| After the US Willys Jeep that have become a | | | | Motors. This eventually got renamed as the Rover |
| prominent all-terrain land vehicle for US GIs, the next | | | | Group PLC in 1986 which now produced both the |
| most popular is the British Land Rover Series | | | | Land Rover line and the Range Rover introduced in |
| considered the most successful off-road vehicles | | | | 1970. The Rover Group was privatized and acquired |
| ever produced. | | | | by the British Aerospace in 1988 and produced both |
| More specifically, you have the Series 1 to 3 that | | | | lines until 1994 when it was sold to BMW. |
| have went beyond military use for which it was | | | | In 2000, BMW sold its Land and Range Rover lines to |
| originally intended. The marque's highly versatile and | | | | Ford Motors which continued producing both marques |
| durable utilitarian use found its way in competitions | | | | until 2008 when the financially troubled Ford sold its |
| and land expeditions throughout the world. You often | | | | Jaguar and Rover line to the Tata Motors of India. |
| see them against the African safari landscapes as | | | | Timeless Popularity |
| well as in the South American Amazon rain forests | | | | The Land Rover Series created what could well be |
| taking on various loads against the most challenging | | | | the seed bed that popularized the off-road Sport |
| terrains. | | | | Utility Vehicles of the 90s to the present. But despite |
| They have inspired other off-road vehicles that | | | | better, more powerful and luxurious SUVs on the |
| evolved into the Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs that | | | | road, the Series I, II and III Land Rovers remain on |
| have become popular since the 80s. | | | | the road with about 70% of those produced still road |
| Brief History | | | | worthy. |
| The very first Land Rover started out as a British | | | | Its tradition has been founded on its versatility, |
| military equivalent to the US Jeep and made by the | | | | strength and durability that can withstand payloads in |
| Rover Company in its Solihull factory near Birmingham. | | | | excess of one ton, powerful 2 liter diesel/petrol |
| That was the Series I unveiled at the Amsterdam | | | | engine with a motive force that can pull itself over |
| Motor show in 1948. Over the next half century, | | | | 45-degree inclines. |
| there has been the Series II in 1958, the Series IIA in | | | | It's excellent Hardy-Spicer gearbox generate high |
| 1961 and the Series III in 1971 that finally ended in | | | | power take-off and an after-market conversion kit |
| 1985. In 1976, the Land Rover saw is one millionth | | | | that has no parallel in terms of variety and |
| vehicle coming out of production. | | | | convertibility as a truck, a station wagon, a pick-up, a |
| From being just a brand under the Rover Company | | | | fire engine, an ambulance, an amphibious vehicle and a |
| when it started out, they were incorporated as a | | | | canvass-topped over-air all-terrain vehicle. |
| separate Land Rover Ltd in 1978. It survived over | | | | It's also a favorite in the Paris Dakar endurance race |
| five dizzying changes of ownership. In 1967 the | | | | division for 4X4 vehicles winning virtually all the |
| Rover Company became part of the Leyland Motors | | | | Macmillan 4X4 UK Challenge races since 2002. |
| that soon became state-owned British Leyland | | | | |