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Land Rover Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary With A Hint Of How It All Started
On a beach in Anglesey, UK, 70 years ago, Maurice Wilks drew a sketch in the sand. This sketch would become the inspiration for the first Land Rover. The Series I became an icon, as did Wilks. Possessing a truly restless spirit, Wilks’ goal was to build something that could tackle any terrain, weather condition or challenge. That is exactly what he did.
Launched on 30th April at the 1948 Motor Show in Amsterdam, it soon became obvious that he had created an exceptional vehicle.
To mark Land Rover’s seventieth birthday, Land Rover will be hosting a series of celebrations across the world. It will be holding a special event at the Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works facility, UK, to look back through their history – from the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show, to their latest range of SUVs and the people who use them.
70 years ago, Land Rover had capability at its very core and was instilled with an inner strength, a desire to overcome the odds, and a sense of adventure which is still manifest in all of their vehicles. These elements – and many others – are quite simply in Land Rover’s DNA.
In 1970, Land Rover released the first production three-door Range Rover. Met with widespread critical acclaim, it was the first vehicle to deliver permanent 4 Wheel Drive. The launch of Land Rover Discovery, in 1989, would provide the rugged capability of the Ninety/One Ten to compete with newer, smaller competitors to the Range Rover.
In 2005, Range Rover Sport went into production. The introduction of the first sports SUV, in the Range Rover family, showed Land Rover’s commitment to performance.
“To reach the landmark of 70 years is truly special and we will mark it with a year of celebrations that represents Land Rover’s ‘Above and Beyond’ spirit and honours the people behind the world’s favourite SUVs.” – Prof Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO
“As times, society and needs change, so too do our vehicles. Following the successful testing of the Velar concept vehicle in 1969, it has continuously evolved and in 2018, Range Rover Velar won World Car Design of the Year”.
