Still conquering the world after seven decades.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the production of the first Land Rover. No other vehicle is as quintessentially British, unflappable and utterly unstoppable; as at ease on the streets of Belgravia as it is in Bamako. The original premise was simple - to build the world’s most versatile vehicle for town and countryman. Fast forward 70 years and that premise still holds true and this is still the car of choice for people who want to go above and beyond.
While the world may have changed, our vehicles’ core DNA has not. Whether you were hosing out your Series One or wafting along to the ballet in your Range Rover Velar, Land Rover has always found a way to evolve and remain peerless in their fields.
The refinement of the Range Rover, versatility of the Discovery and the durability of the Defender are all testament to Land Rover’s extraordinary engineering and design achievements in those 70 years.
From the beach, jungle, bush, desert and the mountains to the mud, sand and snow; as the first true all-terrain vehicle, Land Rover has always stood for capability and adventure. Go anywhere, whenever, whatever the weather, however steep the incline. We’ve done some pretty amazing things over the years: towing trains, scaling dam walls, tackling giant speed bumps and racing 999 steps up a mountain-side in an SUV that’s faster than a sports car. All this showcases just how far Land Rovers can, and will go.
The ability to go ‘above and beyond’ has always been at the heart of Land Rover. As the go-to vehicle for humanitarian, conservation, research and protection projects, Land Rover dominated 70% of the global aid market in the 1970s. Across the world, it has been a symbol of hope and rescue, reaching places no car had before. Indeed, as the old saying goes, for many, the Land Rover was the first car they ever set eyes on.
This is also a chance to celebrate the hours spent designing, engineering, assembling and delivering the Land Rover; the craftsmanship and passion that goes into creating a car so well loved across the globe. Lode Lane, Solihull is the place where over seven decades, 7.2 million Land Rovers have rolled off the line and Halewood is the place from which nearly 1.4 million Freelanders, Evoques and Discovery Sports have set off on their journeys across the world.
With electrification and autonomy looming closer on the horizon, there are years of innovation and excitement ahead for the brand. But for now, we look to our past legacy and commemorate some of the things that Land Rover, the cars and the people behind them, have achieved.
Watch our live broadcast from Monday 30th April to see how we celebrated 70 years of heritage, adventure and the love of Land Rover.