GLIMPSE – Land Rover

It all started in 1947 by Mr. Maurice Wilks, building heavy duty performance vehicles. This later became one of most iconic automobile of the world. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a British company is globally known for its robust, all-wheel drive automobiles. After many hands, today JLR is owned by Tata Motors, India.

• Rover products are the oldest four-wheel drive vehicle after Jeep.

  

• 1947 – First prototype of Land Rover was developed by the Rover Motor Co., for farm work with centre steering, similar to tractors. This model never went in production, only the picture was used on marketing brochure.
• 1948 – April 30, Land Rover Series I launched in Amsterdam Motor Show.
• 1950 – The first Monster Truck ever was built by Land Rover for the British Forestry Commission. Land Rover Series IIA was fitted with four tractor tyres mounted on axles of a Studebaker. This truck can easily tackle forest terrains of any kind.
• Land Rover sponsored The Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition (September 1, 1955 – March 6, 1956). The Expedition Team were of 6 fresh graduates from Cambridge and Oxford Universities who travelled from London to Singapore.
• 1958 – James Archibald Cuthbertson invented the Series II Cuthbertson model of Land Rover by fitting rubber tyre tracks instead of regular tyre which enables it to move on soft ground. This is a very sought-after model and can fetch around £50,000 (INR 46.5 lakh) in present auction market.
• 1969 – First prototype of iconic Range Rover was being tested. Concept vehicle was named ‘Velar’ and were even fitted with an emblem to keep it secret. There were 25 such prototypes.
• Prototype ‘Velar’ are extremely sought-after today. One such vehicle was sold for £30,000 (INR 28 lakh approximately) in 2013.
• A very rare happening in the automobile industry, the first production Range Rover was exactly the same design of the prototype. This model was considered a masterpiece of industrial design and was displayed in The Louvre, the world’s largest art museum in Paris.
• 1970 – Successfully tested concept vehicle ‘Velar’ was launched as first 3-Door Range Rover with permanent 4-wheel drive.
• Mr. Charles Spencer King was the man behind the Range Rover introduced in 1970.
• Mr. Charles S. King built a car using one of the jet engines he developed to set the first turbine powered world record of land speed.
• 1979 – Range Rover won the inaugural Dakar Rally, driven by Alain Génestier.
• 1981 – A 4-door option of Range Rover 3-door classic was launched in 1981. Range Rover wins the Dakkar Rally once again.
• 1994 – Rover Group is taken over by BMW. Second generation Range Rover was launched with lots of iconic cosmetic and functional changes.
• 2000 – Ford Motors takes over Rover Group from BMW
• 2001 – 3^rd generation of Range Rover was launched with single shell monocoque body, better technology and aesthetics.
• 2004 – Stormer concept vehicle showcased bold approach in design and adoption of new technology, a new futuristic direction for Range Rover.
• 2005 – Land Rover showed their commitment towards performance by introducing the first Range Rover Sports. Supercharged engine with cross-linked air suspension and newer distinctive features displayed dynamic performance of the vehicle.
• 2008 – Tata Motors takes over Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motors. Land Rover design team showcased their bolder concept cross-coupé LRX. With an innovative interior and Land Rover distinct features, this vehicle was for those who rarely go off-road but likes to flaunt such abilities.
• 2010 – Luxurious cross-coupé made its style statement at Paris Motor Show
• 2011 – Range Rover Evoque went into production. Many features from LRX concept vehicle went in Range Rover Evoque.
• 2012 – 4^th generation Range Rover was the first to feature aluminium body with longer wheelbase and floating roof. This vehicle also featured Land Rover Terrain Response® system which automatically optimises the vehicle for the selected terrain.
• 2013 – Launch of Range Rover Hybrid with better fuel efficiency and reduced emissions without compromising on performance. Second generation Range Rover Sport with better efficient from 3.0 l V6 engine was unveiled by James Bond actor Daniel Craig.
• 2014 – A caravan of 3 Range Rover Hybrid took a road trip of 16,000 km from Solihull, England to Mumbai, India driving through the deserts of Kyrgzstan and mountain range of Himalaya to prove the uncompromised performance of Range Rover family.
• 2015 – A very remarkable year with the launch of (1) Range Rover Sport SVR, fastest Land Rover SUV ever produced by the Special Vehicle Operations Team (2) Range Rover SV Autobiography with distinctive design and powerful V8 engine (3) Range Rover Evoque Convertible, world’s first all-terrain premium 4×4 convertible SUV.
• 2015 – Land Rover Defender is discontinued from production.
• 2016 – Land Rover Defender 2,000,000 was auctioned for charity at £ 400 000 (INR 375 lakh approximately). Range Rover Discovery was launched with world’s first remote Intelligent Seat Fold technology.
• 2017 – is marked with the New Range Rover Velar in line with the style and performance of Land Rover range of vehicles.
• 2018 – Another remarkable year for Land Rover as it will complete 70 years of manufacturing one of the iconic vehicles in the history of mankind. Debut of limited edition Range Rover SV Coupé at Geneva Motor Show.

SOME MORE INTERESTING FACTS

• Land Rover dominated Camel Trophy for twenty years with mostly stock and inflatable boat functionality vehicles.
• As per the British Tax Standard, Land Rover Defender 110 comes under the category of bus as it could carry 12 persons, hence exempted from tax. With added bonus, Land Rover Defender 110 was eligible for the bus lane, avoiding the chaotic London traffic.
• Land Rover 101 FC was also called Forward Vehicle as the driver sat ahead of the front wheels. This was primarily produced for British Army to tow Howitzer cannons. Land Rover modified 31 Forward Vehicles for the movie ‘Judge Dredd’. Even today, some of these driveable vehicles are spotted on road and Land Rover shows.
• A 6-wheel drive Range Rover TACR2 (Truck Fire-Fighting Airfield Crash Rescue 2) was built for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. These vehicles are still in use.
• Charles Spencer King, the designer of Range Rover was really not happy as Range Rover become an icon of luxury rather than of performance.

CHOICE OF MODELS

• Range Rover – Vogue | Vogue SE | Autobiography
• Range Rover Sports – S | SE | HSE
• Range Rover Velar – Velar | Velar S | Velar SE | Velar HSE
• Range Rover Evoque – SE | HSE | HSE Dynamic | Landmark Edition
• Range Rover Discovery – S | SE | HSE | HSE Luxury
• Range Rover Discovery Sports – Pure | SE | HSE | HSE Luxury

Land Rover is coming out with a definitive official book ‘ICON’ marking their 70^th Anniversary. The book will hit the shelves in July, 2018, priced at £50 (RRP) approximately INR 4700. An excellent collector’s item and will be available online, Experience Centres and selected showrooms.