‘Land Rovers adapted for the workplace’ is the defining theme of the Land Rover Heritage Collection. Each enthusiast group (of which there are so many) have their core areas of interest; The Land Rover Register guys study the engineering development of the early years, Dunsfold have amassed an unrivalled collection of pre-production and prototype Land Rovers and there are, of course, those who simply take their Landy’s off the beaten track to extreme locations and on adventurous journeys. Our signature interest lies in the remarkable number of variants that have been seen from the outset allowing the Land Rover to earn its keep at a place of work, fully equipped for the task in hand. Perhaps less ‘sexy’ than some other collections, but non the less remarkable in the story that it tells.
Our collection therefore contains a large number of exhibits wearing the livery of their workplace. Where appropriate, we illustrate the plethora of bespoke adaptations that were necessary to allow them to earn their keep. From cherry pickers to excavation back hoes; from fire tenders to recovery trucks or from diplomatic cars to gun platforms. We have set out to preserve a record of all those unsung heroes – some exotic, others mundane – who have laboured for a living. In so doing you are able to experience just what an unrivalled and versatile platform the Land Rover was and the contribution that it made to industries, the military, Government agencies and relief organisations around the Globe. To keep our collection ‘genuine’, vehicles are exhibited in the manner that they would have been seen in the workplace. So be prepared for battle scars and the knocks and bumps of real life. Whilst this is not a museum of shiny Bronze Green sterile concourse-prepared Landies, we can boast that our vehicles still function in the manner of their working life, as do all the derivative adaptions and equipment that they carry. Imagine them more in their ‘overalls’, than their ‘Sunday best!’
