Whether you associate it with fox hunting or Lara Croft, the Land Rover brand is a British off-road icon which has been making waves since the late 1940s and shows no sign of stopping! Being granted a royal warrant in 1951 by King George VI, the royal family of the UK essentially “sponsors” the Land Rover brand. They must be doing something right!
The Land Rover was first launched in 1948, being designed in 1947 from the chassis of a Jeep, causing a longstanding association between these two iconic SUVs. The first Land Rover was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948, being based around military applications and supplies. The early iterations actually only came in a light green color, as the designers were using military paint. Flash forward 10 years and the Series II was launched in 1958, using a 2.25-liter engine.
Ownership of Land Rover has changed hands throughout history, first being bought by BMW, who acquired the Rover Group in 1994. Of course, Land Rover was a still a brand in and of itself, although it was technically owned by a Germany company – BMW. Then, in 2000, the Ford Motor Company bought the Land Rover brand from BMW, soon buying the rest of the Rover brand in 2006.
To make matters more complicated, the Ford Motor Company then sold Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors in 2008, where it has remained ever since. The Indian company has the right to use Ford engines in Land Rovers until 2019, leaving many to wonder what deal they will strike when this right expires soon.
Land Rover has developed quite a few specialized and purpose-built models for a range of applications and uses. For example, they have built military models for the Ministry of Defence in the UK, including the Land Rover Wolf which acted as a military defender, and the Snatch Land Rover which came complete with an armored body for added robustness. Land Rover even developed a model for their Commonwealth allies in the Australian army – the Land Rover Perentie model.
Land Rover has also ventured into electric and hybrid models, with their debut diesel-electric hybrid being launched at the 2008 London Motor Show. Later in 2008, they also showcased their LRX hybrid concept in the North American International Auto Show, a Land Rover hybrid model which would run entirely on electricity when travelling at 20mph or slower, meaning that Land Rovers which were stuck in traffic or cruising around residential areas would be using no conventional fuel at all in the process.
More recently, in 2013, Land Rover revealed their plans for an All-Terrain Electric Defender, creating a vehicle which would be able to handle a range of tough terrains while producing a grand total of zero CO2 emissions in the process! This car could last eight hours before charging and had an 80km off-road range. Although not as impressive (arguably) as some of their diesel and gasoline models, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for the environment.
The All-Terrain Electric Defender is the perfect segue into talking about Land Rover and the future, something which remains a constant fascination to Land Rover and SUV enthusiasts everywhere. In 2013, coinciding with the launch of the Electric Defender, Jaguar Land Rover announced its plans to open a center for research and development at the University of Warwick, hoping to create the next generation of energy-conscious vehicle technology solutions. The research center cost a whopping £100 million and employs around 1,000 different engineers and academics, so it’s probably going to come up with some good stuff in time!
Whether you’re looking for a Land Rover or its American cousin, the Jeep Wrangler, Done Deal Motors is the right place for you. We sell both new and used Land Rovers and Jeep Wranglers, as well as a range of other used and new vehicles too. We specialize in SUVs and off-road vehicles, furthering the adventurous spirit that so many of our customers have. In addition to our sales, Done Deal Motors also performs services for vehicles such as Jeeps and Land Rovers, including Jeep upgrades and Jeep service and repairs too. All of our vehicles are in great condition, and you can rest assured that when you buy from Done Deal Motors, you’re buying some of the best used Land Rovers and Jeep Wranglers in the greater Boston area.
