Stanley was one of three Land Rovers used to take students of the School of Mines and then the University of Otago, where my father worked, on field trips. I drove it as a teenager. My father bought it in 1973 and I bought it from him and restored it.
This model has a long wheel base; only about 2,500 were made and very few remain – perhaps 300 in the world that are roadworthy. Driving it is a very involving experience; you really feel you're controlling a machine.
A lot of wind and rain comes through the gaps, but I can take it into deep rivers. I still take it four-wheel driving and prefer Stanley as my daily drive over my newer Land Rover, which is only 22 years old.
Reported by Kathryn Webster for our AA Directions Spring 2021 issue
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