Land Rover invented the civilian 4x4, so little wonder it’s an SUV legend. Equally important, the Range Rover was the first globally successful premium SUV, and the first vehicle designed to be as good on-road as off-road. It is now one of the most coveted brands in luxury motoring.
The Land Rover story begins in 1947, when the Rover car company’s technical director Maurice Wilks had an idea for a civilian utility all-purpose vehicle. Inspired by the World War 2 military Jeep, he began to sketch and think. Famously, his first rough sketch – straight lined and square – was on the sand near his holiday home in Anglesey, Wales.
The first Land Rover was born. A year later, in 1948, production begun. It was a huge success, far exceeding the Rover company’s expectations.
That early Land Rover, now known as the Series I, would undergo significant modifications and improvements over the next 68 years. Since 1990, it has been known as the Defender. When production finished in 2016, it had enjoyed the longest continuous production run in automotive history.
It appealed to farmers, outdoor types, adventurers, explorers, and those keen to reach inaccessible spots. Its toughness and go-anywhere capability would also appeal to the military and aid agencies.
The first Range Rover joined the line-up in 1970 and would prove equally successful. It was the inspiration of Rover’s engineering chief Spen King, Maurice Wilks’ nephew.
The Land Rover family would keep growing, notably with the first Discovery in 1989. It was Europe’s first SUV designed for family motoring. The all-new Defender came in 2019 and has proved a huge critical and commercial success.
The Range Rover line-up grew too: first the more performance-oriented Sport, then the sharply styled urban-focused Evoque, and the shapely Velar. Meanwhile the ‘big’ Range Rover, now on its fifth generation, remains the world’s most famous luxury SUV; still the benchmark.
Nowadays, there are three Land Rover families: Range Rover, Defender and Discovery, all offering distinctively different premium or luxury SUVs.
Hendy currently represents Land Rover at 3 outlets.
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