Land Rover has been making only SUVs for 75 years. These days the British brand has become a premium brand.
This year Land Rover celebrates its 75th anniversary. One of the world’s most famous SUV manufacturers has evolved from utilitarian models for farmers to luxury executive vehicles. Focus will talk about the formation of a famous brand.
Land Rover’s history begins in post-war Great Britain. At that time, cheap models were in demand, but there were no such cars in the Rover brand lineup.
Rover management decided to create an affordable car for farmers and small businesses. The company’s chief designer, Maurice Wilkes, was the owner and passionate fan of the military Willys Jeep and therefore decided that the new Rover should be an SUV.
The first Land Rover (“Rover for Off-Road”) was presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. The SUV turned out to be quite innovative. Unlike the Willys, it had permanent all-wheel drive. Additionally, the reduction gear made it possible to use it as a tractor.
Land Rover’s engine is 50 hp. C. can act as a generator and power a drill, circular saw or welder. In addition, since the fuselage was made of aluminum, it did not rust – after the war, this metal turned out to be in abundance, because thousands of fighter jets were written off. The steering wheel in the cabin was mounted in the center, which made it possible for the car to seat three.
In the first year, 3,000 Land Rovers were produced, and in 1950, 16 thousand units were already produced. By the way, the first SUVs were painted only in khaki because World War II. After World War II there were large reserves of this dye. Interestingly, the first Land Rover was recently restored and even participated in a motor rally.
Gradually, an extended four-door version and a pickup truck were added to the two-door version. Gasoline engines became more powerful and economical diesel engines appeared.
The car was liked not only by farmers, but also by the military and emergency services. Moreover, Queen II. Special Land Rovers began to be made even for Elizabeth.
In 1970, the world’s first premium SUV, Range Rover, was introduced. It combined excellent off-road capability with the comfort of an executive sedan. The Range Rover was equipped with a 135-horsepower V8, and options included air conditioning, leather upholstery and an automatic transmission. Interestingly, Range Rover won the Paris-Dakar Rally twice.
In 1989, production of the Discovery model began, and a year later the classic Land Rover received its own name for the first time – Defender. The monocoque-bodied compact crossovers Land Rover Freelander and Range Rover Evoque followed.
Since the 90s, the British company has changed ownership several times – first it was acquired by the BMW concern, then it was acquired by Ford, and now the company, together with Jaguar, is part of the Indian company Tata.
The Land Rover model range is now wider than ever. They include the new Defender and Discovery, the luxury Range Rover range and the compact Discovery Sport. Now the company has started to restructure and will produce cars under many different brands and will also launch its first electric models.
Previously Focus He told me that a special Land Rover Defender dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the brand has appeared in Ukraine.
We also wrote about the new luxury version of Range Rover.
Source: Focus
Ray Bly is an accomplished journalist in the field of Automobile. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the Automotive industry and a talent for uncovering the latest developments, Ray’s writing provides readers with insightful and informative coverage of the latest news and trends in the field.