THE LAND ROVER 1940S AND 1950S

The Land Rover was developed by the Rover Company in 1947 throughout the aftermath of World War II. Prior to the war Rover had created luxury autos which were not sought after in the instant post-war duration and raw materials were strictly allocated to those business developing construction or industrial tools, or items that could be extensively exported to make critical foreign exchange for the country.

Maurice Wilks, Rover’s primary developer came up with a strategy to produce a light agricultural and energy automobile, of a similar idea to the Willys Jeep utilized in the war, yet with a focus on agricultural usage. He was possibly motivated by the Standard Motor Company, who dealt with comparable issues and were generating the very successful Ferguson TE20 tractor in their darkness manufacturing facility in Coventry. More probable, he utilized his very own experience of using an army-surplus Jeep on his farm in Anglesey, North Wales.

LAND ROVER SERIES I

Land Rover entered production in 1948 with what was later called the Series I. This was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It was initially made for ranch and light industrial usage and had a steel box-section chassis, and an aluminium body.

Originally the Land Rover was a single model offering. From 1948 up until 1951 it utilised an 80-inch (2,000 mm) wheelbase and a 1.6-litre petrol engine generating around 50 bhp (37 kW; 51 PS).

The four-speed transmission from the Rover P3 was offered, with a brand-new two-speed transfer box. This included an uncommon four-wheel-drive system, with a freewheel unit (as included in a number of Rover autos of the time).

This disengaged the front axle from the manual transmission on the overrun, permitting a form of permanent 4WD. A ring-pull mechanism in the chauffeur’s footwell allowed the freewheel to be secured to provide more conventional 4WD.

This vehicle was basic: tops for the doors and a roofing (canvas or steel) were optional extras. In 1950, the lights moved from a setting behind the grille to extending with the grille.

LAND ROVER SERIES II

The effective Series I successor was the Series II, which saw a manufacturing run from 1958 to 1961. It came in 88 in (2,200 mm) and 109 in (2,800 mm) wheelbases (typically referred to as the ‘SWB’ and ‘LWB’).

This was the first Land Rover to obtain the focus of Rover’s designing division. Chief Stylist David Bache produced the acquainted ‘barrel side’ midsection to cover the lorry’s broader track. The improved design of the truck cab variant. This introduced the rounded side windows and rounded roofing system still used on current Land Rovers.