Roger Crathorne: back to choke pulls and double de-clutching

Roger Crathorne, one of the best known and most respected Land Rover employees for more than five decades, retired today. He is known to many New Zealanders with Land Rover connections. As an instructor, he passed on to thousands his vast knowledge and experience of off-road driving in the world’s most inhospitable regions.

Roger was born in 1947 in Lode Lane, Solihull at the local hospital – less than a mile from the factory where, at the exact same time, the idea for the first Land Rover was being conceived. Appropriately, Born in Lode Lane was the title of his memoir, published in 2008. He joined the company as an apprentice in 1963. After 15 years in engineering, and being closely involved in the development of the first Range Rover, Roger’s reputation as an off-road expert came to the fore in 1978 when he became head of the company’s vehicle demonstration team. This team went on to become the Land Rover Experience, which itself celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Soon after he began working with media on press events, Roger took a role within the global PR team. Most recently he was LR’s Heritage, Enthusiast and Technical PR manager.

A for the future: “I will be taking the ignition key of my old Land Rover off the hook and re-educating myself with choke pulls and double de-clutching.”