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Land Rover landmark's testing times - 50 years at Eastnor
publication date: Dec 10, 2011
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author/source: Robin Roberts
A scout camp site and deer park seem an unlikely place to build a
reputation for toughness which has encircled the world for half a century.
But there is only one "Eastnor" and
a name which is shorthand for the Maranello-of-mud-pluggers where Land Rover
has tested, developed and finally approved all its models since 1961.
That was when Land Rover chose
Eastnor as an assessment venue to put its Series II models through their paces. During the 1960s, Land Rover's use
of Eastnor grew and grew, with engineers promoting the |  | estate amongst the
regional Land Rover Owners clubs of which they were members - primarily the
Midlands' regional club.
In 1969 the
National Land Rover Owners Club Rally took place on the estate, and Eastnor's
legendary status among enthusiasts across the country was secured.
The estate's owner, Major Ben
Hervey-Bathurst, who had lived at Eastnor
Castle since 1949, was
president of the Rover Midlands' Owners Club and a keen off-road driver
himself. He welcomed Land Rover to the
Malverns with open arms. A tradition
continued to this day by his sons, James and George, who now run the estate.
| Its tough range of terrain with boggy bits, draw-dropping descents,
gearbox-breaking ascents, deep pools, hard rocks, and slippery slopes have combined and been covered by engineers and executives who wanted to know if
their models would stand up to anything the world might put under their wheels.
Once a model completed a gruelling
round of tests at Eastnor it would be sent for specialist assessment on snow
and ice, or in desert conditions with blistering temperatures. But Eastnor is
the backbone and back-breaker of the development process which has now been
going on for 50 years.
Land Rover engineers Geof Miller and
Bill Morris were the first to take a Land Rover for test on the estate - a
129-inch wheelbase prototype.
|  | | So
impressed were they by the terrain Eastnor had to offer, just a few weeks later
Land Rover engineers were using the land for testing and assessing development
vehicles. |  | Many experimental vehicles have been evaluated on Eastnor for military and private purposes (left) | | | Training for international
expeditions has been a feature of Eastnor for over forty years.
In the words of
Spen King, Range Rover chief programme engineer from 1967 to 1989, "If it can
get around the Eastnor estate, it can go anywhere!"
Eastnor played a major role in
developing an impressive collection of Land Rover technologies - such as
Anti-lock Brakes, Adjustable Air Suspension, Electronic Traction Control, Hill
Descent Control and Terrain Response - many of which were world firsts in the
4x4 sector. |  | | | From 1989 members of the public experienced
the Eastnor action, with Land Rover Experience moving their operational base to
Eastnor so fans of the brand could book an adventure around the tracks of the
500 acre estate close to Ledbury and the M50.
New owners of Land Rovers get a chance to hone their driving
skills with tuition from a team of highly qualified Land Rover
Experience instructors who know how to get the most out of the particular
vehicles and build up the confidence of their owners in the abilities of their
vehicles.
This year, about 5,200 Land Rover
owners will undergo the Eastnor experience and over half will be from abroad,
many from China, where the Land Rover legend is held in the highest regard. To
understand Land Rover, the Chinese feel they have to experience Eastnor.
Fast forward to the modern day, and
the mud-plugging ability of the newest Evoque can be traced back to Eastnor and
the forthcoming new Range Rover due to be unveiled at the end of 2012 has been
put through its paces there as well as the planned next generation Defender
which is still four years away from the showrooms. |  | Land Rover global brand director,
John Edwards, said, "Eastnor is the stuff of Land Rover legends. From the original Land Rover Series models
right the way through the Range Rover Evoque launched this year, this piece of
British countryside has been central to the development of them all."
Fifty years on, Eastnor is as
popular as ever among Land Rover engineers, dealers, executives and customers
and it is still used by the scouts and home to deer. |
Eastnor
experiences:
| |  | The vehicle which
started the Eastnor experience was the 129-inch
wheelbase pick-up, built at the end of 1960 to challenge the Dodge Power
Wagon for a Middle East oil supply service contract and designed to carry 1.5
tonnes of drums. It was fitted with a 85bhp 2.5 litre 6-cylinder engine and
four forward gears, three seats and massive ground clearance. Two of the six
prototypes remain after Land Rover did not win the contract. Today, the
surviving prototype is still undergoing restoration but you get an impression
of its abilities when you see how high it stands off the ground and how big is
the loadbed. It looks like a Land Rover on steroids, its heavy, has a desert
wide turning circle, and very modest performance.
|  | A much more
comfortable and nimble model I tried was the CB40 Freelander, a test-mule which was used to develop the first
Freelander's brake, traction control and hill-descent technology and clothed in
an Austin Maestro Van body for its secret assessments. The Canley Building 40
to give it the full title, used the van because its proportions and body weight
closely matched that of the intended Freelander panelling. Inside it was kitted
out with four seats and space for the testing equipment which varied among the
22 built and of which just the one is thought to survive with its 115bhp 1.8
litre engine.
|  | While most talk these
days about hybrids revolves around electric power, Land Rover had another sort
of hybrid in its sights when it built the 100"
4-door hybrid in 1976. This married a shortened Series II body with the
Range Rover chassis to convince the British Leyland Board at the time that coil
springs offered articulation and comfort advantages over the long in the tooth
leaf springs of what was the Defender at the time. The 130bhp 3.5V8 has an
impressive turn of speed but the hybrid's ride comfort is the more surprising
aspect of its features.
|  | A more traditional
model tested this week marked the 30th anniversary of the Series III, which brought synchromesh
forward gears, a stronger back axle in the LWB and a revised interior to the
former Series IIA. This is still the model many associate with African Safaris
and it was the workhorse of many companies and services which had to move
personnel or materials over any terrain. The sit up and take it seating is not
conducive to comfort and its ponderous gearchange is smooth but spectacularly
spaced out although the 70.5bhp 2.2 litre engine seems unbreakable and ever-lasting.
|  | Today's models tested
included the current Range Rover Sport
in top line Autobiography trim with its bewildering dynamic and cosmetic technology
powered by the latest 256hp 3.0V6 turbo diesel and the newest Evoque 5dr with 190bhp 2.2 litre
4-cylinder engine, Prestige trim and 4WD, the cleanest, smallest and lightest
Range Rover ever made. These maintain the legendary off-road abilities but
bring new levels of agility to the brand and the Evoque in particular is
winning over a completely new type of customer who has never owned a Range
Rover or Land Rover before. |
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