A Brief Overview of the Fascinating History of Land Rover

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history of land rover

Did you know that the first Land Rover was introduced to us all in Amsterdam way back in 1948? It had no roof, two front seats, and carried a spare tire in the open storage compartment behind.

The history of Land Rover starts in Britain though, as the Brits were the original makers of this iconic car brand. They wanted to make something similar to a Jeep.

Nowadays, Land Rovers have become highly sought after, luxury vehicles; a far cry for their original and simplistic off-road roots. And the owners of Land Rover have changed throughout the years.

Let’s now leap back in time and take a look at the fascinating history of Land Rover.

The First Production Land Rover

In 1948, the first production Land Rover had an 80-inch and a 1.6-liter engine. further down the line, a larger wheelbase was introduced: 107/109-inch version. Also, the short wheelbase developed into an 86/87 model.

Furthermore, the company introduced a 2.0-liter engine a few years later in 1951. It took over half a decade to introduce the 2.0-liter diesel version, though.

Yet, in the same year as introducing the Land Rover, can you believe the company was exporting to over 70 nations? And, the US got on board in 1949.

Land Rover Expeditions

There were many Land Rover expeditions in the 1950s and 60s, with one of the largest being the Far Eastern Expedition. Six Cambridge and Oxford graduates decided to drive from London all the way to Singapore!

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They drove 12,000 miles to get there on a journey unknown until that point. Then, when they arrived, they turned around and did it all again back to London.

Business Booms

Land Rover took the automotive industry by storm from 1959 onwards when their Series II vehicles were selling in their tens of thousands.

In 1966, it was clear Land Rover was one of the best SUVs on the market when they produced their 500,000th car due to popular demand. In 1976, the company produced its millionth vehicle.

The Shift Into Luxury SUV Production

In the late 60s, luxury SUVs were all the rage in America. Thus, Land Rover thought it proper to try and enter this market.

They hired Rover to manufacture a Buick-derived V8 vehicle, with the prototype known as the VELAR. Then, in 1970, the company revealed a bombshell: Range Rover Classic.

Later, in 1981, a Ranger Rover four-door would appear. And in 1989, the famous Land Rover Discovery was released.

The Best Range Rover?

We think it would be impossible to choose the best Range Rover, as they all have their unique character and qualities. However, some significant past models include:

  • 1970 Range Rover Classic
  • 1983 Land Rover 110
  • 1989 Land Rover 90
  • 1989 Land Rover Discovery Series 1
  • 2003 Range Rover
  • 2011 Range Rover Evoque
  • 2014 Range Rover Sport SVR

And today, we’d have to say the Range Rover L322 is a strong contender for being the best on the market right now. Also, if you own a Land Rover right now, here’s an excellent source of Land Rover wholesale parts to check out.

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A Brief History of Land Rover

So, we hope you enjoyed our brief history of Land Rover. Of course, there are many other facts and points of interest we could have touched on, but this is a quick post.

Thanks for your time and if you found this post interesting, please check out our blog.