Having heard the rumour that Land Rover where going to discontinue making the Defender, Bob Bower, Head Gamekeeper at Downton Estate, Ludlow decided he would explore the market to see what else on the four- wheel-drive market would be suitable for his purposes.
With some 6000 acres of farming estate, much of which is down to a commercial shoot, access for feeding and shoot maintenance requires a practical vehicle that can go anywhere, anytime and is reliable with it. The basic need is in carrying feed, pheasant and partridge poults, guns and a whole host of equipment, regardless of terrain or conditions.
“We took a look at all the nice shiny vehicles in the glossy showrooms and to be honest, walking in with mud on our boots felt a little out of place for our liking. commented Bob Bower. “even after requesting a demonstration, some of the so-called leading brands didn’t show much interest, which was disappointing to say the least.”
In Leominster, local agricultural machinery dealer, Tallis Amos Group, deal with farmers throughout the region and offer the range of ISUZU Pick-ups which have been making a major impact in the marketplace. Bob got a totally different response than he’d been getting from the glossy showrooms.
“when I went to enquire about the ISUZU, I got a good, positive response from the very start. said Bob. “they were hungry, eager to show their product and they knew how to deal with our marketplace. We were able to try the ISUZU Utah on our own farm and right from the start, it was much better than I was expecting. It was a unanimous choice, no question and we got a great deal on our part exchange.”
No-one is suggesting that the Land Rover and the ISUZU D-Max are equals, they are both entirely different vehicles, rather that they both have benefits over each other and are both capable of carrying out all the tasks, year-round at Downton Estate.
“compared to the Land Rover, the ISUZU is a whole lot more comfortable to drive, exclaimed Bob Bower. “the driving position is very convenient, more roomy, you get more for your money, in fact you get everything including air conditioning and leather seats. On shoot days, you can move more equipment and more people and four- wheel-drive is just a flick of the button. With its wide, lined cargo box we can carry more poult crates and still have the twin cab capability for passengers.”
But what about reliability and service, how much does that matter to the customer? “the truth is, Tallis Amos have been really good. They have a ‘can-do’ attitude, nothing is too much trouble and they know what kind of service we need. They provide a courtesy vehicle if we need one and I consider them to offer a first class service.”
