[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/land-rover-presents-valentines-gift-friends\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/land-rover-presents-valentines-gift-friends\/","headline":"Land Rover presents Valentine's gift to friends","name":"Land Rover presents Valentine's gift to friends","description":"Land Rover has given four friends from New Zealand the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift, by restoring their 1957 Series I Land Rover. Will Radford, Anthony Dawson, Jeremy Wells and James Shatwell had reluctantly listed the beaten up and broken vehicle on an auction site after owning it for 15 years. On the site, the friends told the story of their adventures with the affectionately named ‘Landy’ and said how sad they were to have to part with it. Yet Land […]","datePublished":"2015-02-16","dateModified":"2018-12-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/land-rover-resize-21.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/land-rover-resize-21.jpg","height":371,"width":570},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/land-rover-presents-valentines-gift-friends\/","about":["Land Rover","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":331,"keywords":["Land Rover","Series I Land Rover"],"articleBody":"Land Rover has given four friends from New Zealand the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift, by restoring their 1957 Series I Land Rover.Will Radford, Anthony Dawson, Jeremy Wells and James Shatwell had reluctantly listed the beaten up and broken vehicle on an auction site after owning it for 15 years.On the site, the friends told the story of their adventures with the affectionately named ‘Landy’ and said how sad they were to have to part with it.Yet Land Rover New Zealand read the advert and quietly hatched a plan with Will’s wife, Claire, to give The Landy a mechanical restoration, working painstakingly from the ground up.The company reunited the car with the friends on Valentine’s Day.Land Rover New Zealand marketing manager James McKee explained how his team loved the story behind the vehicle that was laid out online. He described the story as ‘heartwarming’, adding that it was clear how much the vehicle meant to the people listing it.Mr McKee said: “We decided it was an amazing opportunity to help them continue their relationship with this classic vehicle, so we bought it and restored it back to its former glory \u2013 replacing the broken bits with genuine Land Rover parts, while retaining some of the dents, dings and even the bumper stickers that made it theirs and gave it its charm. Now they can enjoy it again for many years to come.\u201dAfter being restored, The Landy went on a whistle-stop tour around the South Island of New Zealand to relive some of the adventures that were talked about in the listing on the TradeMe website.It was driven back to Auckland in time of Claire to hide it and then unveil it to the four friends as a Valentine’s Day gift.Land Rover global brand director Robin Colgan said that with adventure being a central part of the Land Rover brand, it couldn’t turn down the chance to help out these four people."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Land Rover presents Valentine's gift to friends","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/land-rover-presents-valentines-gift-friends\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]