Land Rover

The Land Rover was conceived by the Rover Company in 1947 during the aftermath of World War II. Before the war Rover had produced luxury cars which were not in demand in the immediate post-war period and raw materials were strictly rationed to those companies building construction or industrial equipment, or products that could be widely exported to earn crucial foreign exchange for the country. Maurice Wilks, Rover's chief designer came up with a plan to produce a light agricultural and utility vehicle, of a similar concept to the Willys Jeep used in the war, but with an emphasis on agricultural use. The first prototype was built on a Jeep chassis and used the engine and gearbox out of a Rover P3 saloon car. The bodywork was handmade out of an aluminium/magnesium alloy to save on steel, which was closely rationed. The choice of colour was dictated by military surplus supplies of aircraft cockpit paint, so early vehicles only came in various shades of light green. The Land Rover entered production in 1948 with what has later been termed the Series I, which was launched at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. 

The Series II, introduced in 1958, was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover's styling department. Chief Stylist David Bache produced the familiar barrel side waistline, with a 5 inch greater width to cover the vehicle's wider tracks. It came in 88 inch and 109 inch wheelbases, normally referred to as the 'SWB' and 'LWB'. It was available with the existing 2,052 cc diesel engine or  a new 2,286 cc petrol engine. There was some degree of overlap between Series I and II production. Early Series II 88-inch vehicles were fitted with the old 1,995 cc petrol engine to use up existing stock from production of the Series I. The 107-inch Station Wagon continued until late 1959 due to continued demand from export markets and to allow the production of Series II components to reach full level.

The Series III, introduced in September 1971, had the same body and engine options as the preceding IIA. The metal grille was replaced with a plastic one. The Series III saw many changes later in its life as Land Rover updated the design to meet increased competition. In July 1979, a 3,528 cc V8 engine was introduced. It was derived from a Buick engine and was first used in the 1970 Range Rover.

1971

1974