History of Land Rover

The Land Rover brand dates back to 1948. The company produced its first cars during an acute shortage of steel, which was experienced by the entire industry of Great Britain after the end of the Second World War. However, the founders of the company, the brothers Maurice and Spencer Wilks, tried to make the machines as strong and reliable as possible. The development of the prototype began a year earlier, for which the government provided a plant in the city of Solihull, which during the war years was busy producing engines for tanks and aircraft. For the production of bodies, it was decided to use aviation aluminum, which was no longer required for the needs of the army in such huge quantities. The model was called Land Rover and was presented at the 1948 auto show in Amsterdam. Interest in it was extremely high, and soon the company was flooded with orders. So, the car, which was planned as a temporary option until the removal of quotas for steel purchases, became the main one for this British manufacturer.

After 2 years, the first improvement of cars was carried out. Land Rover engineers have developed a system for shifting the transmission between rear and all-wheel drive. In addition, the company decided to give customers a wider choice by making several variants of SUVs that differed in wheelbase length, as well as in the shape and size of the bodies.

Due to its reliability, Land Rover soon gained immense popularity. It was bought by farmers, rescue and repair services, the army, and by 1959 more than a quarter of a million cars of this model had already been produced.

The early 1960s were marked by a surge in the popularity of all-wheel drive SUVs. Travelers, family people and simple hard workers – everyone who needed a strong car that could go where any other cars would get stuck and still carry cargo or passengers turned their attention in this direction. For Land Rover, this was the signal to start developing a new model that would not only have high running parameters, but also allow you to move in comfortable conditions. So in 1970, a family SUV was born, called the “Range Rover”, which instantly became a bestseller and became the first comfortable car in this class. To consolidate its position in the market, the company exhibited its cars to participate in the Paris-Dakar rally, where they showed excellent results.

The next breakthrough in the production of off-road vehicles was 1989, when the company introduced the Land Rover Discovery. At the Frankfurt Auto Show, the model made a splash, receiving many positive reviews from experts and visitors, and a number of enthusiastic responses in the press. Among the technical innovations used in the creation of this car, it is worth noting the permanent all-wheel drive and the HDS system, designed to improve control while driving downhill.

The following year, the Land Rover 90 and 110 models, which had already become classics by that time, received a number of exterior updates, as well as a new name – Defender.

In 1994, the company was bought by the German BMW. The first lineup update after the change of ownership was the Land Rover Freelander, which began production in 1997. It was the most compact SUV ever produced by the company, and it became for her the first-born, during the development of which it was decided to move away from the classic layout. The model’s engine had a transverse arrangement, independent suspension, and the body structure was load-bearing.

Following the general trend, in 2005 Land Rover released a sports modification of its Range Rover SUV, which became one of the founders of the Sport Tourer class of cars. It combined classic qualities, such as high cross-country ability and high engine thrust, with an aggressive, high-speed appearance and character. An updated version of this model was introduced in 2013.

In 2008, Tata Motors becomes the new owner of the company. The Indian corporation bought out several world-famous SUV manufacturers, among which was Land Rover. However, its management decided not to interfere in the successful work of its British “daughter”, confining itself to caring for the efficiency of engines and the use of hybrid power plants.

In 2010, the Range Rover Evoque was introduced, which became a novelty among compact SUVs. The car was first shown at an exhibition held in Los Angeles, where it again attracted everyone’s attention to the brand, both for its elegant appearance and technical characteristics.

In 2011, at the International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Land Rover demonstrated two new concept cars: the Defender DC100 and DC100 Sport. Their serial production began in 2015 in three trim levels at once: Autobiography, Heritage and Adventure. The cars intend to compete with the Toyota Hilux pickup and become the best-selling SUV.

Land Rover unveiled the new Range Rover Sport in New York in 2013. This SUV is equipped with a fully independent suspension, three-liter and five-liter V6 and V8 engines, respectively.

In 2015, Land Rover, together with Jaguar, announced plans to create hybrid and electric models. They timed their developments to a large-scale program to reduce fuel consumption and the amount of harmful emissions by 2020. In addition, Land Rover has begun work on the most expensive model in its history, which should become a worthy competitor for the Bentley Bentayga.