70 years ago on a beach in Anglesey, United Kingdom, Maurice Wilks drew a simple sketch in the sand, a sketch so powerful it would soon become the inspiration for the first ever Land Rover. “The Series I” became an icon with Land Rover, just like Maurice Wilks did. It was intended to produce a restless spirit and to create a vehicle that would tackle any terrain, weather condition or challenge.
Since its inception in 1948, Land Rover has paved the way for automotive design and off-road terrain vehicles. From the rugged post-war Series I Land Rover to the luxurious Range Rover’s you see today, Land Rover has a long history in the automotive business.
After World War II ended, everything stood still. Land Rover Managing Director, Spencer Wilks, had a plan to revive the company’s sales in a post-war market. He had tasked his brother, Maurice Wilks, with creating a vehicle designed primarily for agricultural usage, which had an intended purpose of bringing in that much needed income until the luxury car market picked up again.
This set everything off for Land Rover. Folks began to see the company in a different light than before, drifting through the sands of the Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, UK. Central steering column (which was primarily found in Jeeps at the time), making use of military surplus cockpit paint, light green became the colour of choice, and making the chassis out of aluminum alloy. Production on the “Series I” began in 1948, and by 1949 the company had sold 8,000 units.
The Series I vehicle remained largely unchanged from its original design until 1954 when the wheelbase was increased from 80” to 86” with a further 107” pick-up style model, where shortly thereafter, the Series II would launch in 1958.
In 1970, Land Rover released the first production of the Range Rover (featuring only three doors). With a widespread of critical acclaim, it became the first vehicle to offer four-wheel drive. However, in 1989 the launch of the Land Rover Discovery would deliver rugged capability to compete against the Range Rover.
With that in mind, in the mid-1980s, Land Rover decided to develop a new utilitarian vehicle that they hoped would bridge the gap between their classic Range Rover and the Ninety/One Ten, which later became known as the Defender, and the project known as “Project Jay”.
Project Jay’s assignment was to create a vehicle that would provide the same rugged capability as the Ninety/One Ten, but with the interior comfort and luxury of the Range Rover. It offered suitable features for family life and included a British Design Award in 1989. With seating for five people, it even offered the option to add an additional two jump seats in the rear trunk.
These three vehicles helped shaped the first 41 years of Land Rover’s history and continued to power the company through the next 29 years by exploring off-road, and compact luxury SUVs.
It would be 11 years before the Range Rover would be available in a four-door design, following the release of the Range Rover Classic, before it was replaced by the second generation in 1994. It showcased more of that luxurious feeling and introduced more features and technology than had previously seen before. To this day, Range Rover continues to lead the way in both luxury, design, and technology.
In 2005, the Range Rover Sport began production, which introduced the first sports SUV in the Range Rover family and showed Land Rover’s commitment to performance and style. Times needed to change, and so did the Land Rover vehicles. Following the testing of the Velar concept vehicle in 1969, it has continuously evolved since, and in 2018, the Range Rover Velar won the World Car Design of the Year.
Continuing to strive to go Above and Beyond in every aspect of the business, Land Rover has come far and wide since the simple sketch in the sand. It’s not without this history that we don’t consider the Packington Estate in Warwickshire, which has long been a setting of many of these historic events. Dating back to the 1940s, it provided the testing grounds for the Series I prototype, and was the scene of the Discovery’s biggest makeover, with the launch of the 5th generation.
By looking back, we can look onward and persevere in typical Land Rover fashion, forging ahead and using that ‘work horse’ mentality.