Shackleton Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 ...has it that in some piece of original early sales bumph there was a line referring to the rubber mats that went to the effect of: "...work the land all day then hose down the interior and take the Mrs. into town for a night out." Does that actually exist and does anyone have it? George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I'd be surprised if it were part of direct marketing but have heard the line, I'd say it's just a regurgitation of a quote by someone on the design team explaining the basic design brief. Anyway, if I'd promised my Mrs a night out and she'd done herself up, the taxi she'd called would be on the drive before I'd finished putting the hose away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I know that the early range rovers had waterproof wipe down seats. Maybe the poverty spec came with rubber mats but I suspect most people ordered the carpet option. That said the discovery rubber mats (on top of the carpet) were designed so mud stayed on them hence the raised lip all around that way you could lift them out hose and them down. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPR Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Perhaps a more PC version than "hose down the Missus and work her all night"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Yes I've read that somewhere. Hose down the rubber mats and go for a night out. Where at this time I have no idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 This website has the early range rover brochures - just checked out the first couple of years and it only mentions it's suitable for work or more glamorous occasions.. http://www.range-rover-classic.com/Home/land-rover-brochures/range-rover-1970-s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 All interesting stuff, but by gumbo the commercial spot! It's epic with its sinister music and sheer length. The crazy thing is in a time when serious artistic license was taken with the truth in commercials, it's all straight up. Oh and whereas it doesn't use the line I'd heard it does make the direct transition from off road driver to tuxedoed Sir complete with ruffled shirt! So it was no accident that it became the "Chelsea Tractor" after all. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 You had me scurrying to find my original Range Rover brochure (the introductory one with the Velars in all the pictures) and it didn't say that - which was surprising because I do remember reading about the washable interior somewhere "official"! Just as an aside, I wonder if some of those original brochures are worth anything these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 I know I read it somewhere that I took as official too. I have an old RR owners handbook I'll check tomorrow, and failing that perhaps it was a magazine article. In which case it could well be some journo's interpretation of advertising bumph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tal Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I have an RR classic sales brochure, they vary a bit on the auctions sites but I'm told you can get considerably better prices at one of the big meets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I remember the launch in 1970, I was just about to leave for Africa, where I've been ever since. During 1971 they started to appear on roads around Lagos and I had the opportunity to drive a few, on and off road. They all had rubber mats on the metal floors, like the SIIAs we had in our fleet. Except the mats were standard in the Range Rover :-) I didn't see one with carpets until a couple of years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I have an RR classic sales brochure, they vary a bit on the auctions sites but I'm told you can get considerably better prices at one of the big meets. That makes sense. So much better buying something you can actually look at. Not that we have those meets very often in NZ (I have heard of exactly one!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tal Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I was thinking about it today and I seem to remember it being in a tv advert around that time...could be creative thinking on my part though. hello Deep, well you've heard of more than I've been to if that makes you feel any better LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 They all had rubber mats on the metal floors, like the SIIAs we had in our fleet. Except the mats were standard in the Range Rover :-) I didn't see one with carpets until a couple of years later. Mine's a '73 and that was the first year that cloth seats (and I think carpets) were an option. Mine has the remains of that sickly tan coloured rubber matting underneath that old thin stiff carpet. Didn't get a chance to check a few possible sources for the line today - I was away test driving an old Mercedes W123 280TE for my sister who's going classic to do away with ridiculous road tax and inflated insurance premiums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 hello Deep, well you've heard of more than I've been to if that makes you feel any better LOL There's something like a Series One register that had a meet somewhere around Wellington a year or two ago, which possibly might be an annual thing (it was actually advertised on Trade Me under Land Rover parts). How vague was that? And back to Range Rover mats... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 All interesting stuff, but by gumbo the commercial spot! It's epic with its sinister music and sheer length. The crazy thing is in a time when serious artistic license was taken with the truth in commercials, it's all straight up. Oh and whereas it doesn't use the line I'd heard it does make the direct transition from off road driver to tuxedoed Sir complete with ruffled shirt! So it was no accident that it became the "Chelsea Tractor" after all. Check it out! Thanks for that, I haven't seen it for ages and it was worth watching again. Funnily enough, over forty years later on and I'm using mine for the school run, (among other things), just like in the film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shackleton Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 I was using my daily for six years, between the ages of 33 and 40 (it not me), and I'm absolutely clawing the walls to have it back again. Just a small matter of a major inner body resurrection to get past first (it not me ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Perhaps a more PC version than "hose down the Missus and work her all night"... Surely that should be "up" rather then "down"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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