The full history of Land Rover vehicles spans over 60 years of reliability, off-road capability and maximum comfort for driver and passengers. Initially, Land Rover was an exclusively English corporation, but in 1994 it was acquired by BMW.
Today, the impressive range of cars of the legendary Land Rover company, for which the concept of bad roads simply does not exist, is considered one of the most sought-after and prestigious cars that perfectly emphasize the status of its owner.
From World War II to the present day
During the Second World War, industry in Britain received a steady income, with the end of hostilities, financial flows dried up. The country's leadership was forced to look for ways to resolve this situation. This can be considered an important impetus in the history of the development of the entire English automotive industry, and the Land Rover brand in particular.
Taking advantage of the difficult economic situation in the country, Rover quite easily received approval from the country's leadership for a new launch of mass production of passenger cars. The company was provided with a completely new plant, located in Solihull, which was rebuilt before the start of the war, and throughout its entire length it produced military equipment, being classified.
Thus began the history of the land rover company, which, on a very large territory of the plant provided to it, could afford to launch the production of a small number of car models that first rolled off the assembly line before the war. A new idea for entering the market was proposed by the brothers, then managing the company - to create a simple and inexpensive "transport" with a minimum need for scarce sheet steel.
The whole history of the land rover brand would have been completely different without the creation of the first post-war car of the same name, the prototype of which was Willis Jeep. It was extremely simple in everyday use and a reliable car with excellent cross-country ability, the production of which required a minimum of steel. This car was a definite stopgap that allowed Land Rover to get through a difficult period of strict steel quotas.
By life a winner
In the history of land rover, a huge role was played by the sharp decline in "interest" in aluminum, which was noted after the war. Since it was much cheaper than steel, the engineers came up with the idea to use it more widely for the body of the new model. Aluminum was not only easier to process and required fewer resources, but it was also highly resistant to corrosion.
The lack of metal also affected the chassis of the car. The inability to manufacture steel parts of the chassis, the high economic costs that were necessary for this, prompted engineers to an original solution. Pieces of steel (in the form of scrap), which were in abundance, were welded together, subsequently gathering into a supporting frame. This not only saved resources, but also made it possible to manufacture a frame, which had no analogues in the history of land rover.
In the spring of 1947, they started assembling the prototype, and by the summer it was completely ready. As it turned out, just such a car fully met the needs of society at that time. By the spring of 1948, 25 samples of the new car had already been assembled. It was announced at an exhibition held in Amsterdam, where it was a huge success, becoming not a temporary one, as planned, but a popular SUV for many years.
Perfection carried through the years
In the same year, the number of new SUVs released several times exceeded the number of sedans produced by the company, providing a steady income. This allowed the modernization of the model to begin, and in 1950 a completely different all-wheel drive system was implemented in the history of the Land Rover brand. By means of a special lever, it was now possible to switch between all-wheel drive or only rear-wheel drive.
In the 60s, Land Rover significantly updates the list of cars produced. In addition to the forward control car option, the list of cars produced by personal orders has been expanded. For example, a landing vehicle appeared weighing only 500 kg, designed to be delivered to the combat zone by air. Throughout its history, the Land Rover has been on construction sites, helped firefighters and doctors - all due to its unsurpassed performance in terms of cross-country ability.
After a serious marketing research conducted in the same year, it turned out that Land Rover managed to “win back” more than a third of the global SUV market. After that, it became clear that a completely new car market for connoisseurs of outdoor activities was opened before the company.
It all started with the intention of the engineers to make only a small part of the improvements to the already released version. But as a result of painstaking work on a new development by Rover design studio specialists, a fundamentally different car has turned out, with an already proven rigid frame and a lightweight body, which is highly corrosion resistant. The car, called the Range Rover, would then be exhibited in the Louvre, and the public got to know him in 1970, and the car instantly made a real sensation.
The Range Rover was produced with two doors, complemented by a rear folding side. The exterior of the car could not be called chic, but its sales literally beat all records. Its exceptional reliability will be confirmed a little later by a group of military men who made a rally from Alaska to Argentina, where the Range Rover has never failed its creators for six months, overcoming all the tests with honor.
Changing the look, stay true to tradition
In the 80s, the company began to implement the Project Jay project, as a result of which the history of the Land Rover Discovery car model belonging to the class of family cars was laid. The already proven wheelbase from Range Rover with a lightweight and inexpensive body was used as the basis. As a result of the work, a long history of land rover discovery started, which the public saw for the first time back in 1989.
If Discovery and Range Rover confidently occupied the luxury car segment, the victorious story of the updated Land Rover Defender began a little later. This model has proven itself, for example, among fans of outdoor activities. This was facilitated not only by the comfort of the car and its excellent handling, but also by unsurpassed off-road performance, which has not been surpassed by other manufacturers so far.
After the acquisition of the Rover Group by BMW Corporation, the lineup continued to be updated. The design of a new car began. As conceived by the designers, the new Range Rover was to be completely different from previously produced cars. For him, a fundamentally new chassis was developed and the V8 engine was “redrawn”. In addition, the engineers provided for the possibility of equipping the car with a 2.5 liter diesel engine.
The new car was equipped with the latest electronics system that controlled absolutely everything - from the perfect system responsible for driving safety to the suspension, which was made self-leveling. The new model was called the Range Rover Classic, and this luxury car existed for 26 years, during which more than 300 thousand copies rolled off the assembly line.
The history of the Land Rover Freelander model, unlike the history of the Defender or Discovery, began relatively recently. Despite the fact that there are a sufficient number of models on the market for small SUVs, the appearance of Freelander could not go unnoticed, since it inherited all the best characteristics of the legendary brand. Since the start of work on this model, a lot of the latest developments have appeared in it, without which it is already impossible to imagine a car.
For example, HDC (Controlled Descent), which is based on ABS, was developed and patented, and this is just one of hundreds of Land Rover innovations. The appearance of the Freelander car did not become a point in the history of the company's development. In 2005, motorists showed genuine interest in a new model launched on the market - Range Rover Sport, which, in terms of a number of characteristics, became the best car in the history of land rovers. This is a versatile, maneuverable car with excellent cross-country ability and a comfortable driving style on any road. The capabilities of the "legendary" car can be seen in the video
Official website: www.landrover.com
Headquarters: Germany
"Land Rover" (Land Rover), a subsidiary of the English company Rover Group ("Rover Group"), bought in 1994 by the German concern BMW ("BMW"). It produces off-road vehicles of the famous Land Rover brand (“Land Rover”). The headquarters is located in Solihull near Birmingham.
After the Second World War, a division of the British company Rover ("Rover" Land Rover Group ("Land Rover Group") became the first firm to take a position in the growing market for off-road vehicles.
The first Land Rover appeared in post-war Britain in 1948, at a time of severe steel shortages. It was an ingeniously simple, ingeniously crafted aluminum workhorse. Brothers Spencer and Maurice Wilks (Spencer & Maurice Wilks), working for the British car manufacturer Rover, created a new iconic car that combined pragmatic simplicity and rugged reliability. The car was an instant success, with the result that by the mid-fifties of the last century, the Land Rover brand had already become clearly associated with the concept of durability, durability and phenomenal off-road qualities. Military and agricultural workers, as well as rescue and recovery workers, found in the Land Rover just the qualities they needed in a car. By 1959 With the 250,000th Land Rover rolling off the lines of the Solihull (West Midlands) plant, the foundations for future market dominance were fully laid.
The famous Defender (“Defender”), a long-wheelbase Land Rover model, conceived as a universal reliable car of the post-war period, has been produced for 50 years almost unchanged and its appearance resembles the same post-war model. The model is still considered the best all-wheel drive SUV.
In the 1960s, the demand for four-wheel drive vehicles increased significantly, and Land Rover was at the forefront of a new emerging market segment. In an attempt to find the best solution to the challenge, Rover engineers set about designing a vehicle that would combine the comfort and performance of a family car with the off-road capabilities of Land Rover.
The result of their work was the Range Rover, put into production in 1970. and instantly aroused universal stormy admiration. The iconic design of this model has achieved a unique level of recognition by being exhibited at the Louvre Gallery in Paris. However, the advantages of the car significantly went beyond comfort and attractive appearance, while maintaining a unique off-road ride quality.
During the 1970s and 80s, the evolution of Land Rover and Range Rover continued, and recognition of Land Rover vehicles grew with events such as the Paris-Dakar Rally demonstrating the marque's outstanding resilience.
The Land Rover lineup includes two more models. Discovery was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989, marking the creation of a new niche - the 4x4 family car.
In 1997 it was followed by the Freelander, a more compact car focused on sports and leisure applications, which took the lead in Europe in terms of sales in the 4x4 class.
In 1994, BMW acquired the English company Rover Group (“Rover Group”), and with it its subsidiary Land Rover, which has always specialized in SUVs.
At present, the prestige of the department is still very high. The famous Range Rover model is unrivaled, it is the universally recognized standard of luxury all-terrain vehicle. In 1994 it was updated for the last time. It is offered with three types of engines - V-shaped 8-cylinders with a working volume of 4.0 or 4.6 liters with a capacity of 190 or 224 hp, as well as a 2.5-liter BMW turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 136 hp.
For buyers of the middle class, a compact Land Rover - Freelander is produced. This model has an independent suspension of all wheels and a transverse engine. It has 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with a working volume of 1.8-2.0 liters.
Continue to be produced unchanged Discoveri and Defender. The last, workhorse among all other models, the most practical and reliable, although not very comfortable, is offered with an aluminum station wagon body. In the UK, Defender is sold in three base versions - 90, 110 and 130. They are equipped with a turbocharged diesel and a gasoline V-shaped 8-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2.5 and 4.0 liters, respectively. These vehicles are very popular with farmers and are used as police and fire trucks.
The world owes the existence of the Land Rover brand to the Wilkes brothers, the chief designer and executive director of the Rover automobile company, who created an unpretentious and inexpensive “jeep” with an aluminum body in the difficult post-war years. With the appearance in 1947 of the first prototype of this model, the history of the world-famous English manufacturer of premium SUVs began.
The history of the Land Rover brand
The brand name Land Rover refers to the Rover company founded in 1887. One of the founders of this company, John Camp Starley, is known for developing and patenting a model of a bicycle with a chain drive to the rear wheel. The design he invented is still used today, almost a century and a half later, and in some countries the words "bike" and "Rover" are synonymous.
Manufacturers of equipment in Britain, weakened after the Second World War, had to survive by all available means. State orders for aircraft and other military equipment dried up, in addition, the country had strict quotas for the use of steel. At the same time, after the end of aircraft production, a huge amount of aluminum accumulated in warehouses. The Wilks brothers decided to turn it into low-cost SUVs to help the company survive until it hit the steel market.
Aluminum also had one more advantage - it was the best suited for the production of cars intended for use in difficult conditions, since this metal does not rust, and the body made from it is light in weight, which saves fuel with the impressive dimensions of the "jeep" .
In the spring of 1948, the first 25 cars were shown at an exhibition in Amsterdam and aroused great interest.
However, the Jeep was not destined to become a temporary help to the company - already in 49, the number of Land Rovers sold exceeded the total number of cars sold by the company.
The first modifications of Land Rover did not even have their own name - numbers were added to the brand name, for example, Land Rover 109.
In 1970, the premium SUV Range Rover was created.
In the early eighties, the company began developing a mid-range SUV. It was based on the chassis of the Range Rover, combined with a more modest and not so big body. was introduced in 1989 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 1991, the “numbered” models ended their existence, giving life to the same uncompromising Defender SUV.
According to one version, the idea of the logo was inspired by the case of a sardine can, forgotten on the drawings by one of the engineers. An oval oil mark remained on the paper, which became the prototype of the oval framing the inscription in the company logo.
Change of brand owners
Land Rover is headquartered in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England. Modern models - Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Evoque are assembled at two factories in the cities of Solihull and Halwood.
The company gained relative independence only in 1978. Until that moment, Land Rover was a division of the Rover company, which was part of the Leyland Motor Corporation, a large automotive holding.
Subsequently, the division became part of the JLR Group. In 1994, the Rover Group, along with JLR, acquired German.
In 2000, BMW sold part of the business, as a result of which Ford became the owner of Land Rover.
The chain of ownership ended only in 2008, when Jaguar and Land Rover were acquired by the Indian company Tata.
Land Rover technology.
Speaking of technologies that have become the hallmark of the brand, one cannot fail to mention the Land Rover V8 engine. In the classic modification, its volume was 3.5 liters with an effective power of 156 hp. Differs in simplicity of a design.
The Range Rover was one of the world's first premium diesel vehicles.
Land Rover's aluminum body is also notable, durable and not subject to corrosion.
Among Range Rover's latest technologies are the Dual View Screen and (Hill descent control).
Land Rover in motorsport
For the first time in 1979, a French crew on a special Range Rover modification won the Paris-Dakar rally. Again the Range Rover brought rally victory in 1981.
It is impossible not to mention the Camel Trophy - international automobile competitions that took place on difficult terrain in Brazil, Chile and Argentina from 1980 to 2000. Teams from all over the world on Land Rover SUVs took part in the competition.
Key Models
Unlike "numbered" models with spring suspension, Range Rover axles rely on springs. The car was originally focused on the American market and operation mainly on asphalt.
The design of the new model was so successful that in 1971 the Range Rover Classic was put on display at the Louvre Museum as an example of high art.
The third-generation Range Rover of today is the product of a long evolution, during which the car is constantly acquiring more and more new options aimed at improving comfort: air suspension, downhill assistance system, etc.
The top model of the modern is equipped with a 5-liter gasoline "eight" traditional for the brand with a volume of 5 liters and a power of 510 horsepower with a mechanical supercharger. The maximum torque is 625 Nm.
Land Rover Defender
The successor to the "numbered" models remains one of the few mass-produced "true" SUVs with a ladder-type frame, two axles and a six-speed transmission with permanent all-wheel drive, a two-stage transfer case and a lockable center differential. - the length of the wheelbase in inches. Of all the early models and later Defenders released, 70% still serve their owners to this day.
Land Rover in Russia
In Russia, Land Rover has a peculiar image: rumors persist that this car is unreliable, but its fans are growing every year. The main demand in Russia is the most expensive models - Range Rover and Discovery.
Sales of Land Rover in Russia began in 1996. In 2001, an official representative office was opened. In 2006, Land Rover sold 6299 cars on our market, and 9970 in 2010. Every day more and more cars are stolen in Russia, including Land Rover. Most often, Discovery and Freelander are attacked by hijackers.
In early November, sales of a new model from Land Rover began in Russia - a compact SUV called. The company plans to open a plant in Russia.
The Defender SUV owes its signature color to military stocks - after the end of World War II, a large amount of paint remained in warehouses, which was used to paint aircraft fuselages in a protective color.
There are many famous people among Land Rover owners: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Paul McCartney. Singer Madonna once chose a Range Rover as the lead car for her wedding procession. James Bond also drove the Land Rover on several occasions.
The car owes its appearance to two engineers of the British company Rover, the Wilks brothers, the classic military Jeep Willys and the situation in England after the war. Although, as you know, the country avoided direct enemy invasion, years of air raids, bombardment by V-1 projectiles and V-2 ballistic missiles, the work of industry and agriculture turned the island into a state with a fairly deformed economy. England desperately needed to export its products. But what could she offer a destroyed Europe?
The Rover Group, which was founded in 1884 and created, by the way, the bicycle in its modern form, moved from the bombed-out Coventry to Solihull, where it launched the production of pre-war car models. However, both the British themselves and their neighbors on the continent needed something else that would meet the simplicity of design and maintenance, and most importantly, the versatility of the realities of those harsh times.
Spencer and Maurice Wilkes relied on an extremely simple and passable car based on the Jeep Willys, but in a civilian version. Fortunately, they knew for certain that nothing like this was planned in their native Rover. What killed two birds with one stone. Firstly, by replacing steel with “flying metal”, they achieved a significant reduction in the weight of the machine. And secondly, they found a worthy replacement for the then scarce steel sheet by purchasing duralumin, which was abundant from the aircraft industry, which sharply slowed down after the war. She also adopted the connection of body parts with rivets. As for the other units, engine, transmission, they were taken from both the faithful Jeep Willys and the then Rover models.
An interesting detail. The brothers, apparently so confident that foreign customers, including those from neighboring left-hand drive Europe, would also buy the car, placed the driver’s seat of their car not on the right, in English, or on the left, in European style, but in the middle. In order not to mess around with the rearrangement of the chair on special export copies.
The prototype, yet unnamed, was ready in six months. And got the name during the full tests of the machine. It was invented by Maurice, combining the name of the company in which he served, and the purpose of the novelty, Land Rover turned out, something like a “rural Rover”.
At the end of April 1948, the car was presented at a salon in Amsterdam. Resounding success. Before the end of the year, the brothers are building a trial batch of forty-eight cars with engines, gearboxes and upgraded axles from Rover cars and selling them for 450 pounds each. Just three months after the start of mass production, the SUV was sold in 68 countries around the world. You can imagine this: out of 48 pre-production cars produced in late 1947 - early 1948, eighteen are in good health to this day!
A car with a 48-horsepower, and a little later, a 50-horsepower engine, weighing 1.2 tons, with brick aerodynamics, developed a maximum speed of 75 kilometers per hour. With an almost complete absence of what is called comfort. Open, at best with a soft top-awning, without doors, jumping on potholes and extremely noisy. But in demand by farmers, artisans, hunters and just people who happened to live in areas with bad roads.
The Land Rover name has long been firmly associated with all-wheel drive vehicles. Despite constant improvement and development, the history behind Land Rover's unique vehicles clearly testifies to the persistence of the main idea, which is the combination of unchanging goals and values and a strictly focused approach to development.
Already in the late 50s. The 250,000th Land Rover rolls off the lines at the Solihull plant.
In the 1960s, the demand for four-wheel drive vehicles increased significantly, and Land Rover was at the forefront of a new emerging market segment. In an attempt to find the best solution to the challenge, Rover engineers set about designing a vehicle that would combine the comfort and performance of a family car with the off-road capabilities of Land Rover.
The result of their work was the Range Rover, put into production in 1970. and instantly aroused universal stormy admiration. The iconic design of this model has achieved a unique level of recognition by being exhibited in the Louvre in Paris. In addition to the unique comfort, the car had outstanding off-road qualities.
During the 1970s and 80s, the evolution of Land Rover and Range Rover continued, and recognition of Land Rover vehicles grew with events such as the Paris-Dakar Rally demonstrating the marque's outstanding resilience. Since 1990 the car that millions of people recognized at first sight as a classic Land Rover SUV has been renamed the Defender. The famous Defender, a long-wheelbase Land Rover model, conceived as a universal reliable car of the post-war period, has been produced almost unchanged for 50 years and its appearance resembles the same post-war model. The model is still considered the best all-wheel drive SUV.
In the late 80s, Land Rover hits the world with another premiere. Discovery was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989, marking the creation of a new niche - a comfortable family car 4 × 4 with excellent off-road qualities. Deprived of the Spartan utilitarianism of its predecessor, it appealed to different categories of consumers. In Europe, the most budget version goes on sale - with a 2-liter gasoline engine.
By the mid-90s, the famous Range Rover is still out of competition, and is the universally recognized standard of luxury all-terrain vehicle. In 1994, the new owner of the company, the BMW concern, carried out its cardinal renewal. The car was offered with three types of engine - V-shaped 8-cylinder displacement of 4.0 or 4.6 liters, as well as a 2.5-liter BMW turbocharged diesel engine. By the end of the 90s, Range Rover received an improved injection from BOSCH, an improved interior and new optics.
In 1997 Freelander is introduced, a more compact car focused on sports and recreational applications, which has taken the lead in Europe in terms of sales in the 4×4 class. Freelander becomes the ancestor of the now popular SUV platform from BMW. This is the first Land Rover model with a monocoque body, independent suspension of all wheels and a transverse engine. It is equipped with 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with a working volume of 1.8-2.0 liters. In 2003, the model underwent significant changes in appearance, and received new optics, bumpers and interior trim. There was such a joke: Land Rover, in addition to SUVs, produces souvenirs - badges, T-shirts, baseball caps and Freelander. Although the smallest Landy was looked down upon and scolded for its lack of a downshift, sales soared to 70,000 a year in 1998. And for five years in a row - until 2002 - Friel remained the most popular all-wheel drive in Europe. The car lasted on the assembly line for almost 10 years. The car lasted on the assembly line for almost 10 years. A larger Freelander 2 on the EUCD platform shared with the Volvo XC60 was shown in 2006 in London.
Since 1998, the updated Discovery Series II has been produced. The car received an improved chassis, a unique 5-cylinder diesel engine, with a revolutionary (at that time) pump-injector direct injection system. The problem of corrosion resistance of the body was also solved. In 2003, Discovery II undergoes a face-lift and acquires modern "signature" features that make it related to the new Range Rover family.
And since the end of 2002, Land Rover has been launching the new flagship New Range Rover, which carries the stylistic heritage of its predecessors, but is technically revolutionary different from them. The rejection of the frame, dependent suspension and the already archaic lower V8 model of the 50s makes New Range Rover leaders in the range of modern luxury SUVs.
In the spring of 2004, Land Rover introduced the all-new Discovery 3. If the New Range Rover had similarities with its predecessors, then in the case of the Discovery 3, the current owner of the brand, Ford, decided to create a car from scratch. The all-new third generation Disco with Range-inspired styling received independent suspension. The frame integrated into the body made it possible to lower the center of mass. Off-road, the driver is assisted by an electronic assistant Terrain Responce, tailored for various types of coverage.
Then, in 2005, a new favorite appeared among Land Rover SUVs - Range Rover Sport, with impeccable dynamics and driving characteristics. The company needed a car lighter and faster than the Range, able to race Tuareg, Cayenne and BMW X5 on equal terms. It is 8.5 cm lower and 17.5 cm shorter than the regular Range, but the five-liter V8 compressor engine accelerates the car to hundreds in less than six seconds. According to motorists, which is the most successful decision of Land Rover developers in its entire history. At least until the latest model, the Range Rover Evoque, new for 2010, combines superb sports car performance with truly superb design.
Since the 60s of the last century, Land Rover has changed hands a lot and often: British Leyland (1968-1998), British Aerospace (1988-1994), BMW (1994-2000), Ford (2000-2008). And finally, the Indian TATA, which bought the British SUV manufacturer, complete with Jaguar. The Indians paid $2.3 billion, but minus $600 million for Jaguar and Land Rover pension plans, the blue oval received $1.7 billion. In addition, the Ford concern has promised to help with engines, platforms, other components and technologies - for the duration of the transition period, Ford has pledged to finance Jaguar and Land Rover dealers around the world.
It's safe to say that Land Rover has gone from a simple and utilitarian 1948 product to an automotive legend. Few competitors can boast the same level of recognition and respect that Land Rover vehicles command. However, the main testament to the correctness of Land Rover's values is the cars themselves: it sounds absolutely incredible, but two-thirds of all Land Rover vehicles ever made are still in service!
Tata Sons and Tata Motors Chairman of the Board Mr. Ratan Tata promised that both companies will maintain their unique identity. However, SUVs will use less fuel thanks to the widespread use of aluminum and the introduction of hybrid technologies. In addition, the Land Rovers are working on replacing the legendary Defender with a more modern SUV, codenamed Project Icon. What will come of all this, time will tell. Although the Land Rover company did not lose face even with bad owners.
Today, Land Rover is the only company that exclusively manufactures vehicles with permanent 4×4 drive. This pure dedication is perhaps the main reason why Land Rover's values of freedom, adventure, fortitude and, most importantly, being true to yourself, are so evident in all of the company's vehicles.
Land Rover is a British automaker that produces premium all-wheel drive off-road vehicles. It belongs to the Indian Tata Motors and is part of the Jaguar Land Rover group. The headquarters is in Wheatley, Coventry.
The brand appeared in 1948, and the company of the same name was formed only in 1978. Prior to this, the brand was part of the Rover product line.
In the post-war years, British industry was in decline. Strategic materials were distributed according to quotas among enterprises capable of producing competitive products intended for export. Before the war, fast and elegant cars were assembled under the Rover brand, but now they were not in demand. The market craved something simpler and more reliable. In addition, there were difficulties in obtaining the necessary spare parts. The head of the company, Spencer Wilks, was looking for something to load the idle capacities of his enterprise.
At this time, his brother Maurice Wilks could not find spare parts to repair his army Willys. Then the brothers came up with the idea to create an alternative Willys, an inexpensive and undemanding all-terrain vehicle that would be useful to farmers. The automotive industry has been one of the priorities in the recovery of the British economy. The Wilkes brothers received government approval to resume production of civilian cars and settled in the new Meteor Works plant in Solihull. During the Second World War, this enterprise produced engines for aircraft and tanks. Therefore, many sheets of aluminum accumulated here, which were later used for the body of the first Land Rover car.
The American Willis Jeep was taken as the basis for its development. The bodywork was made from Birmabright aluminum alloy, a lightweight, easy-to-machining material that kept costs down. In addition, it was resistant to corrosion, making the machines of the brand durable in the most severe operating conditions. The design of the car was also as simple as possible. Instead of pressed steel parts for the chassis, the designers decided to weld pieces of scrap steel and then assemble and use them as a supporting frame. The result was a strong and reliable chassis that was inexpensive to manufacture.
The assembly of the first prototype was completed in the summer of 1947. He received the name Center Steer. A pre-production sample was shown in the spring of 1948 at an exhibition in Amsterdam. On its hood was a new name for the automotive industry - Land Rover. The novelty aroused great interest among the public, much to the surprise of its creators.
The first cars were ascetic. They received a green color used for aircraft, a ladder-type frame, a centrally located steering wheel, a 48-horsepower 1.5-liter engine, a special galvanized frame coating, and all-wheel drive. Reliable and simple machines were in demand. Just three months after the start of production, the new SUV was already sold in 68 countries. The maximum speed was only 75 km / h. It was a noisy and tough machine, which nevertheless became a favorite of farmers.
Land Rover Series I (1948-1985)
Initially, the Wilks brothers considered their new brainchild to be a kind of “intermediate” option that would help the company survive hard times, but already in 1949 the number of SUVs produced exceeded the number of Rover sedans.
The novelty brought income, which made it possible to introduce a number of improvements. From 1950, cars were equipped with an upgraded drive system that allowed the driver to choose between front and rear wheel drive. Several wheelbase lengths and several body variations were introduced. The car was very popular with the military: it was listed in the armed forces of several countries.
Since 1957, Land Rover cars could be equipped with diesel engines. Then came a closed aluminum body and a thermally insulated roof. The spring suspension was replaced by a spring suspension. The first classic Land Rover has survived to this day. Since 1990, he has been known as Defender.
In parallel with the release of utilitarian all-terrain vehicles, the company was developing a car that could combine the comfort of a sedan and the cross-country ability of an SUV. A year after the launch of the first Land Rover, the Station Wagon model appeared with a seven-seater closed body. The list of its equipment included a cabin heater, a windshield wiper with two brushes, upholstered doors, leather seats, a protective cover for a spare wheel. The body with a wooden frame and aluminum cladding was developed by Tickford. However, the car turned out to be too expensive and did not have the success that its creators had hoped for. But the next model has become a real legend.
Range Rover appeared in 1970 and was designed mainly for the American market. It was equipped with a Buick V8 gasoline engine with a permanent all-wheel drive system and long-travel spring suspension. The car became an exhibit of the Louvre as an outstanding achievement in the field of automotive design. For many years to come, this model has become a leader in its class, setting new quality standards.
The program to launch the car in the North American market was called Project Eagle. The model was equipped with a forced motor, thanks to which the maximum speed exceeded 160 km / h, and the acceleration time to 100 km / h was 11.9 seconds. In 1985, Range Rover of North America was founded. The car was designed for wealthy buyers, so it was equipped as standard with cruise control, air conditioning and an automatic transmission.
Land Rover Range Rover (1970)
In the 80s, the company also implemented another large-scale project, which resulted in the famous Discovery, designed for family use. The car was based on the Range Rover, but received a simpler and cheaper body. Its debut took place during the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989.
In 1993, the 1.5 millionth Land Rover comes out, and a year later, BMW AG buys the Rover Group. The Bavarian automaker immediately took up the design of the new Range Rover model, which was supposed to be fundamentally different from its predecessors. The car received a specially designed chassis and a reconfigured V8 engine. In addition, it could be equipped with a 2.5-liter BMW diesel engine. Electronics controlled everything in the novelty - from security systems to self-leveling suspension.
In 1997, the smallest car, the Freelander, appeared in the company's lineup. Then there was a joke that Land Rover, in addition to SUVs, produces a variety of souvenirs: badges, baseball caps, T-shirts and Freelander. However, despite the skepticism, when the “baby” appeared, it quickly became popular: already in 1998, 70,000 units of the model were sold. For five years, until 2002, Freelander remained the most popular all-wheel drive car in Europe.
He earned the love of the public not only for his good size and all-terrain characteristics inherent in the brand, but also for a large number of unique patented technologies. So, he was the first to receive the HDC slope control system, which allowed him to safely descend an inclined plane. It became the first model of the brand with an independent suspension of all wheels, a monocoque body and a transverse engine. In 2003, Freelander was updated with new bumpers and interior, as well as new optics.
Land Rover Freelander (1997-2014)
In 1998, the updated Discovery Series II was introduced with improved chassis, a new five-cylinder diesel engine and an innovative pump-injector direct injection system.
In 2003, the flagship New Range Rover was released with a monocoque body, independent suspension and a new power unit. He immediately becomes one of the leaders among luxury SUVs.
In the spring of 2004, the Discovery 3 model was introduced, created from scratch. It was equipped with an independent suspension, as well as an electronic assistant Terrain Responce, which changes settings depending on the type of road surface. The frame, integrated into the body, lowered the center of mass.
In 2005, the new flagship Range Rover Sport appears on the market, which is considered by many to be the best car in the history of Land Rover in terms of handling and dynamic performance. He was loved for his compactness, maneuverability and excellent all-terrain qualities.
Land Rover Range Rover Sport (2005)
In 2006, official sales of brand cars in Russia began. Buyers love the British models for their reliability, handling and high quality, paying tribute to their off-road performance and comfortable ride. The best-selling models in Russia are the Range Rover Evoque, Freelander, Discovery and Range Rover Sport.
In 2008, the brand, together with Jaguar, was bought by the Indian company Tata Motors.
In 2011, the compact crossover Range Rover Evoque debuted. It is offered in three and five door versions, with two or four wheel drive. The Range Rover Evoque was designed for city driving. One of the main objectives in its design was the reduction of CO2 emissions and high fuel efficiency. In the first year of production, 88,000 units of the model were sold. The car was warmly received by automotive experts and journalists. It was named "Car of the Year" by the authoritative publication Auto Express, as well as "Off-Road Vehicle of the Year" (Motor Trend) and "Car of the Year" (Top Gear).
Now Land Rover continues to develop its line of vehicles and improve its models. Not least in R&D is emission reduction and hybrid technology, which continues the technological evolution of one of the world's most established automotive brands.
