Land Rover’s connections to farming run deep - Yorkshire Post Letters

Your Farewell to Land Rover reminded me of my post-war days in Elmdon, Solihull. As a schoolboy I would play with the local farmer's son. The farmers were the three Walters brothers, who farmed Foredrove Farm on land which belonged to the Rover Car Company.

One day an ex-army American Jeep, painted bright yellow, appeared on the farm. The Jeep was used to haul farm carts, to pull ploughs, and undertake general farm work of a nature that was lighter than that usually performed by a tractor.

Clearly, its performance was being evaluated. These were the days of the ubiquitous Fordson Major tractor, which was replacing the use of horses. Even then, Foredrove Farm used a horse (appropriately named 'Victory') for ploughing.

Before long a vehicle somewhat similar to the yellow Jeep, but painted green with a canvas hood and four-wheel drive, appeared on Foredrove Farm.

The new vehicle was put to use hauling a binder and pulling a plough. Its power take-off was also used to drive a circular saw and to power a beet-slicing machine.

Each of these activities was the subject of focused attention from serious-looking men, many carrying clipboards and smoking pipes.

What I was seeing was the first field test of the Land Rover. Hard to believe that this was 76 years ago.