The Land Rover is renowned for its versatility in a variety of environments, whether tackling rough terrain or on standard roads. Land Rover is one of the longest surviving four-wheel drive brands and has proven itself as a popular choice for all automotive consumers seeking a vehicle that will cater for all situations.
A common sight on farms, just as much as the school run, Land Rovers offer hard-wearing durability twinned with spacious and comfortable interiors, coming together to make a universally-appealing vehicle. Leasing a Land rover has also become increasingly popular. Land Rovers have also seen heavy use in the military thanks to a number of heavy-duty models that provide the perfect transport in these situations.
But where did it all begin? Below is a brief timeline of Land Rover, focusing on the key points of its history:
1948: The first Land Rover is produced by the Rover Car Company and launched at the Amsterdam motor show. This was one specific vehicle, which represented a technological advancement marrying an all-terrain utility vehicle for public use, mostly within farm and light industrial situations.
1958: Series II Land Rover produced, quickly recognised as the standard Land Rover unit, remaining like this until the mid-1980s.
1967: Rover becomes part of Leyland Motors Ltd (later known as British Leyland).
1970: Range Rover introduced as a more luxurious alternative to Land Rover. Much more comfortable, more capable of tackling off-road surfaces and with higher top-speed, the Range Rover was a popular choice compared to other models at that time.
1971: Series III introduced.
1975: British Leyland terminated and nationalised; Land Rover becomes Land Rover Leyland Group.
1978: Land Rover Ltd becomes separate subsidiary of British Leyland.
1986: British Leyland plc becomes Rover Group plc.
1989: Discovery introduced.
1994: BMW takes over Rover Group.
1997: Freelander created.
2002: Range Rover third generation created.
2005: Range Rover Sport produced.
2007: Ford plans to sell Land Rover and Jaguar Cars.
2008: Tata Motors agrees to purchase Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.
With Land Rover quickly moving onto electric cars, the firm would appear to be in a very strong position and, despite being second to Jeep, continuing to provide high quality vehicles of excellence.
About the Author
Thomas Clark
