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A Christmas Unplugged

With the picture of the Series I Land Rover under a Christmas tree, we are recommending an ‘unplugged’ holiday. Get to know your family and friends, leave the gadgets alone for a day or so – and few cars say ‘simplicity’ better than an early Landie.

Incidentally, looking back on another hectic year, with a host of state-of-the-art cars filed under ‘Driving Reports’, my vote for ‘Car of the Year’ would go to the Series I’s youngest relation, the all-new, fourth-generation Range Rover we drove in Morocco.

But back to living the simple life. There are cars out there which will just battle on, soaking up all sorts of ill-treatment: the VW Beetle, Renault 4, Citroën Mehari and original Mini. As long as it has some sort of spark, and a few volts to supply fuel, chances are it will work.

I drove one such during the year. Granted, it had a 4,962cc, triple-Weber carburettor V12 under its bonnet. And it sold for $8.25m at RM’s Monterey auction this year. But it’s not a spaceship or a computer game: the 1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta is a car designed to function under great duress, for very long periods of time at maximum speed in the roughest of conditions on the Mexican Carrera Panamericana.

Simple is as simple does, I say.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

Photo: Peter Robain / Land Rover