Land Rover

Winston Churchill with his Land Rover, 1952

© photo courtesy of: Land Rover

The first Land Rover vehicle was built by the British automaker RoverRoverUnited Kingdom, 1904 > 200523 models
24 photos
in 1948 and was also the first all-terrain vehicle for civilian use. Only many years later would Land Rover become an independent brand and company of 4x4 vehicles. Until then, the all-terrain vehicle would be just another product on Rover Company’s line-up.

In 1967 another British car builder, Leyland Motors LtdLeylandUnited Kingdom, 1896 > 19204 models
(later British Leyland), bought the Rover company and when British Leyland declared bankruptcy, in 1975, it was advised that Land Rover should be separated from Rover and become an independent company.

In 1976, one million Land Rovers had been built and two years later Land Rover is finally established as a separate brand, however subordinated to British Leyland, which is later renamed as Rover Group. In 1988, this Group is privatized and becomes a part of British Aerospace.

BMWBMWGermany, 1918 > present87 models
8471 photos
43 videos
purchases the Rover Group in 1994 and tears it apart in 2004 by keeping MiniMINI (BMW)Germany, 2000 > present15 models
2211 photos
7 videos
and selling MGMGUnited Kingdom, 1924 > present37 models
162 photos
, Rover and Land Rover. The FordFordUnited Kingdom, 1909 > present33 models
3718 photos
5 videos
Group kept the Land Rover brand, while MG and Rover became part of the British consort Phoenix Venture Holdings.

Land Rover achieved the 4-million barrier of vehicles built in 2007 and in the following year the company commemorates the 60th anniversary of the first Land Rover vehicle. 2008 is also the year when Tata MotorsTataIndia, 1945 > present5 models
28 photos
1 video
buys Land Rover and is now its leader.

Land Rover’s symbol consists on a green oval background with beige letters on top that spell “Land Rover” and the original draft has remained the same for the vehicle’s 60-year lifetime.
The British brand’s history tells that the designer who created the symbol was actually inspired by a pilchard tin, after such object left a mark on the designer’s drawing board when he was having lunch.