60 years ago today, a motoring icon made its public debut, when the original Land Rover was shown at a motor show in Amsterdam, on April 30, 1948. The current Defender is clearly descended from that first vehicle, known as a Series 1. Extraordinarily, they even share a couple of original parts, an oil filler plug and a cleat for tying down the canvas roof. But the rest of the vehicle technology has moved on considerably.

Today, Land Rover goes from strength-to-strength, with a five-model line-up headed by the Range Rover, and record global sales of over 226,000 vehicles in 2007.

The company recently received an early birthday present, in the form of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. The first, for ‘International Trade’, was given in recognition of export sales of nearly £4 billion per annum to 147 countries, with markets such as China and Russia driving major growth. The second, for ‘Innovation’, was awarded for Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Responseâ„¢ system. At the twist of a knob, this sets up the vehicle’s engine response and traction systems to maximize performance on all terrains - the electronic equivalent of having an expert instructor alongside the driver.

Around the world, Land Rover will be celebrating its 60th anniversary year throughout the summer with a series of special activities and events.

Success Story

Land Rover is an outstanding British engineering and manufacturing success story. Its manufacturing plants at Solihull (near Birmingham) and Halewood (near Liverpool) and its Research and Development facilities in the English Midlands, employ a workforce of 8,500 - and the company helps support an estimated further 40,000 jobs through automotive suppliers.

Since the first Series I model rolled off the production line at Solihull, the vehicles created by Land Rover have defined the SUV market. In 1970, the company introduced what’s been called the most significant SUV ever, the Range Rover – the first SUV to be equally capable on-road as off-road. Now, alongside the Range Rover and Defender*, sit the LR3, LR2 and Range Rover Sport.

Land Rover’s spirit of adventure has been evident from the earliest days. Adventurers, farmers, scientists, naturalists, and outdoor sport enthusiasts have all used Land Rovers’ capability to access some of the world’s most inhospitable regions. For 60 years, the company’s vehicles have also worked for a multitude of humanitarian and conservation organizations, represented today by Land Rover’s formal ties with the Born Free Foundation, Biosphere, Earthwatch, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and the China Exploration and Research Society.

Phil Popham, Land Rover’s Managing Director, commented, “Land Rover’s history is a long and illustrious one – and the future is just as exciting. We are committed to maintaining our relevance and meeting the needs of our customers in a changing global environment. Earlier this year, we unveiled a glimpse into our possible future - the diesel hybrid LRX cross-coupe concept. This signals that Land Rover will continue to evolve, with capability, premium values and sustainable motoring at the top of the agenda.”

LAND ROVER HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1948: LAND ROVER SERIES I - The iconic British SUV makes its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show

1949: ARMY EDITION - British Army orders its first Land Rovers

1953: Long-wheelbase version introduced

1958: LAND ROVER SERIES II UNVEILED

1966: 500,000th Land Rover

1970: RANGE ROVER - Land Rover’s versatile model launched in two-door format

1971: LAND ROVER SERIES III LAUNCHED

1976: Millionth Land Rover built in June

1982: Four-door Range Rover introduced

1989: DISCOVERY - Third Land Rover model launched

1990: DEFENDER - Original ‘Land Rover’ relaunched and renamed

1994: 2ND GENERATION RANGE ROVER

1995: Land Rover production tops 100,000 per annum

1997: FREELANDER - Land Rover’s fourth model launched

2002: 3RD GENERATION RANGE ROVER - All-new Range Rover makes its debut

2004: LR3 - Land Rover launches all-new model

2005: RANGE ROVER SPORT - Popular sports tourer goes on sale

2006: Land Rover announces ground-breaking CO2 offset scheme

2006: LR2 - New model begins production at Halewood plant

2007: Record sales of 226,000 vehicles

2008: LAND ROVER LRX - LRX concept signals the possible future of Land Rover

- Land Rover