Land Aid Advertisement Land Aid Ken Slavin takes a look at the current state of the lucrative 'Aid Market' and Land Rover's failure to exploit it in recent years. In the field we are involved with, aid and expeditions, the start of the new millennium is set to be very exciting. Toyota currently has a stranglehold on the aid market, thanks to its quality control, and to the fact that it has seized the opportunity, while Land Rover has been in the doldrums, to steal a march on its main rival. While the new version is not noticeably different externally, it is stronger and slightly heavier with increased front axle capacity.
Engine cooling is improved, and a high altitude compensator has been introduced.
A 3-stage viscous fan coupling has enhanced fuel consumption but the most significant change for the 78 Series is the suspension, with coil springs replacing the leaf sprung front end, giving a much more comfortable ride. The Nissan Patrol retains its popularity with the UN and aid organisations but increasingly NGOs are starting to buy secondhand Japanese 4x4s. Land Rover's doldrums, keenly felt in our market, can be squarely attributed to the fact that it took BMW far too long to take effective management control, placing an unhealthy dependence on the inherited management. BMW's new strategy of global group dealerships did not come into effect until September 1999 and, according to Automotive News Europe, the initiatives are now coming from the very top, the Quandt family. BMW's original plan with Rover was to be a major global player overnight, but the Rover Group stifled it.