Land Rover


Book Description

Gripping archive images of the 4x4 pioneer presented in a fresh and stylish design




Jue 477


Book Description

Revealed to the world in 1948, the Land-Rover not only revived the Rover Company's fortunes in an austerity-riddled post-war period, but galvanized its future, thanks to the model's almost immediate success. With the manufacture of an initial 48 'pre-production' examples coming to a close, the first official production models were assembled - starting with chassis 860001. As original factory records prove, this pivotal vehicle was destined for His Royal Highness King George VI, but the decision was made to postpone the presentation and instead, 'number one' was retained by the factory until 1950, when it was registered JUE 477 before leaving Rover Company ownership. After decades left out in the cold and exposed to the elements, 860001 had certainly seen better days, but thanks to the determination of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder and Chairman of INEOS, the future of JUE 477 was secured in 2017. Over the next two years, a dedicated team of experts, led by chief restorer, Julian Shoolheifer set about restoring the vehicle while retaining as much of its original DNA as was physically, and safely, possible and making sure that this remarkable vehicle's history and past life was still worn with pride.




Land Rover: The Story of the Car that Conquered the World


Book Description

Sunday Times Bestseller As quintessentially British as a plate of fish and chips or a British Bulldog, the boxy, utilitarian Land Rover Defender has become an iconic part of what it is to be British.




Land Rover


Book Description

The 60th anniversary of Land Rover occurs in 2008. The original Series 1 Land Rover was unveiled in 1948 and the utilitarian Defender models are still instantly recognisable as relatives of the original. The Land Rover range has also expanded over the years to elevate the Solihull marque to a premium brand in the automotive market place, the latest Range Rover models providing palatial luxury while still providing unbeatable off-road performance. This beautifully produced book tells the full story of all Land Rover models through a wealth of stunning color images, many previously unpublished.




First Overland


Book Description

Why Not? After all, no-one had ever done it before. It would be one of the longest of all overland journeys – half way round the world, from the English Channel to Singapore. They knew that several expeditions had already tried it. Some had got as far as the desrts of Persia; a few had even reached the plains of India. But no one had managed to go on from there: over the jungle clad mountains of Assam and across northern Burma to Thailand and Malaya. Over the last 3,000 miles it seemed there were ‘just too many rivers and too few roads'. But no-one really knew … In fact, their problems began much earlier than that. As mere undergraduates, they had no money, no cars, nothing. But with a cool audacity, which was to become characteristic, they set to work – wheedling and cajoling. First, they coaxed the BBC to come up with some film for a possible TV series. They then gently persuaded the manufacturers to lend them two factory-fresh Land Rovers. A publisher was even sweet-talked into giving them an advance on a book. By the time they were ready to go, their sponsors (more than 80 of them) ranged from whiskey distillers to the makers of collapsible buckets. In late 1955, they set off. Seven months and 12,000 miles later, two very weary Land Rovers, escorted by police outriders, rolled into Singapore – to flash bulbs and champagne. Now, fifty years on, their book, ‘First Overland', is republished – with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. After all, it was he who gave them that film.




Land Rover Emergency Vehicles


Book Description

This book is both an historic and nostalgic look at the role of the Land Rover in the emergency services over the last 70 years. Land Rover products have been used by the emergency services almost from the moment the first Land Rover left the factory in 1948. Their agility and size made them an immediate hit with fire services, where they initially became popular as factory fire tenders. Their cross-country ability and versatility then attracted police forces, especially outside Britain, and when long-wheelbase models provided extra space, they also became favourites for ambulance conversions. Some emergency-service conversions required very little adaptation, and were carried out in the workshops of the end-users. Others – such as six-wheel Range Rover fire tenders – required major alterations from the factory-standard vehicle. Meanwhile, specialist companies developed dedicated ambulance and fire tender bodywork, creating a fascinating variety of different types. Some of these conversions, such as police patrol vehicles, went on to become part of the background to everyday life. Others are much less well known, and have their own special interest. All of them help to illustrate the versatility and adaptability of Land Rovers and their more modern SUV siblings. Land Rover Emergency Vehicles will interest Land Rover enthusiasts and emergency-vehicle enthusiasts alike, and many of the types illustrated will evoke nostalgic memories of these vehicles in their heyday.




Big Book of Land Rover


Book Description

The Second World War proved, among other things, the value of a basic 4-wheel drive vehicle of rugged construction. The success of the American Jeep inspired the Wilkes' brothers Maurice and Spencer, who ran the Rover Car Company, that a British version was likely to be well received. Launched in 1948, customers were never in short supply for their creation, the Land Rover, although there were some unexpected owners for such a sparse and utilitarian car, including King George VI and Winston Churchill. Once the British Army embraced it as their vehicle of choice, the Land Rover's place in motoring's Hall of Fame was secured. Since those days, the company has gone on to invent the concept of the luxury 4x4 with the launch of the Range Rover in 1970, and has added further to the distinguished stable with the Discovery and the Freelander. The Land Rover has truly conquered the globe - find out how inside...




The Land Rover Story


Book Description

The Land Rover Story is a roller coaster ride through the life and times of Land Rover. Fast-paced and entertaining, it brings alive all aspects of Land Rover from its humble beginnings in 1948 to today’s world-wide renown, with the vehicles — successes and failures — and people at the centre of the story. The 1940s. How the Land Rover came about; the Wilks brothers; the Centre Steer enigma; development and production; launch and reaction. The 1950s. Rapid development and evolution of the original; successes and dead ends; worldwide reach; early expeditions; weird and wonderful modifications; the Series II. The 1960s. Consolidation and further developments; Series IIA; military models; initial development of the Range Rover; search for a V8 engine. The 1970s. The Series III; Range Rover’s popularity but lack of investment; Land Rover abandons US market; the British Leyland story; escape from BL and Michael Edwardes, saviour of Land Rover. The 1980s. British Aerospace ownership; Land Rover grows as most of Britain’s car industry self-destructs; emergence of the coil-sprung models; make or break time with launch of Discovery (Europe’s best-selling 4x4). The 1990s. Tdi engines; Defender and its development. BMW ownership; second-generation Range Rover P38; Freelander; second-generation Discovery; Td5 engine. The 2000s. Ford takeover, alliance with Jaguar, shift towards luxury; third-generation Range Rover L322; the G4 Challenge; Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport, TDCi Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 4. The 2010s. Tata takeover, upsurge in sales and profits; Range Rover Evoque and Victoria Beckham; Range Rover 4; Range Rover Sport 2; Discovery Sport; Discovery 5; Range Rover Velar; DC100 concept; end of Defender production; rise of Defender as a fashion icon; and much more.




Military Land Rover


Book Description

This text provides a comprehensive history of the Land Rover and its various guises in military service in Britain and overseas.




Landy


Book Description