The latest Range Rover is exhibited on the company stand at the 2008 British Motor Show in London
Film now showing
1990s Range Rover TV advertisements
Range Rover -the gentleman's 4x4
Duration: 1 min. 12 seconds
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It has long been regarded as the greatest car of its kind and a huge British international motoring success story, but although the Range Rover has been around since 1970, the first "luxury" Land Rover appeared more than 20 years earlier.
This was the Tickford station wagon which contained numerous "comfort" features which the standard Land Rover lacked, but as it carried an expensive price tag in an era of general austerity, very few were sold and production lasted a little more than a year.
In the early 1950s, the idea was developed again. This time the new model was called the Road Rover and was based more on the existing Rover saloon car, but it did have all-wheel drive and other modifications, but again it was the wrong vehicle for the time.
The late 1950s saw Road Rover 2 being developed, but was still not right for mass production. However, Land Rover executives were reluctant to kill the idea and in the mid 1960s work began in earnest on a new model. The first mock up was demonstrated in early 1967 and was primarily put together by two Rover stalwarts, Gordon Bashford and Spen King, and this vehicle, subsequently named the Range Rover, had a shape and design very similar to what would be introduced to the public three years later.
Successful launch
After the launch, the new vehicle was described as the gentleman’s 4x4 and enjoyed an overwhelming response from both the press and public alike.
This was a vehicle which had many of the proven attributes of the much-loved standard Land Rover, but yet also had much greater levels of comfort, more interior options, a proven V8 engine -and, significantly, was also more geared to the upwardly mobile middle class family with money to spend.
Interest was such that demand quickly outstripped supply as people from all walks of life appreciated the high-driving position, the simple, stylish good looks, the additional power, as well as the extra comforts. In some cases, the waiting list for a new model was so long that prices of second hand Range Rovers were higher than what had been paid for the vehicle as new.
A number of subtle changes took place during the 1970s, but the first most significant development came in 1981 with the introduction of the first four door production Range Rovers.
Further modifications and improvements took place throughout the 1980s to make the car even more appealing and with the economic prosperity of the decade, the Range Rover soon became the car for the city yuppie -as well as the country gent.
A particularly significant year was 1987 as this was the first time that Range Rovers were exported to America. Land Rover had initially pulled out of the difficult US market in 1974, but senior executives believed the more higher-spec Range Rover would be better suited to the discerning US buyer, and so it proved. 1987 was also the year when sales of Range Rovers overtook the standard Land Rover for the first time.
In 1992, a long-wheel base version was introduced and this provided yet more luggage space as well as additional leg room. There was also a number of other new features added, such as a suspension option which enabled the vehicle to be lowered closer to the ground to make it easier to load and unload.
2nd generation Range Rover
After more than 25 years of production, the last of the original "classic" Range Rovers finally came off the production line in 1996, to be replaced by a new model which had a new, improved engine as well as other technical innovations.
Like its predecessor, this proved just as popular, although was superseded again with an even more stylish, powerful and advanced 3rd generation Range Rover which was launched to the public in 2002, and has subsequently been developed further.
Over the years, many special edition, anniversary models and derivatives have also been brought out and many vehicles have also been purposely modified to be used by the police, security services and other specialist industries, with the vehicle’s high-driving position being regarded as especially useful.
The continued success of the Range Rover means total sales are now considerably more than half a million. But whereas the original Range Rover went on sale for less than £2000, by 2008, the on-the-road price in the UK for the most expensive model had risen to nearly £77,000.
What the buyers get though is a supremely powerful, all-terrain vehicle with highly sophisticated communications and entertainment systems on board and luxury and comforts from top to tail. And while this may be a far cry from the original, spartan, agricultural Land Rover of the immediate post-war era, there are still many people keen to enjoy a go-anywhere vehicle which is respected across the globe and has an outstanding pedigree.
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Range Rovers were seen as having huge international
potential from the beginning and so it proved
Competitors on the G4 Land Rover challenge take
their Range Rover across the Mekong river in China
Six wheel, Range Rover ambulances
have been deployed for a number of years
Many Range Rovers have been extensively modified for work purposes. The ice cream van above works in South Wales
The pre-launch name of the vehicles was Velar -a combination of Alvis and Rover
A very early Range Rover which was especially modified as a rapid response ambulance
YVB153H was one of the original Range Rovers and was used in much of the early publicity
The Swiss Montiverdi company were the first to make 4-door Range Rovers and the company followed
Many of the famous British car makers which had
big stands at the shows in the 1960s no longer exist
This humerous advertisement shows the
Range Rover at home on the golf course
The 1975 event marked the diamond
jubilee of the SMMT's first exhibition
Many award winning advertisements have been produced over the years, with many stressing the vehicle's versatility
The 4.6 HSE was launched in 1994 and this factory cut-away
was produced to show the sophistication of the vehicle
The modern spacious Range Rover production
line is one of the most advanced in the world
In 1990, the limited edition CSK model was brought out to celebrate the vehicle's 20th anniversary. Only 200 were made
For nearly 40 years the Range Rover has been a familiar sight on city streets, as well as country estates
The company built this Range Rover limousine in 1994 and it was subsequently featured in a James Bond film
Many fire services also have six-wheel
Range Rovers in their fleet
Above is a 1994 publicity picture for the new Range Rover 4.0 in a typical challenging environment
The Range Rover has a large enthusiast following. The above group are on the annual Land Rover Heritage Run.
The biggest club is the Range Rover Register
which takes its huge trailer to events across Britain
Getting wet and dirty doesn't deter the serious off-roader
A finely tuned, modified Range Rover
in competition on Salibury Plain
The last 2nd generation Range Rover is driven off the production
line by one of the original vehicles' designers, Spen King, in 2001
Prime Minister Tony Blair helps to promote the
redesigned 3rd generation Range Rover in 2001
The stylish Vogue 4.4 was launched in 2002
The revolutionary Range Rover Sport was launched
in 2005 and was yet another innovative development
They were also especially popular in the major
US cities, such as New York, LA and Boston
Exports to America began in 1987 and the vehicles quickly became popular with people keen to explore such places as Colorado and Utah
In 1995, old and new Range Rovers took part in a 25th anniverary celebration at the Motor Heritage Centre at Gaydon
The Range Stormer concept vehicle of the mid 2000s was a vision as to how the Range Rover of the future may look
The luxurious interior of the modern Range Rover is a
world apart from the raw basics of the original Land Rover
The 1949 Tickford station wagon was the first "luxury"
Land Rover and a forerunner of the Range Rover