IT STARTED LIFE AS AN AUSTIN MAESTRO VAN

Dick Elsy was originally tasked with investigating a more car-like successor to the Defender, under the project name Challenger, but this was ditched in favour of a completely new, lightweight and more lifestyle vehicle.

An early working prototype was then built, loosely based on a Honda Shuttle. This helped Elsy and his team bring senior management on board.

But it wasn’t until 1994, after BMW took on full budgetary responsibility for what was now called the CB40, that development intensified rapidly.

While powertrains were plucked from Rover Group cars, the 4WD system was all-new and, for the first time, lacked a high/low range selector.

Dubbed the Mad Max series, 22 prototypes clothed in Austin Maestro van bodies were built in 1995 and 1996 to prove the transmission’s durability. They also put paid to any resistance from company old-stagers about a perceived lack of off-road ability.

Elsy says: “I remember Roger Crathorne [Land Rover’s off-road guru] driving a Maestro prototype at Eastnor and saying: ‘Bloody hell, that works really well.’”

The key to the ability was a clever adaptation of existing ABS, which became Hill Descent Control for production. The Electronic Traction Control applied a braking force to any wheel losing traction and fed torque to the other side. Along with a torque transfer system working side to side and front to rear, it let the Freelander lead its rivals off road.

“And the high jinks we were getting up to at Eastnor proved its capability way beyond what a typical customer would put it through,” says Elsy.