The Historic Landrover Series

After the US Willys Jeep that have become aas the Rover Group Plc in 1986 which now produced
prominent all-terrain land vehicle for US GIs, the nextboth the Land Rover line and the Range Rover
most popular is the British Landrover Seriesintroduced in 1970. The Rover Group was privatized
considered the most successful off-road vehiclesand acquired by the British Aerospace in 1988 and
ever produced.produced both lines until 1994 when it was sold to
More specifically, you have the Series 1 to 3 thatBMW.
have went beyond military use for which it wasIn 2000, BMW sold its Range Rover and Land Rover
originally intended.  The marque’s highly versatileline to Ford Motors which continued producing both
and durable utilitarian use found its way inmarques until 2008 when the financially troubled Ford
competitions and land expeditions throughout thesold its Jaguar and Rover line to the Tata Motors of
world.  You often see them against the AfricanIndia.
safari landscapes as well as in the South AmericanTimeless Popularity
Amazon rain forests taking on various loads againstThe Landrover Series created what could well be the
the most challenging terrains.seed bed that popularized the off-road Sport Utility
They have inspired other off-road vehicles thatVehicles of the 90s to the present. But despite
evolved into the Sports Utility Vehicles or SUVs thatbetter, more powerful and luxurious SUVs on the
have become popular since the 80s.road, the Series I, II and III Land Rovers remain on
Brief Historythe road with about 70% of those produced still road
The very first Land Rover started out as a Britishworthy. 
military equivalent to the US Jeep and made by theIts tradition has been founded on its versatility,
Rover Company in its Solihull factory nearstrength and durability that can withstand payloads in
Birmingham.  That was the Series I unveiled at theexcess of one ton, powerful 2 liter diesel/petrol
Amsterdam Motor show in 1948.  Over the next halfengine with a motive force that can pull itself over
century, there has been the Series II in 1958, the45-degree inclines.
Series IIA in 1961 and the Series III in 1971 thatIt's excellent Hardy-Spicer gearbox generate high
finally ended in 1985.  In 1976, the Land Rover sawpower take-off and an after-market conversion kit
is one millionth vehicle coming out of production.that has no parallel in terms of variety and
From being just a brand under the Rover Companyconvertibility as a truck, a station wagon, a pick-up, a
when it started out, the Land Rover wasfire engine, an ambulance, an amphibious vehicle and a
incorporated as a separate Land Rover Ltd in 1978.Itcanvass-topped over-air all-terrain vehicle.
survived over five dizzying changes of ownership. InIt’s also a favorite in the Paris Dakar endurance
1967 the Rover Company became part of therace division for 4X4 vehicles winning virtually all the
Leyland Motors that soon became state-ownedMacmillan 4X4 UK Challenge races since 2002.
British Leyland Motors.  This eventually got reamed