Yesterday, Act Party leader David Seymour attempted to drive a Land Rover up Parliament's steps as part of a fundraising visit by Drive 4 Hearts, an organisation committed to research for rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The climb stalled before it even got started, with security telling him: "The Speaker has said no."
It's a familiar stunt of course (National MP Shane Ardern drove a tractor up the steps in 2003 during the "anti-fart tax" protest). But the classic Landie had more right to be there than most vehicles.
This particular 1948 Land Rover Series One (or just "Land Rover" as it would have been called back then) is only the 20th ever made by the factory and the first to be imported into New Zealand, arriving at Wellington Motors on 28 October 1948.
Nobody had heard of Land Rover at that time, and the vehicle was used extensively to promote the new brand. Part of a national tour involved the vehicle being driven up the steps of Parliament, to demonstrate its 4x4 prowess.
The vehicle is now owned by Julian Paton, a research scientist at the University of Auckland involved in RHD work. He recently purchased the vehicle in Dunedin and is driving it home to raise funds for development of a new heart valve for children.
Paton has been working on Series One Land Rovers since he was 12 years old. He has restored seven, with five from the first year of Land Rover production in 1948.
The Landie is only relatively recently back on the road. It spent most of its working life in Taihape and in 1984 was acquired by Taihape Automotive Specialists, where it stayed for 30 years. It was purchased partially dismantled in 2014 by Peter Marr, who took it to Dunedin for restoration.
No, it doesn't look brand new. The restoration was undertaken with great care to maintain its authenticity, preserving the original chassis, paint and many parts. It's one of the most original examples in the world.
