Celebrating a ‘breath of capability’

LAND ROVER marked its 70th anniversary recently with a global broadcast celebrating the world’s favourite 4x4s and the people who love them. Starring the cars and the people who make and drive them, the online programme paid tribute to seven decades of adventure, humanitarian aid and hard work across classes and cultures around the world.

The broadcast was held at 2000 hours BST (British Summer Time) on Monday – 70 years to the day since the first Land Rover made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It related how Land Rover began as a utility model at the end of the Second World War and grew to become the world’s favourite 4x4, with more than seven million sold.

The broadcast presented great models from the past as well as inspirational people behind the legend and a look to the future, with a level of insight only available direct from the factory.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Prof Dr Ralf Speth, said: “Land Rover was born with the launch of a single vehicle. Today our family of SUVs is testament to the pioneering spirit of innovation that has characterised Land Rover for seven decades. Our family of Defender, Discovery and Range Rover models provides unrivalled capability, versatility and luxury, giving us the perfect foundation for another 70 years of success.

“Land Rover is so much more than just the most capable all-terrain vehicles. It connects people through a passion for adventure and for making more of our world. From our employees to customers and enthusiasts, this is a family that makes Land Rover special.”

A vehicle line-up including HUE: the first prototype Land Rover, the original two-door Range Rover and the seven-seater Discovery, as well as expedition-proven models from across the decades, shared the stage at the Land Rover Classic Works in Coventry. The current range, including the sector-defining Range Rover Evoque and Velar SUVs, were also on screen as Land Rover celebrated its lifelong status as a favourite among celebrities, politicians and royalty.

The year of 70th celebrations has already begun and one of the vehicles from the start of the story starred in the show. In January, Land Rover revealed plans to sympathetically renovate the world’s most historically significant unrestored model – one of three pre-production cars from the original Amsterdam launch.

Now in the hands of the experts at Land Rover Classic, it will take the stage alongside its closest modern relative – the exclusive 400hp Defender Works V8 revealed earlier this year. Only 150 of the powerful 70th edition models will be produced and each of the specially engineered V8 derivatives will be built under the same roof, by those experts engineers.

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing 4WD vehicles that represent true “breadth of capability” across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world’s SUV sectors, with 80% of this model range exported to over 100 countries.