|
1955
At about this time a group of Land Rover Enthusiasts approached the Rover
Company with the proposal that a club be formed to cater for private Land
Rover owners. The Company took this idea on board and formed the LAND
ROVER OWNERS CLUB Ltd. This was wholly owned by the Rover Company and the
central organisation was based at Solihull. The Company funded and
provided staff for the club. Separate area branches were set up in
different parts of the UK and also abroad. These were self-governing but
all abided by the central organisation rules etc. All funding went through
the central body. A journal called ‘Land Rover Review’ was published
by the Company and mailed to each individual member on a quarterly basis.
1966
By this time the Rover Company had introduced the Rover 2000 car. This was
a much sportier model than previous ones and appealed to younger drivers.
These new drivers also wanted to join a club that had company backing. As
a result of these requests the Company revised the Club Structure. The
branches of the Land Rover Owners Club were made into autonomous bodies,
each self-funding etc., and were asked to rename as Rover Owners Clubs.
These new clubs were in turn affiliated to a new body, again owned by the
Company, called the ROVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION [ROA]. Each member of an
affiliated club could, on payment of a small fee, be a life member of the
Headquarters Club of the ROA. The Company again funded the new central
body and provided a secretariat. Each year the ROA [Headquarters Club]
organised a National Rally. As each member of an individual club was also
a member of the ROA, he or she could attend this National event. The
quarterly publication continued, now titled ‘Rover Review’. Each new
Rover product, be it a car or Land Rover, had in the owners handbook, an
invitation to join the Association. The newly formed autonomous clubs were
given the legal approval to use various Company logos in their title after
the designs were approved.
1978
The ASSOCIATION OF ROVER CLUBS LTD [ARC] was established in 1978 to
replace the Rover Owners Association. British Leyland was now the owner of
the Company and decided to withdraw from club organisation. The quarterly
publication ceased soon after. The previously affiliated clubs formed a
new association. The general Committee proposed an association of clubs,
not individuals, and this was adopted. Individuals were encouraged to join
their local club. The Company approved an Association Badge and member
clubs were allowed to incorporate Company Logo into their title and
Badges. At its inception most, but not all, clubs were area based,
catering for all ages and models of vehicle. The area clubs have continued
but recent times have seen a rapid growth in clubs specifically for one
particular model in the range, such as the land Rover “101 Forward
Control Club & Register”.
2006
Following the departure of the last “car” club from the Association,
the ASSOCIATION OF ROVER CLUBS LTD became the ASSOCIATION OF LAND ROVER
CLUBS LTD in order to better describe the intentions of the Association.
In 2006 the
Association had some 37 UK based member clubs and 6 overseas, representing
over eight thousand individuals in the UK alone. |
