LAND ROVER SERIES I (1948-58)

TOTAL MADE 174,750

Inspired by his ex-army Jeep, Rover’s chief engineer, Maurice Wilkes, set about producing a light agricultural and utility vehicle originally as a stop-gap measure.

The original Land Rover (the Series I designation was added retrospectively), had an 80-inch wheelbase, 1.6-litre petrol engine, four-speed gearbox (from the Rover P3) and a new two-speed transfer box with a novel form of four-wheel drive.

A canvas or metal roof was an optional extra, as were the tops for the doors.

Larger engines (including a 2.0-litre diesel) and longer wheelbase models were added to the range, together with a more conventional 4WD system and Station Wagon variants (including an expensive Tickford-bodied option). The Series II was introduced in 1958. The 500,000th L-R was produced in 1966 and the 1,000,000th ten years later.