Land Rover

Land Rover: How Did the Magic Start

Are you a 4×4 fan and thinking of selling your car and getting a powerful one? Well, you should take a look at the icon of all 4 wheels: Land Rover.

Synonymous with wide-open spaces and sideways, Land Rover is as much a style as a brand of 4×4. 

Comfortable on all terrains, from the savannah to the high-traffic areas of major capitals, these recreational vehicles adapt to all changes in the road. 

Thanks to a wide and varied range comprising many different models, and to constant technological innovations and design, the British manufacturer is more than ever the benchmark of a genre in which they have been the pioneers. 

How the Story Began? Scroll Down and Find Out…

The Invention of the Versatile Vehicle

From its birth in 1948, the Land Rover cleared a new and unexplored path: the versatile all-terrain vehicle. 

In the post-war period, the Wilks brothers understood the need for this type of vehicle, especially in rural areas. 

From odds and ends, Land Rover transformed Jeep Willys left behind by the American soldiers and used military equipment to cars suitable for everyone.

Maurice Wilks was then chief engineer at Rover. Spencer, his brother, was the general manager of the manufacturer. To check their intuition, they launched a study that turned out to be accurate, beyond their expectations.

Quickly, they developed the project of making a light vehicle, four-wheel drive, easy and inexpensive to produce. 

Its designers had high hopes, in particular for increasing sales and exports for their automotive group.

They probably did not expect to see their 4×4 conquering the world and making a career without major changes until 2016, with four great generations:

  • Series I (1949-1958)
  • Series II (1958-1973)
  • Series III (1973-1983)
  • Land Rover 90 and 110 (1983-2016)

Mountain guides, backpackers, farmers, and city dwellers dreaming of adventure, all segments of drivers adopted the Land Rover which contributed to the development of versatile leisure vehicles. 

The Range Rover

It all happened on June 17, 1970, in Cornwall. This precise date goes back to the beginning of a small revolution in the history of the automobile: the birth of the luxury all-terrain vehicle.

On this day, engineer Charles Spencer-King presented his new creation, the Range Rover. 

Camped high on large tires, the 4×4 immediately amazed the press with its qualities:

  1. Modern interior
  2. Comfortable seats
  3. Powerful engine and roadworthiness

It immediately blurred the line between a luxury saloon and a 4×4. Stepping away from the ruggedness of the Land Rover, the Range Rover set a new standard.

The idea of a more road and more luxurious version of the all-terrain had appeared in the early 1950s with the prototype called Road Rover. But the development of the revolutionary Rover 2000 sedan captured the attention of engineers in the mid-1960s.

The idea was there, but the fruit was not fully ripe. It was in 1966 that the project really took shape, and the Range Rover was completely developed in just 4 years, expanding as it went, to go from a large 4×4 station wagon to a luxury all-terrain car.

One of the highlights came from the coil spring suspension it has, at a time when almost all 4×4s stuck with leaf springs. Under the hood, the original Buick 3.528cc V8 produced 156 hp.

When it was first launched, the Range Rover only had a manual transmission with a transfer box. And then, things got moving:

  • The range was expanded in 1981 with the four-door version 
  • In 1982, the automatic transmission arrived. 
  • A diesel engine enriched the line in 1986, one year before the introduction of the Range Rover on the American market. 
  • In 1989, the Range was the first 4×4 to have ABS 
  • Then in 1992, it adopted piloted air suspension.

Today, the Range Rover has the latest in automotive technology and offers hybrid versions, combining electricity and traditional fuels. Four great generations of Range Rover can be distinguished: the Range Rover, now called “Classic”, produced from 1970 to 1996, the Range Rover P38A (1994-2002), the Range Rover L322 (2002-2012), and the Range Rover L405, in service since 2013. 

A Master Key

The magic of Land Rovers and Range Rovers isn’t only being able to go anywhere, but also blending in with any environment from being a family ride to businessmen and rockstars vehicles.

The ascent to luxury began in 1981, with the first limited series “In Vogue”, designed in partnership with the American fashion magazine Vogue, a prelude to the “Vogue” and “Vogue LES” versions.

The Range Rover distinguished itself in motorsport by winning the first edition of the Paris-Dakar in 1979, then as a rally-raid partner.

From 1981, the Range Rover lined up regularly at the start of the famous Camel Trophy, an adventurous race, putting the mechanics to the test in more than one difficult terrain, which made a whole generation of a dream come true with the Classic Land Rovers like Defenders and Discovery.

No wonder we hear the name Land Rover or its icon Range Rover almost everywhere. Knowing the value of this car and all its capabilities makes us stop wondering about its popularity. 

Land Rover is the kind of car you look back at after you park it. So, if you own one, take good care of it, and if you dream about owning one, hope your dreams come true soon!

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