Vintage 4x4s are a bit of a conundrum. Using the vehicles as they were intended tends to be rather rough treatment. It also frequently results in modifications to counter the issues unique to exploring increasingly arduous terrain.
On the other hand, with overbuilt chassis, low-geared differentials, and no factory overdrive, they aren’t exactly road-trip machines either. Jack and Stephanie Gosselin, of North Stonington, Connecticut, seem to have hit on the perfect solution with their 1973 Land Rover Series III Short Wheelbase. They treat it as a durable driver suitably unfussy to use for unhurried drives with their golden retriever, Etta.
“We found a car that fits into our lifestyle,” Jack explains. “Our kids are local. We also have a classic catboat sailboat. We like these slower-paced lifestyle recreation opportunities.”
In the ’30s, the U.S. Army had decided that a ¼-ton truck was superior to a ½-ton truck for battlefield purposes. For civilian users, however, the resulting jeep and the Civilian Jeep versions built by Willys after World War II proved a bit
