48 years of Range Rover and its still leading way
THE iconic Coventrydesigned Range Rover has now been around in some shape or form for an incredible 48 YEARS.
The vehicle that singlehandedly invented the luxury SUV genre began with the 1969 Velar prototype, progressing through four generations to the 2017 Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic.
During its lifespan the Range Rover, 1.7 million of which have now been sold, has been responsible for the introduction of many first-to-market technologies, including electronic traction control and automatic electronic air suspension.
It is also universally hailed as the original luxury SUV and widely perceived as being quintessentially British and embodying the best of UK design.
Land Rover believe the Range Rover has pioneered design, refinement and engineering innovation since 1970 through four generations.
It was in January 23 years ago that production of the original groundbreaking two-door model ended and coincidentally this month sees the very latest version - the SVAutobiography Dynamic - go on sale.
Today’s Range Rover retains many of the design hallmarks established by the 1970 Classic and culminates with the latest derivative, the Coventry-made SVAutobiography Dynamic.
It looks at trademark features that have remained a constant throughout the Range Rover’s history, including its ‘floating’ roof, distinctive clamshell bonnet, continuous belt line and practical split tailgate.
The Range Rover story began with the 26 preproduction models, which wore Velar badges in an effort to hide its identity – velare means to ‘veil’ or ‘cover’ in Italian – made up of letters from the ‘ALVIS’ and ‘ROVER’ badges.
Next came the timeless Range Rover Classic twodoor and successive generations followed.
The newest Range Rover - the SVAutobiography Dynamic - is the most potent and agile Range Rover yet.
The 542bhp model is powered by a V8 engine that can take it from 0-62mph in just 5.4 seconds and is built by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division in Ryton.
Paying tribute to the Range Rover, Land Rover’s design supremo Gerry McGovern said: “Range Rover has, over time, achieved iconic design status through a progressive evolution of its unique DNA, culminating in a vehicle of peerless distinction.
“From its sense of evolution and sophisticated sensibilities inherent in its interior design to its understated yet powerful exterior proportions, Range Rover stands alone. There’s simply nothing else like it.”
When it was first launched in 1970, Range Rover was one of the first vehicles to deliver permanent all-wheel drive.
In 1971 the original model was cited as ‘an exemplary work of industrial design’ when it became the first vehicle to be displayed at the Louvre museum in Paris.
The four-door variant was introduced in 1981, quickly followed by the first application of an automatic transmission in Range Rover in 1982.
In 1989 the luxury SUV was the first 4x4 to be fitted with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and in 1992 it became the first SUV in the world fitted with electronic traction control and automatic electronic air suspension.
The engineering firsts continued in 2012, when the Range Rover became the world’s first all-aluminium SUV. Despite its luxury the Range Rover has always remained a consummate off-roader and its unique combination of ruggedness and refinement has seen it became a favourite of royalty, business leaders, politicians and celebrities all over the world.