Land Rover

The Land Rover is a motoring legend - an icon for enthusiasts the world over, with its reputation for seeming indestructibility and rugged style. Since the very first design appeared in 1948, the Land Rover name has become universally identified with four-wheel drive vehicles. Its story is a remarkable one that reads like a history of the 4x4 itself.
LANDROVER HISTORY
The first Land Rover appeared in 1948 - a simple and inventive working vehicle. Brothers Spencer and Maurice Wilks, its creators, developed the iconic vehicle that combined utilitarian simplicity with rugged, dependable quality. The earliest models were designed to be serviced in the field and were manufactured as a range of four-wheel drive vehicles.
From the 1970s onwards, Land Rovers came under increasing competition as manufacturers the world over entered the off-road four-wheel drive arena. It has been owned by various organisations, including British Leyland, British Aerospace and BMW. In 2000, the Land Rover was sold by BMW to Ford but was recently bought by the Indian company, Tata Motors.
LANDROVER FACTS
Type: Subsidiary
Founded: 1948
Founder: Rover
Headquarters: Solihull, England
Key People: Geoff Polites, CEO
Industry: Automotive
Products: Automobiles
Parent: Tata Motor Company
MODELS
• LAND ROVER DEFENDER - a four-wheel drive off-road utility vehicle available with a variety of body types, often used in agricultural, industrial and military roles, Increasingly, the Defender is being used as a private car. • LAND ROVER DISCOVERY - an on and off-road four-wheel drive vehicle, the Discovery is the most popular Land Rover model and is now in its third generation. • LAND ROVER FREELANDER - currently in its second generation, the Freelander is a compact crossover SUV. Launched in 1997, it quickly became the best selling compact 4x4 in Europe. • LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER - a full size luxury four-wheel SUV, the Range Rover has been in production since 1970 undergoing a wide range of changes in three different generations. • LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT - A sports - rather than off-road - orientated SUV.

DID YOU KNOW?
• Early Land Rovers were constructed of a lightweight rustproof alloy of aluminium and magnesium called Birmabright which was used due to post war steel shortages and the plentiful supply of post-war aircraft aluminum. Birmabright's resistance to rust helped them build a reputation for being long-lasting even in the toughest conditions. In fact, it is estimated that around 75% of all Land Rovers ever built are still in use. • The early choice of Land Rover colour was mainly down to the military surplus supplies of aircraft cockpit paint after the war - so early vehicles only came in various shades of light green. • Early advertisements for Land Rovers bragged that the vehicles could be driven for thousands of miles on banana oil!