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Land Rover Cars

Think of Land Rover and most people envision a brand of vehicles that knows no bounds. Skipping through streams and rivers, blasting through rough terrain and brush, or gliding on snow and ice are all features of this prestigious marque. And because of their diverse capabilities, the four-by-fours are regularly used by organizations and companies working in poor conditions and tough surroundings. Most notably, Land Rover is associated with charities and humanitarian organizations. In fact, the Red Cross is probably the most prominent picture one sees when discussing Land Rover.

Popular from the minute it left the assembly line, the first Land Rover was built by brothers Spencer and Maurice Wilks for a British company called Rover Car Company. Spencer was the company's Managing Director and Maurice was the Technical Chief. In addition, Maurice owned a farm on which he used an old war Jeep as a type of tractor. When he and his brother realized they could build a better jeep to be used as farm equipment, they immediately thought of the name Land Rover and got to work. Released in 1948, the first model was a four-wheel drive truck called the Series l. In order to keep costs down, it was made of aluminum instead of steel and was painted in sage green because they were able to use excess paint from a fighter plane factory.

There is no real name for a Land Rover. It does not fit into any specific category of vehicle. It is certainly not a car and seemingly, it is not a truck. Nor is it completely an off-road vehicle. And, while many class Land Rover vehicles as SUVs, the vehicles are in reality much more. Historically, they have been converted into any type of specialty vehicle the customer required. For example, traditionally their uses have included safari cars, farm equipment, military transportation, and emergency vehicles. Earlier models came with only canvas roofs and not even doors, while current models may be very luxurious. What matters most is that the vehicle is rugged, durable and can complete the challenge of the task.

Interesting Facts in Land Rover's History

• 1948 First model was shown at the Amsterdam Car show and as a result, most probably saved Rover from bankruptcy.
• 1959 Two hundred and fifty thousand Land Rovers had been built. By 1966, they had doubled that figure to half-a-million units.
• 1960s Company felt that users wanted more luxurious vehicles so started to develop cars that met this demand.
• 1970 Range Rover, the first multi-purpose vehicle, and a combination of saloon car performance with four-by-four handling, was launched.
• 1980 Camel Trophy commenced with Jeep but quickly changed to Land Rover. Originally the events were rigorous expeditions while at the same time participants provided humanitarian efforts in the communities in which they explored. In 1999, however, Land Rover withdrew its sponsorship citing changes in the event that were not compatible with the brand. As a result, Land Rover created the Land Rover G4 Challenge.
• 1997 Celebrated fifty years with the launch of the Freelander.
• 2001 Won the Queen's Award for Enterprise because of Hill Descent Control feature

Terrain Response

• 2006 Environmentally friendly models are available equipped with "e_Terrain System".
• 2008 LRX is released, an environmentally favorable car focused on the reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
• Through the years, ownership of the company has moved from British Leyland to British Aerospace to BMW. Ford Motor Company purchased the brand in 2000 and subsequently, in 2008, sold both Jaguar and Land Rover as a packaged deal to Tata Motors, India's largest four-wheel vehicle maker. As a subsidiary, the company now does business under the trade name "Jaguar Land Rover". Most dealerships offer both brands of vehicles under the same roof.
• 2008 Celebrated the Diamond Anniversary. To commemorate sixty years of existence, Land Rover donated sixty vehicles to the British Red Cross Society, thirty of which will be used in the UK, while the other thirty will be used by humanitarian programs around the world. During the ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the vehicles, which included the Defender, the Discovery and the Freelander 2, were lined up in spectacular fashion in the form of a cross.
• Other organizations with whom Land Rover is associated are National Geographic, Royal Geographical Society, The Born Free Foundation.
• Created "Land Rover Driving Experience Centres" designed to “provide the ultimate driving experience in the world's most capable all-terrain vehicles”. Along with their driving expeditions, these are day excursions and adventure holidays.

Models And Years Released

• 1948 Series I
• 1954 Series I Station Wagon
• 1958 Series II Station Wagon
• 1961 Series IIA Station Wagon
• 1970 Range Rover
• 1972 Series III Station Wagon
• 1984 Defender 90
• 1984 90 Station Wagon
• 1989 Discovery
• 1997 Freelander
• 1993 Defender 110 County Station Wagon
• 1995 Range Rover
• 1999 Discovery Series II
• 2002 Freelander SE3
• 2004 Range Stormer Concept Car
• 2004 LR3
• 2005 Range Rover Sport
• 2006 Land_e
• 2007 LR2 SE
• 2007 New Defender
• 2008 LRX Concept
• 2008 LR2 HSE