Biography
Get behind the wheel of England’s favourite national workhorse and take a ride on the wild side…
The Basics
With its no-nonsense simple and rugged engineering it’s a safe bet you will find a Land Rover in every town in England. Its robust, basic, utilitarian design lends it a sense of classlessness – anyone can own a Land Rover – be it a farmer or a royal. The Land Rover Defender is a firm favourite with many Land Rover enthusiasts, but you can even buy a Range Rover Limousine if you really want to!
The journey begins
Land Rover’s history is a long and illustrious one that started in 1948 with the vehicle known simply as Land Rover. Since then, every Land Rover has been engineered and designed to answer the same brief: a powerful 4x4 that combines a sense of comfort with true off-road capabilities to enable drivers and enthusiasts to fulfil their sense of adventure. Land Rover’s foray into the motoring world could justly be described as somewhat unassuming. No one could have predicted how a temporary stop-gap measure for the export hungry Rover company would become a worldwide success…
Onwards and upwards
The Land Rover enjoyed a very successful first decade, but by the late 1950s it was clear changes would have to be made if the good times were to continue rolling.
King of the off-road world
The words "market niche" should be all too familiar to a savvy car manufacturer. Range Rover however, not only found a market niche, it created one. In 1970, Range Rover was launched to critical and public acclaim. It truly was a completely new concept: a powerful, comfortable, fully off-road 4x4 with impeccable road manners to boot.
From lightweight to turbo
Land Rover developed a lightweight vehicle for the British Armed Forces under stipulations from the Ministry of Defence during the 50s and late 60s. Come the 80s the utility Land Rover had morphed into a recreational vehicle complete with "lifestyle accessories" and a turbo engine. By 1990 the indomitable Defender roared onto the scene, its chosen name serving as a clear reminder that Rover had regained its autonomy from governmental ownership.
Land Rover gets a make-over
Over the years Land Rover vehicles have provided an ideal platform for specialist conversions. Indeed, some weird and wonderful designs have broken the mould. Just think how much fun hitching a lift in a Hover Rover would be! Come the 90s, the stylish Discovery and hugely popular Freelander hit the scene to great public and critical acclaim - proving Land Rover still had its cutting edge.
The future of Land Rover
So where does Land Rover fit in today's climate? Can a car manufacturer that produces 4x4s really declare tangible policies in regard to tackling climate change and protecting the planet? Read on to find out about Land Rover's green initiatives and discover how the nation's favourite workhorse plans to move with the times.
