Land Rover Cars

Land Rover is headquartered in Gaydon, United Kingdom. It is a British manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles. The cars in its group are the Defender, Discovery, Freelander, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. It is owned by Tata Motors and is a subsidiary. It is the second oldest four-wheel drive brand in the world after the Jeep.

The company’s first car was the Land Rover which was launched in 1948 by the Rover Company. Land Rover sold 194,000 vehicles worldwide in 2009.

Land Rover changed hands several times during its history. In 1967, the Rover Company became part of the Leyland Motor Corporation. In 1968 Leyland Motor Corporation merged with British Motor Holdings to form British Leyland. British Leyland was broken up and the Rover Group was acquired by British Aerospace. The Rover Group was acquired in 1994 by BMW. This group was broken up by BMW and Land Rover sold to Ford. In 2008, Ford sold Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors. Hence, the current parent company of Land Rover is Tata Motors.

In 1948, a car was invented called the Land Rover. The first Land Rover that was built was made of aluminum. In 1953, a Land Rover was provided as a vehicle for Queen Elizabeth II’s first world tour and Pope John Paul II’s tour in 1982. The Land Rover was involved in adventures and exploration. Each member of the Land Rover provided data on their explorations and expeditions.

Land Rover has been regarded as an ideal car for safaris, military transportations and emergency vehicles. In the 1960s the company became convinced that there was a market for a four-wheel drive. The Range Rover was thus unveiled in 1970 and enjoyed great glory. This was the first multipurpose vehicle of the world.

The Camel trophy competition was launched in 1980 and Jeeps were replaced with Land Rovers. These cars were used for a few years after which the Camel Trophy changed format and Land Rover established its own global adventures challenge - the Land Rover G4 Challenge.

The Discovery car was launched in 1989. It had the combination of the original Land Rover and the Range Rover. Land Rover Driving Experience centers were also established. The Freelander was launched 50 years after the company was formed. It arrived in 1997.

Between the years 1998 and 2008 the Range Rover Sport was launched.

Maurice Cary Ferdinand Wilks was the founder of Land Rover. He graduated from Malvern College. He was responsible for the development of the Land Rover vehicle. He was the chairman and chief designer of the British car company Rover Company.

Maurice Wilks decided that along with his brother Spencer Wilks he would design a vehicle that would be useful to farmers as an off-road utility vehicle. This led to the rise of Land Rover. The first Land Rover was made in 1947, which was a Jeep chassis using a Rover car engine and gearbox but retaining the Jeep transmission. The first car had a mounted steering wheel and the driver sat near the gearbox. Maurice got his inspiration from the Willy Jeep of American World War 2 which he used at a holiday in Wales. Another feature of the Land Rover was that a lightweight rust-proof alloy of aluminum and magnesium had been used in its construction.

Maurice Wilks in 1960 was appointed as the Managing Director and then in 1962 as the Chairman of the Rover company. His brother Spencer Wilks was the General Manager of Rover and John Black of the Standard Motor Company.

• 1904: Rover build its first car.
• 1906: Production switches to cars. Bicycle production stops, and the company is renamed to Rover Company Limited.
• 1920-1930: Rover has established itself as one of Britain's important car manufacturers. Rover suffers badly from the Depression in the 1930s.
• 1933: Spencer Wilks becomes the Managing Director and produces specialized vehicles. He appoints his brother, Maurice, to the design department.
• 1937-1945: Rover factories work on War Effort. The Rover factories at Acocks Green and Solihull become a part of the Government's Shadow Factories scheme and build a variety of war parts including engines for aircraft and tanks. After the end of World War 2, demand continues for the Rolls Royce V12 Meteor tank engines, which continue to be manufactured at Acocks Green. Solihull begins to prepare to manufacture cars again with plans to manufacture 20,000 cars per year. With a war-crippled economy, the Government demands products for exports and continues to control steel allocations due to short supplies. Rover is forced to drop their ambitious plans.
• September 1947: The Land Rover project was made official.
• April 1948 : Land Rover appears at Amsterdam Motor Show. The P6 engine proved to be too small, and a 1.6 litre engine is fitted instead.
• 1951: Land Rover sells very well.
• 1958: Series II introduced. The 4 cylinder 2,286cc engine is also introduced. Wheelbase options are 88in and 109in.
• 1961: Series IIA is introduced. This provided a diesel engine with a 2,286cc capacity to match the petrol option.
• 1966: Series IIB Forward Control is introduced.
• 1967: Rover and Leyland merge, with Leyland becoming the majority partner.
• 1970: Range Rover launched. The Range Rover improves on the off-road capabilities of the Land Rover, whilst introducing the comforts and styling normally found on cars. Coil springs are introduced for the first time.
• 1971: Series III launched. Replacing the Series IIA, the Series III included a number of refinements such as synchromesh on all high-box gears. Externally, it looks very similar to the classic IIA except for the grille and headlights.
• 1976: One million Land Rovers are produced.
• 1988: Rover Group comes under the British Aerospace Group.
• 1990:Discovery launched.
• 1994: British Aerospace sell the Rover Group to BMW.
• 1994: New Shape P38 Range Rover introduced. The Range Rover is completely re-modelled. The modern P38 Range Rover is aimed more at the on-road luxury SUV market, but is still a good off-road performer - unlike the bulk the competition.
• 1996: Classic Range Rover ceases production. Production of the 'Classic' Range Rover continued in parallel to the P38, but finally cease in 1996.
• 1997: Freelander introduced. The much rumoured CB40 project is revealed to the press as the Freelander. The Freelander departed from standard Land Rover design technologies, with a monocoque body and independent strut suspension. The Freelander quickly becomes Europe's best selling 4x4.
• 1998: Discovery Series 2 launched.
• 2000: BMW splits the Rover Group into two, selling Land Rover to Ford. The car division is sold to the British Phoenix management group.
• 2002: Range Rover Mk III launched.
• 2004: Discovery 3 is launched.

Land Rover’s vision is to be the world’s leading brand for adventure. The company’s brand values are: Authenticity, Supremacy, Courage, Worldly and Adventurous.

Colin Green is the Managing Director of Land Rover since 2010. He served as the Global Marketing Director of Land Rover and has been with the company since 1979.

Gary Moyer is the President of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover Canada since June 2005. He has over 24 years of experience with Ford Motor Company and has held a number of positions including Global Brand Manager. He was also the President for Land Rover Japan. He holds a Master’s of Arts in International Business Relations from Drew University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Gannon University.

John Edwards is the Global Brand Director for Land Rover since 2010 and was the Managing Director of the company in UK.

Richard Beattle is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Land Rover North America. Prior to this he served as the executive vice president of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Gerry McGovern serves as the Design Director of jaguar. He was the Director of Advanced Design at Land Rover since May 2004. He led the Freelander team in the 1990s. He served at the Ford Design Center in London.

Land Rover is beginning production in India in 2011. Jaguar is looking for a partner to produce cars in China. The LR4 and the Range Rover Sport are candidates to be used for building in India. The same platform - the T5 platform is expected to be used for a replacement model for the Defender which will debut in 2012.

Production of the Land Rover takes place in the Solihull plant in West Midlands. The plant added 275 new jobs in May 2010. About 5000 people work at the Solihull plant.

The 2006 Land Rover had an e-Terrain system that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and improves capability. This technology has been incorporated into the new car LRX.

The new technology that Land Rover has introduced is a Electric Rear Axle Drive which is used in the LRX concept and is also tested on the Freelanders. The idea is to cut CO2 and fuel consumption by 20%.

Land Rover has also introduced the 2WD technology for its Range Rover. This will make the car light, fuel efficient. Land Rover focuses on three areas to reduce the weight of the Land Rover in terms of technology - the first diesel hybrid will be available in 2012 and will be on the roads in 2013.

Land Rover will be testing its first hybrid prototype called the Range E. This vehicle will be tested using a 3 litre TDV6 diesel engine featuring a ZF-8 speed automatic transmission.

• 1860: J.K. Starley sets up business in Coventry to manufacture sewing machines.
• 1884: Introduction of Rover 'Safety' cycles. Starley introduces early tricycles and bicycles, using the name 'Rover.’ The Rover 'Safety' tricycle is followed by the Rover 'Safety' bicycle.
• 1888: Rover Electric Carriage developed. Starley creates Coventry's first 'car' - an electric tricycle which is never developed beyond the prototype stage.
• 1904: Rover build its first car.
• 1906: Production switches to cars. Bicycle production stops, and the company is renamed to Rover Company Limited.
• 1920-1930: Rover has established itself as one of Britain's important car manufacturers. Rover suffers badly from the Depression in the 1930s.
• 1933: Spencer Wilks becomes the Managing Directo and produces specialized vehicles. He appoints his brother, Maurice, to the design department.
• 1937-1945: Rover factories work on War Effort. The Rover factories at Acocks Green and Solihull become a part of the Government's Shadow Factories scheme and build a variety of war parts including engines for aircraft and tanks. After the end of World War 2, demand continues for the Rolls Royce V12 Meteor tank engines, which continue to be manufactured at Acocks Green. Solihull begins to prepare to manufacture cars again with plans to manufacture 20,000 cars per year. With a war-crippled economy, the Government demands products for exports and continues to control steel allocations due to short supplies. Rover is forced to drop their ambitious plans.
• September 1947: The Land Rover project was made official.
• April 1948 : Land Rover appears at Amsterdam Motor Show. The P6 engine proved to be too small, and a 1.6 litre engine is fitted instead. Two prototype 80-inch wheelbase Land Rovers are exhibited at the Amsterdam Motor Show.
• 1951: Land Rover sells very well.
• 1958: Series II introduced. The 4 cylinder 2,286cc engine is also introduced. Wheelbase options are 88in and 109in.
• 1961: Series IIA is introduced. This provided a diesel engine with a 2,286cc capacity to match the petrol option.
• 1966: Series IIB Forward Control is introduced.
• 1967: Rover and Leyland merge, with Leyland becoming the majority partner.
• 1970: Range Rover launched. The Range Rover improves on the off-road capabilities of the Land Rover, whilst introducing the comforts and styling normally found on cars. Coil springs are introduced for the first time.
• 1971: Series III launched. Replacing the Series IIA, the Series III included a number of refinements such as synchromesh on all high-box gears. Externally, it looks very similar to the classic IIA except for the grille and headlights.
• 1976: One million Land Rovers are produced.
• 1988: Rover Group comes under the British Aerospace Group.
• 1990:Discovery launched.
• 1994: British Aerospace sell the Rover Group to BMW.
• 1994: New Shape P38 Range Rover introduced. The Range Rover is completely re-modelled. The modern P38 Range Rover is aimed more at the on-road luxury SUV market, but is still a good off-road performer - unlike the bulk the competition.
• 1996: Classic Range Rover ceases production. Production of the 'Classic' Range Rover continued in parallel to the P38, but finally cease in 1996.

As part of the Tata brand, the global operations of Land Rover and Jaguar together reached a net profit of 6.5 billion rupees for three months ending December 2009. The company showed a net loss of 26 billion rupees per year earlier.

For the December quarter, the sales from Jaguar Land Rover rose 28 per cent over its previous quarter showing higher demand in Europe, North America and China. Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from the Ford Motor Company for 2.3 billion dollars and this coincided with the global financial crisis.

India’s largest car maker Tata Motors reports a healthy 50% upsurge led by its combined Jaguar and Land Rover sales to the EU for the period. The Jaguar Land Rover division posted an astounding 72% jump in its UK sales, Jaguar luxury car sales saw a 34% increase while Land Rover SUVs delivered a whopping 93% as early as May compared with the same period last year. Jaguar car sales have been showing a stable monthly growth since the company launched its latest XJ sedan.

Land Rover will be developing cars with great technology. They will be engineered properly. The LRX is also being produced. The Land Rover has a Terrain Response System that makes the appropriate technology.

The Discovery created a new market segment. Range Rover buyers will expect a high specification vehicle with technology leadership. Land Rover is exploring making its vehicles more fuel efficient. The company is also looking at electric vehicles.

The company will have 25% less emissions in 2012 compared to 2011, through the development of new technology. The Defender is another car which is good for four more years until 2013. Land Rover sells 25,000 Defenders all over the world.

Land Rover sells in 165 markets. China will be Land Rover’s biggest market after Britain and the United States.

Land Rover will focus on the markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The British car maker is considering an SUV that would be placed under the Range Rover Evoque to compete on the automotive market with the Mini Countryman.

The new generation of off-road vehicles will be available in 2013, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Another interesting aspect will be to reduce the mass of 500 kg, mainly due to the body in aluminum. Land Rover has signed an agreement with Ricardo for the exclusive supply of certain of their components.

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