True Tom but they are no where near as bad as the LR4 or Range Rover.

With a new car your never going to escape electronics.

 

Seem to have hit a nerve here. Tata make a great copy of the old CJ Jeep - but they cannot supply them to the US, like the Defender they cannot pass the crash test, etc. The disco can.

The early Disco was bridge between the RR that was going upmarket and the Defender. Mine was a TDI with windup windows, no ABS, hardwearing cloth interior and rubber mats. Did 30MPG(UK) and 90MPH on the motorway but also performed offroad when required. Manual center diff. In the snow and ice and having a 1:4 hill to negotiate to get home I do not recall ever feeling the need for ABS,DC or TC. My defenders were all vinyl and could wash them out. I would have 2nd thoughts about throwing a sick sheep in the back of a $100k Range Rover and crossing the Yorkshire moors off road - too many low slung expensive bits to knock off and then crashing through the mud holes - just what the ABS system would love! Christmas tree lights up right away. I can just picture brushwood ripping those ABS sensor cables right off!

In 1978 in my ex MOD '62 S2 soft top I was helping a local farmer and had a sick sheep in the back - driving (stupidly in 1st High 4wd) along a sheep track on a side slope, it gave way due to torrential rain and I started heading down a steep slope out of control. Locked up the brakes to enable hitting low range (cannot do that in a modern LR), just regained control heading for a power line tower. Hit the power line tower/pylon with the side of the LR and bent the pylon leg. Got home and beat the dent out with 10lb hammer - no further damage. Now do that in the latest Range Rover!

 

The early landrovers did have swivel drive joints - but you could take them apart for repair. I have seen where they have been scored, some weld added, cleaned up on a lineshing machine then fitted back the same day. Better than having to buy complete assemblies.