 years as my only daily runner. I still get a huge kick out of starting it up and driving it. It’s never been restored and has simply been kept in good running order, several engine and gearbox rebuilds and a few modifications here and there that have made it, in my opinion, a better ride. Chief amongst these is the fitting of an ENV rear axle and a Land Rover 2.5 petrol motor.
JEFF
Connected. All six senses and a human brain doing the job of ECU, ABS, ETC, ESP, hill descent, cruise control, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, power steering. Nose telling you if it’s running rich or if it’s leaking EP90 or engine oil, ears telling you if the timing is out, hands feeding back on every bump and the level of traction at the front, backside telling you which rear wheel just slipped slightly. Eyes monitoring engine temperature and oil pressure. No engine warning light in this cab. Real Ventilation telling your brain what’s happening outside, the field of onions you just passed, the load of fresh cut logs going the other way. Engineers spent years cocooning people from the road and making them passengers and yet true pleasure in driving comes from being so fully engaged in the art that there is no space for music or phones or texting. Just complete connection with the machine and the road.
RORY
Ready for the zombie apocalypse.
ROB
Preserving them for next generation to mend.
ASHLEY
What makes Land Rover owners so susceptible to developing a deep emotional bond with their cars? Is it the brand, the experience, the highs, the lows OR is it feeling included in a group that share the same passion and connection?
Reading through the tears, the joy, the wry humour and the unthwartable commitment to the integrity of the brand I’d say, whatever the motivation, the payoffs are higher than the costs. AND like any relationship, to work, it requires love, understanding, patience, commitment, emotional and financial investment… wait… are we talking about kids or cars?