John Craddock Ltd Magazine (April 2023)
In many of our previous blogs, we covered the essential Land Rover parts, tools, and accessories to have and how to maintain your beloved vehicle. However, we did not cover how much Land Rover parts have evolved throughout the decades. In this article, we will go through each of the series and generations in the Land Rover family and discuss the evolution of their parts.
Series
It was a one special Series Land Rover vehicle which started the business we all know today as John Craddock Ltd. Back in 1968, John Craddock, himself was restoring his 1948 Series 1 when he was inspired by his passion for Land Rover parts. These iconic vehicles are still loved by classic car collectors worldwide today.
Thanks to their authentic design and functionality, most parts of the Series Land Rover can be fixed or replaced with parts from John Craddock. We have a wide range of the Series parts to equip car owners and enthusiasts alike, be it for restorations or repairs. Looking back through each evolution, our Series parts have stayed genuine to the original concept of its designer, Maurice Wilks.
Defender
The original Land Rover Defenders, including the Defender 90 and 110 were designed as a small upgrade from the Series III, with the addition of a permanent 4×4 wheel drive system and modernised interior as well as other updates. It wasn’t until these original Land Rover Defenders were given a total redesign and renamed the Land Rover Defender (L663) in 2020.
This new model was the first version of a Land Rover Defender without any technology or parts carried over from previous models. Even the wheels and engine weren’t derivative from the Defender 90 and 110. At the time, it was a completely new and different car compared to other models in the Land Rover family.
Freelander
Proudly and clearly capable of towing up to 2,000kg, the Land Rover Freelander was produced for both power and speed. This makes the Freelander an excellent vehicle for towing trailers, caravans, and horse boxes. Being the first ever Land Rover compact SUV, the Freelander 1 was designed with better grip in snowy and icy conditions as well as improved road fuel efficiency.
Its powerful engine and sleek design offered the best of both worlds for drivers as it was suitable for both off-roading and navigating through busy city streets. Today, the Land Rover Freelander 1 and Freelander 2 models continue to attract classic car enthusiasts and drivers across the globe. The Freelander 2 is a pleasure to drive when exploring off road, just ensure you have the right 4×4 tyres for any terrain. From brakes and clutches to bodywork and interior trims, we supply Freelander owners and enthusiasts with genuine parts for both Freelander 1 and Freelander 2 models.
Range Rover
The evolution of the Range Rover began with a very practical model, the Range Rover Classic. In spite of its similarity to the Series, it offers more refinement and luxury. Overtime, the Range Rover Classic evolved through many upgrades, improvements and adjustments such as the bodywork, engine and the interior trim. Yet, its distinctive body shape remains clearly unchanged and its silhouette continues to be reflected in the new Range Rover designs we see today.
Whether you own a Range Rover Classic or a new Range Rover Evoque, every generation of the Range Rover series can be maintained and replaced by the extensive range of original Range Rover parts available at John Craddock.
Discovery
When the Discovery series was introduced, it was designed less as a utility car and more as a family-friendly car. The Discovery 1 featured the same body, chassis, suspension and four-wheel drive version of the Range Rover. Due to its smaller engine size and for other reasons, a Discovery is slightly cheaper than a Range Rover.
The Discovery Sport replaced the Freelander in 2014 with new modern technology as well as being more compact than its bigger sisters, the original Discovery series. The Discovery Sport later became one of Land Rover’s best-selling models. Luckily, John Craddock stocked all types of parts such as electricals to fuel systems, and more for the Discovery 1,2,3,4, 5, and of course the Discovery Sport.
Land Rover Parts At John Craddock
Now that we have gone through most of the historic series and generations in the Land Rover family, you can see that we’re just as passionate about Land Rover parts as John Craddock was when he started his business. Our mission is to supply all Land Rover owners and enthusiasts with genuine parts to help restore their classic Series 3 or to maintain their modern Discovery Sport family car. Sourcing genuine parts for some classic models can be quite difficult and time consuming.
If you’re looking for a specific part for your Land Rover, you can find it directly on our website or in our Cannock shop. If you have any questions regarding our parts and accessories, please feel free to contact us.
