Rankin Ride-Along: Dean Krusse | Independent Land Rover Specialists
We at Rankin are huge fans of community: the home grown, the hard-working, & the humanitarian. Extra points if it involves automobiles!
Being in the auto business since the 1940s, you can only imagine the sites we’ve seen and the people we’ve met along the way. Our journey and passions have inspired us to highlight local businesses and tradesmen that we enjoy collaborating with. So we’re introducing “Rankin Ride-Along!”
“Rankin Ride-Along” is a series dedicated to collaborators and specialists in the vehicle industry. It will feature a series of choice professionals that we’ve enjoyed working with over the years. As a business begun and mapped by way of a skill and service based reputation, we hope to keep the appeal of craftsmanship & commonwealth in the driver’s seat.
Independent Land Rover Specialists is the definition of enthusiasm.
“We are an independent Land Rover only shop equipped to handle everything from a routine oil change to a full restoration. Our team is comprised of top tier, factory-trained technicians. Our success lies in our pure adoration for these vehicles and in the integrity of our work.”
During a visit to their newest facilities in North Bethesda, Owner Dean Krusse, humbly recounts tales of his roots in South Africa and Land Rovers. Rankin received the honor of hearing the story surrounding the first bricks in building INDLR and we quickly realized the two go hand-in-hand.
A merge of athletics and mechanics in his own personal life match well with the Land Rover ethos. His car connection goes back to a childhood full of memories on farms with work trucks and dreaming of competing in Camel Trophy. Land Rovers “were just everywhere.” Life led him to become a triathlete with a side of Land Rover adventure racing but he always held a knack for fixing cars over the years. It was a familial trade as his dad also grew up practicing in mechanics, but his love for Rover was unique and inherent. Without formal training on the make, he charted his own way through the marvel over this manufacturer. Eventually, a transition away from athletics opened up the opportunity for Kruuse to begin graphic design and sports marketing businesses. Many years as a Land Rover technician and his first shop in San Diego also pad his immense résumé. The first wrench turn on a Rover as a teen combined with professional experience has kept the gears turning until today.
Repairs, rebuilds, and full restorations are serviced on Marinelli Road in what was transformed from Euro Motorcars Rolls Royce and a lampshade company then hardwood flooring and concrete previous to that. Now the location houses a diverse mix of Rover models from the original 1948 Series I to current years. They are one of the rare shops that work on all Land Rovers. The shop is not only outfitted with tools to handle the full range of vehicle service, but also trained and passionate technicians whose hands are guided by integrity and a true respect for Rover.
“We are an independent Land Rover only shop equipped to handle everything from a routine oil change to a full restoration. Our team is comprised of top tier, factory-trained technicians. Our success lies in our pure adoration for these vehicles and in the integrity of our work.”
