A 1994 LWB in Beluga Black with Sable leather. That vehicle started a love hate relationship that has seen me go through a few dozen Rovers over the years, including one of the last NADA Series III's imported by BL from 1974. The driveway, or should I say the property, has never been without a Rover for longer than a couple of months over the last 22 years and, even more amazing, that truck led me to a successful Rover parts business I've been running for well over twelve years.

What is it with these vehicles????

 

I posted this over on the defendersource.com site.

It was 22 years and 2 weeks ago that the Alpine White D90 I had ordered in December of 1992 arrived at the Land Rover dealership in Glen Cove, Long Island. In December of 1992 I was sitting in an NAS 110 on the showroom floor of Zumbach Land Rover wondering who would pay $40k for a Land Rover with wind up windows and rubber mats. I was at the dealership waiting for my friend to pick up his 1992 Range Rover LSE. It was in for some service work. While making my way around the 110 a saleswoman came up and, after introducing herself, mentioned that Land Rover would be offering a two door convertible in the coming year.

This was pre internet days so gathering information about a truck like the D90 was a bit more difficult that doing a Google search but not impossible. Back in 1992 Land Rover had fewer than 40 dealerships all across the country. They had, up until the D110, been only selling Range Rovers at a rate of a few thousand a year. There wasn't a need for an extensive dealership network. That made it a little more than a day of work, calling every dealership in the US to ask about the upcoming D90. Responses ranged from extensively detailed (thanks, Land Rover World, Glen Cove) to little more than the aural equivalent of a blank stare.

So, with as much info as I could glean from the Long Island dealership, I grabbed my checkbook (yes, we really used them back in those days) and went out to meet a salesman. Once there I was greeted with extensive photos of the NAS D90 as well as information about pricing and delivery schedules. I wanted a truck that reminded me of my days of watching Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and the indefatigable Jim Fowler. So, I put down a deposit on, what I was told at the time, was the first Alpine White D90 in the US. There were a couple of deposits on AA Yellow D90's but I was supposed to be the first person to go for a white one. It was $27,999 plus destination charges.

Well, ten months can drag on for what may seem like forever, especially when you're waiting for a cool new truck like the D90. Unfortunately, things changed for me in a number of ways. So, when I got the call at the end of October that my truck had come in, I was more than a little torn up. When I got to the dealer I saw an Alpine White Defender 90 with alloy wheels (I had been told they were an option and that I would get matching white steel wheels), factory installed A/C, rear jump seats, aluminum upper doors and a ton of other items that I had not ordered. Out the door, with taxes and licensing the truck would have cost around $36K (A/C was just under $2K alone!). The truck was more done up than I wanted but still not really as civilized as I needed it to be given I would now be using the truck for my work.

Standing there in the dealership I was profoundly disappointed. However, the showroom was small and I couldn't help notice a Beluga Black Range Rover that looked a bit different than others I had seen. It turned out to be an LWB but more importantly, it was a Beluga Sable Edition with a dark brown, almost black leather interior unlike anything I had seen before. I was informed that only 200 of these BSE models were imported for 1994 (200 had been made available during the 1993 MY as well). I fell in love. Unfortunately, the model on the dealership floor had chrome Cyclone wheels, pinstriping, step rails and a few other items I was not interested in.

The hunt was on for another Range Rover LWB BSE. I ultimately found one outfitted the way I wanted at a dealership in White Plains, NY. I took delivery of the truck on November 11th, 1993. Since then, I can probably count on one hand, how many months my driveway has been without a Rover. Usually, there's more than one, sometimes as many as seven or eight kicking around. Nevertheless, as the title of this post says, I often wonder what would have happened if my first Rover had been a Defender.

 

Paul, I don't know about the others, but I'm damn glad you found Land Rover way back then. I don't know how many times you kept me from throwing in the towel and walking away from Land Rovers. When money was tight you were there with great prices on used bits to keep my RRC on the road. When I screwed up on a shipping address you didn't bat a eye on shipping another part to the right address.

I personally thank you for years of being a great source of parts and knowledge to the community and wish you many more.

 

you would probably still have the 90 and be living in the back woods of vermont somewhere

 

Bill, you're making me blush!!!

Jim, I wonder how I would have dealt with the D90's idiosyncracies. As it was, after several years of dealing with problems on my Range Rover (I was coming from almost exclusively German cars) I was pretty fed up. The dealership network was awful. Service was nonexistent. The one saving grace was Charlie Hughes and Land Rover North America. They went to insane lengths to keep me in the fold. Were it not for them and Land Rover World in Glen Cove, I think that Range Rover probably would have been my one and only.

 

I had such great plans for my LWB.

Now all I have are memories, and a gallon of PPG Beluga Black that I'll likely never use.

 

I stumbled in on a 96 Discovery 1 then wife would not let me take it to farm. Got myself an 88 Classic and enjoyed it greatly. Moved to P38 while wife drove her D1 for 14 yrs. Now have the 2011 LR4 and will never be without a Rover. Into Jags, but have thought of looking at Rover cars too.

 

I remember your truck well. Parting it out was bittersweet.