Land Rover

Land Rover, owned by Tata motors, manufactures four-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicles in England. The Land Rover name originally referred to the Land Rover vehicle itself, a civilian utility 4 x4 modeled on the legendary American Jeep. Just a few years younger than the Jeep, Land Rover is the second-oldest surviving 4WD brand. After the Second World War, steel was in short supply, while aluminium was plentiful. In response to this situation, British car company Rover chose to use aluminium in the construction of their new Land Rover. The metal proved to be highly resistant to corrosion, and Land Rover’s reputation for longevity was secured. Since their introduction, Land Rover cars have been widely used by military forces, particularly the British Army. Various modifications have been made to Land Rovers over the years to suit military purposes, including the famous ‘Pink Panther’ model – a reconnaissance vehicle, painted pink to blend in with the desert sands. The hugely successful release of the Series I Land Rover in 1948 was followed by the release of Series II in 1958 and the Series IIA in 1961. Australia saw its first Land Rover in 1958, and has continued to be an important export market. Rover became part of Leyland Motors in 1967, and soon after released the Series III Land Rover and new Range Rover, a luxury version of the 4WD. Land Rover continued to change hands towards the end of the century, owned at various times by BMW, British Aerospace and Ford Motor Company. The trademark continued to enjoy great success in spite of these periods of upheaval, notably with the Land Rover Discovery in the 1980s, and the Land Rover Defender and Freelander in the 1990s – all best-sellers. In 2008, the company unveiled its new diesel-electric hybrid in a pair of Freelander 2 (LR2) prototypes.