ONE of the great pleasures of being one of the slightly elder statesmen of motoring journalism is charting the progress of long-lived models.
Back in the early 70s I recall the UK market being taken aback at a new development from Land Rover which had, until then, been concentrating on the traditional model we now know as the Defender.
Called Range Rover, the new model was a totally new departure - a luxury 4x4 with astonishing off-road capabilities.
Although no cheapie, the early Range Rovers sold like hot cakes, a whirlwind popularity that underpinned the vehicle's amazing future. Sadly, the early models suffered at the hands of the likes of British Leyland and their steel body parts rusted in the often arduous rural lifestyles they served.
Although later models improved greatly, this fantastic 4x4 received a steady battering from Japanese, and later, American competitors.
New Range Rover models managed to maintain a cutting edge, but it was not until the aftermath of BMW ownership and subsequent sale saga that the Range Rover really got to grips with the future. Ford stepped in, bought the company, and introduced a new model which made the world gasp anew.
When the wraps were thrown off the current model it was obvious that overseas pretenders to the throne were in for the hardest time ever. The new model is bigger, has the stature to make most other things look puny, and is much more roomy inside.
The black version I tested was fitted with the 4.4-litre V8 which whams out 282 PS. Also available is a six-cylinder turbodiesel which is less powerful at 174 PS.
But it is the spectacular petrol powered model that is the showpiece of the range. OK, so you wont get much more than 20mpg out of it, but it is such a vivid performer that you never cease to wonder at its depth of power.
The engine is linked to a state-of-the-art five-speed electronic automatic transmission, which also includes a steptronic option plus a two-speed transfer box. Advanced drive-by-wire electronics allow throttle mapping to give different characteristics both on and off road.
Add sophistications like traction control and dynamic stability control and you have one of the most specialised sets of wheels in the world.
There were those who said that marques such as Land Rover and Jaguar would be watered down in the hands of Ford. How wrong they were.
Even in recent years you could still find traces of the bad old days of British Leyland in odd places on the Range Rover, but now the overall quality of the model is astonishing.
£59,995 is a lot to pay for any vehicle, but the television-equipped V8 Vogue is a truly modern classic that puts all of the opposition in its place.
FAST FACTS
Land Rover Range Rover 4.4 V8 Vogue
Price: £59,995
Mechanical: 282 bhp, 4,398cc V8 petrol driving all four wheels via 5-spd auto/man transmision with transfer box
Max speed: 130mph
0-60mph: 9 secs
Combined mpg: 17.4
Insurance group: 16
CO2 emissions: 389g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited miles