Travel to any far corner of the world, and chances are part of your trip was in the back of a Land Rover. The company has built its reputation on providing vehicles that can stand up to the most inhospitable of terrains, providing the ultimate in utility. And behind the American Jeep, designed for use in World War II, Land Rover is the second oldest builder of four-wheel drive vehicles in the world.
Land Rover says over 70% of its vehicles are still on the road today--thanks to their rugged simplicity.
Originally launched by Rover in 1948, the Land Rover was based on the Jeeps of World War II. It was a completely new direction for the company, which had before the war been focused mainly on luxury cars. But the post-war landscape required few of those, so the plans for a... View more light-duty, all-terrain vehicle for agricultural use were drawn up. The very first prototype was actually built on a Jeep chassis, with a center-mounted steering wheel, and the engine and transmission were out of a Rover P3 car.
The production version, which became known as the Series 1, featured leaf-spring suspension, selectable four-wheel drive, and a rear power take off for use with a variety of accessories.
Although early prototypes leaned heavily on the Jeep, production versions received their own unique chassis and transfer case, which made them completely different than their American counterpart. Land Rovers featured lightweight aluminum bodies--because of post-war steel rationing in the U.K., and were built with function over form in nearly every area. Built from 1948 to 1958, the Series 1 was at first only available in an 80-inch wheelbase, which grew to 86 inches by 1954, and then to 88 inches and 109 inches in 1957. Several different body configurations were available, including pickups and five-door wagons.
The Series II was built from 1958 through 1961, the IIa was produced from 1961 through 1971, and the Series III was offered from 1971 to 1985. All featured the same styling as the Series 1, and all could be had in a variety of configurations. While the engine options changed over the years, the focus continued to be on simplicity. 1972 saw the introduction of the Range Rover, which was intended to be a larger version of the Series design, and later became much more upscale. It was originally fitted with a V8 engine that can be traced back to the Nailhead Buicks of the 1950s and 1960s.
The 1983 Ninety and One Ten, later renamed Defender, continued along the same lines as the Series trucks, offering utility as well as some modern conveniences. 1994 saw the introduction of the Discovery to the U.S. market, which was to have the upscale niceties of the Range Rover line with a price point more suited to Land Rover buyers. They continued to be excellent off-road performers.
1994 saw Land Rover bought by BMW, and in 2000, it was sold to Ford. Then, in 2008, Ford sold the company to Tata Motors in India, along with Jaguar. Future models, currently under development, will feature diesel-electric hybrid technology, which will allow models like the Freelander to achieve excellent fuel mileage while still maintaining superb off-road capabilities. View less
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