Beginning. The Land Rover was the first car manufactured by the Rover Company in 1948. It is said that this car was inspired by the American Jeep. Over the years, the company changed its name and began to offer a larger number of models.
Development. In 1957, the diesel engine was first used in Land Rover cars. In 1960, the 250-thousandth car left the assembly line. Ten years later, a breakthrough came along — the first Range Rover appeared. This brand is defined by its more luxurious off-road cars. In 1976, the millionth car left the factory. In the mid-1990s, control of the brand was taken over by the German BMW. Under the new management, the company began to manufacture the Freelander model, which was very successful in its class (it competes with the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4). In 2000, Land Rover was bought from BMW by Ford.
Present. On 11 June 2007, Ford announced its intentions of selling Land Rover (and Jaguar). In March 2008, the Indian automotive company Tata Motors expressed its interest in buying the brand. Ford agreed to sell it. On 2 June 2008, the sales agreement was signed. At present, Land Rover sells approximately 200,000 cars a year (data from 2009).
Contribution to the automotive industry. Land Rover is an icon among off-road cars. Owing to the short wheelbase, the Defender model is capable of climbing up slopes with unbelievable inclination. For this reason, Land Rover vehicles are used for military operations by the British Army.
Trivia. The first Land Rovers were manufactured from an aluminium and magnesium alloy called Birmabright. This material was used due to the poor availability of metals after the war. Its advantage was good corrosion resistance. This is widely believed to be one of the reasons for the car's longevity. Land Rover itself boasts that three-quarters of the cars it has ever manufactured are still used. According to the Ministry of Transport, the Land Rover Defender is one of the safest cars driven on the British Isles. Statistics show that just one percentage of its drivers have lost their life after being involved in an accident.
Currently manufactured models: Land Rover Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 4, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport.
Tyres. Land Rover models are equipped with off-road tyres, with sizes ranging from 15 to 20 inches. Sample sizes: 195/80 R15 (Freelander), 215/65 R16 (Freelander), 205/80 R16 (Defender), 225/75 R16 (Defender), 255/55 R19 (Range Rover), 275/40 R20 (Range Rover Sport).