Play video
Global broadcast marks the 70th anniversary of the world's most iconic 4x4
Land Rover marked its 70th anniversary with a global broadcast celebrating the world's favourite 4x4s and the people who love them – 70 years to the day since the first Land Rover made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948.
The event paid tribute to seven decades of adventure, humanitarian aid and hard work; tracking Land Rover’s journey from a utility model at the end of the Second World War, to becoming the world’s favourite 4x4, with more than 7 million sold.
Prof Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: “Land Rover was born with the launch of a single vehicle. Today our family of SUVs is testament to the pioneering spirit of innovation that has characterised Land Rover for seven decades. Our family of Defender, Discovery and Range Rover models provides unrivalled capability, versatility and luxury, giving us the perfect foundation for another 70 years of success.
“Land Rover is so much more than just the most capable all-terrain vehicles. It connects people through a passion for adventure and for making more of our world. From our employees to customers and enthusiasts, this is a family that makes Land Rover special.”
A vehicle line-up included HUE: the first prototype Land Rover, the original two-door Range Rover and the seven-seater Discovery, as well as expedition-proven models from across the decades, shared the stage at the Land Rover Classic Works in Coventry. The current range, including the sector-defining Range Rover Evoque and Velar SUVs, were also on screen as Land Rover celebrated its lifelong status as a favourite among celebrities, politicians and royalty.
In January, Land Rover also revealed plans to sympathetically renovate the world’s most historically significant unrestored model – one of three pre-production cars from the original Amsterdam launch. Now in the hands of the experts at Land Rover Classic, it will take the stage alongside its closest modern relative – the exclusive 405PS Defender Works V8 revealed earlier this year. Only 150 of the powerful 70th edition models will be produced and each of the specially engineered V8 derivatives will be built under the same roof, by Land Rover Classic’s team of expert engineers.
ABOUT LAND ROVER
Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's SUV sectors, with 80 per cent of this model range exported to over 100 countries.
70 YEARS OF LAND ROVER - TIMELINE
1948 Land Rover Series I launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show
1953 Long Wheelbase version of the Series I is introduced
1956 Oxford and Cambridge teams complete on London to Singapore expedition in Series I
1958 Land Rover Series II unveiled with more refined design
1970 Original two-door Range Rover (the Classic) goes on sale
1971 Land Rover Series III launched
1972 Range Rover crosses Darien Gap on 18,000-mile Trans-America expedition
1976 1,000,000th Land Rover built
1979 A Range Rover wins the inaugural Paris-Dakar rally (and again in 1981)
1981 Land Rover begins legendary partnership with Camel Trophy
1981 Four-door Range Rover released
1989 Land Rover Discovery, the third Land Rover model, goes on sale
1990 Original ‘Landie’ relaunched and renamed Defender
1994 Second generation Range Rover launched
1997 All-new Freelander is unveiled with innovative new technology: Hill Descent Control
2001 Third-generation Range Rover with all-round independent air suspension revealed
2003 Inaugural G4 challenge sees 16 teams traverse USA, South Africa and Australia
2004 Range Stormer Concept previews performance Range Rover and three-door body
2004 Discovery 3/LR3, the third-generation Discovery, launched at New York Motor Show
2005 All-new Range Rover Sport unveiled
2006 Freelander 2/LR2 launched. The first Land Rover to be manufactured at Halewood
2007 LRX concept car previews design language of a new luxury compact SUV
2009 Fourth generation of the Land Rover Discovery introduced
2010 Range Rover Evoque, the world’s first luxury compact SUV, makes global debut
2012 Fourth-generation Range Rover introduced – the first all-aluminium SUV
2013 New generation of Range Rover Sport unveiled at New York Motor Show
2014 Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division is officially launched
2014 Range Rover Sport SVR debuts, the fastest, most agile, most powerful Land Rover
2014 Discovery Vision Concept previews design vision for new family of Discovery vehicles
2014 Launch of Discovery Sport, a new premium compact SUV with 5+2 seating
2015 Trio of end-of-line Defender editions revealed with biggest sand drawing in UK
2015 Exclusive Range Rover SV Autobiography long wheelbase launched in New York
2015 Evoque Convertible becomes world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible
2015 One-of-a-kind Land Rover 'Defender 2,000,000' sells for £400,000 at charity auction
2016 Last Defender rolls off the production line
2016 All-new Discovery with world-first remote Intelligent Seat Fold technology launched
2017 Land Rover launches the fourth Range Rover, the Velar
2018 Limited Edition Range Rover SV Coupé debuts at Geneva Motor Show
- GVs from 70th Anniversary Event
- GVs Modern Land Rovers
- GVs Archive Land Rovers
- IV Mike Bishop, Land Rover Production Specialist
- IV Nick Rogers, Executive Director, Product Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover
- IV Roger Crathorne, ‘Mr Land Rover’, 50 years of Service
- IV Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover
- IV Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Explorer
- IV Quentin Willson, Motoring Expert & Host
- IV Andy Jaye, TV Personality & Host
- IV Mark Cameron, Brand Experience Director
- IV Ro Furby, Lead Land Rover Experience Instructor
1 May 2018
