File:First vehicle driven (1990 Land Rover Defender 3.5 V8) (15014374973).jpg

This was the first time I'd driven a RHD vehicle- before that the very first was a LHD Opel Vectra in an abandoned ski resort in Greece in 2009.

This 1990 Land Rover Defender is a proper beast to drive, I tell you that! It's ex. army and served with the United Nations in the Bosnian War of the mid 90s. You can see the UN white under the grey where it's been chipped off. Imported in 2001, when I guess it left the Army. This one's fitted with the biggest 3.5 litre V8 engine, and is a real horror, the torque is massive, and of course no luxuries in an ex. Army Landy! Just looking at the appearance, you get a good idea of what it was like for my 16 year old self to drive. What I particularly loved in this was the army map reader, and the convoy lights (which still worked) so this could be driven at night with lights underneath to avoid enemy aircraft attack.

The owner of this is a good friend of ours- you can see him here in the photo. He's a bit of a Land Rover buff, and owns several, as well as a couple of Range Rovers including a lovely 4.2 V8 example. I drove this on the abandoned Davidstow Airfield in deepest rural Cornwall, and the runways are absolutely pitted with huge potholes which would destroy ordinary cars in seconds. Unfortunately this one's not in use at the moment, but I haven't been able to talk to our friend for a while, so I don't know what it's future is.