I drove 1960s UK-made classic - it was basic but brilliant for three reasons (2024)

Built for 68 years, the original Land Rover was a strong seller all over the world (Image: Jack Mortimer)

When thinking about the most important cars the UK has produced, most people would imagine the ultra-affordable people's cars, such as the Mini or Morris Minor, or perhaps style icons like the Jaguar E-Type.

However, I would argue that the defining car built in the UK, the one that can still be found all over the world, is undoubtedly the original Land Rover.

Despite being revised every once in a while, the basic design of the Land Rover remained in production from 1948 until 2016, being one of the longest-running models ever made.

It was perhaps the best example of a classless car, being used by farmers and the Royal Family alike. My grandfather also owned one as his first car, modifying it with a powerful Rover V8 engine and taking it on hill rallies in the late 1960s.

As a result, when the Great British Car Journey Museum asked if I wanted to try the 1962 example that is in their Drive Dad's Car fleet, which members of the public are permitted to drive, I wholeheartedly took them up on their offer.

Inspired by the Willys Jeep, the original Land Rover's styling is incredibly simple but distinctive (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Styling:

There is no denying that the original Land Rover is one of the most recognisable UK-built cars out there, which is quite an achievement for a model that never had style or appearance in mind.

Being a Series 2A, we get slightly curved hips running down either side of the bodywork, used to make the doors thicker and conceal the handles, but we still have the headlamps mounted on top of the narrow front grille.

Like almost all Land Rover products, the Series 2A came in a wide variety of body styles, including a basic soft-top (from a time when cloth was cheaper than steel), a pickup truck, and a long-wheelbase station wagon. The model owned by The Great British Car Journey is perhaps the most popular short-wheelbase van, complete with a rather fetching two-tone paint job.

Designed as a utility vehicle, the Land Rover's interior is understandably very basic (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Interior:

Usually, when I talk about car interiors, I critique the use of hard plastic. However, in a 1960s Land Rover, you'll be hard-pressed to find any kind of plastic trim or really any kind of vaguely luxurious feature.

Like the exterior, the dashboard is made from dark green-painted steel that could probably do a lot of damage in a collision. Drivers will find a few instruments on the panel, stating how fast they are going and how long left until they need to fill up with petrol, but that is about it.

Moreover, the fit and finish of the old Landie was, I expect, fairly poor, even for the time. Whilst age will not have helped this oldtimer, large gaps between the body shell and doors let in enough rain to make the thighs of my trousers thoroughly wet, while the sliding windows struggled to stay either open or shut.

Seating three, the vintage Land Rover is far less spacious and comfortable than models made today (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Practicality:

Built as more or less the ultimate utility vehicle, all versions of the Land Rover offer a massive area for cargo, with the 88-inch wheelbase model featuring a very sizeable boot.

There are also three separate seats in the front, though anyone expecting to find the same level of lavishness as a new Land Rover Defender will be sorely disappointed. These vinyl-clad seats offer barely any padding to speak of and have incredibly low backs, let alone any form of head restraint.

What's more, there is absolutely no way of adjusting any of the seats, meaning the back cannot be reclined, and unless the driver has vaguely the same length of legs and arms as the designer, they will likely be quite uncomfortable.

Using a 2.25-litre engine, the Land Rover Series 2A is sluggish but has plenty of low-range torque (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Performance:

Whilst many examples of Land Rovers during the 1960s featured diesel engines, the model tested has a slightly more powerful 2.25-litre petrol that was first introduced in 1958.

Compared to most modern vehicles, this is a particularly large engine. However, its age means it makes a rather disenchanting 77bhp. Since the gearing favours lower speeds, which gives the driver more torque at low speeds, the Land Rover takes a glacial 32.9 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph and has a top speed of 65.

Whilst this is somewhat slicker than the rather agricultural diesels fitted to Landies at the time, the petrol engine is not all that economical, with owners typically averaging around 20mpg.

On the road, the Land Rover Series 2A is unsophisticated but surprisingly responsive (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Driving:

I have driven enough classic cars to know that their driving experience can vary heavily. On one hand, there was the Ford Cortina which had quite a modern driving style, whereas a more recently built East German Trabant 601S genuinely made me fear for my life at times.

Being the oldest car I have driven so far, my hopes that the Land Rover would be smooth sailing were pretty slim, but to give it credit, it was not awful. Clunking the gearbox into first and pulling away, I found the throttle to be nice and responsive and the steering, whilst heavy at slow speeds, to be relatively predictable.

Nevertheless, with very basic leaf springs all around and a very firm ladder chassis, the Land Rover was unsurprisingly rather rough on anything other than smooth terrain. I certainly managed to feel more or less any bump through those thin seats.

After a bit of practice, my over-inflated ego decided I should try full throttle for a short while on a long straight. This was a mistake. With the engine revving, the Land Rover hurtled along at what felt like a terrifying pace. As I stamped on the non-servo-assisted brakes, I hastily glanced down at the speedometer to learn that what felt like about 60mph was about 25.

The Land Rover's lack of luxury may sound like a negative, but gives it character (Image: Jack Mortimer)

Conclusion:

Generally speaking, a Series 2A Land Rover is not the kind of model motorists will want to use in modern-day traffic, and I would wager that a Caterham 7 would make for a more practical family runabout.

However, despite being the least refined thing I have ever had the privilege of driving (and yes, that includes a 1976 Reliant Robin Estate over a field), I can only imagine just how fun they are to use off-road and why so many have existed into the 21st century.

Drivers looking to get behind the wheel of a classic Land Rover should realise that they are now incredibly collectable in any condition, with a usable Series 2A example typically costing £12,000. As a result, I would generally recommend spending £50 or so to try the Great British Car Journey's example before they make their decision.