The Land Rover emerges as a standout among the world's most revered vehicles. Instantly recognisable, pragmatic, and dependable, it has played an indispensable role in all-terrain transportation for over 70 years. Picture the year 1947. Along the shores of a Welsh beach, an man sketches the silhouette of a car in the sand. This pivotal moment marks the birth of the Land Rover. Sturdy and audacious, it proceeds to rewrite history, triumphing over a multitude of landscapes and winning over hearts globally. Years of relentless ingenuity have catapulted us into new frontiers. We've explored uncharted domains while staying firmly rooted in our beginnings – the exceptional synergy of capability and composure that sets apart each vehicle adorned with the Land Rover badge.
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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00:40 Despite the fact that through the course of the 20th century,
00:44 millions of different cars have been built,
00:47 most people will instantly be able to picture a Land Rover
00:51 when they hear the name.
00:54 This image may be of the original Series One
00:58 or the infamous Range Rover.
01:02 Whatever the model that springs to mind,
01:05 it matters very little because few people would have ever
01:08 believed that this stopgap post-war design would
01:12 lead to the incredible longevity and popularity
01:16 that the Land Rover name the world over has inspired.
01:20 As a matter of fact, the incredible success of Land Rover
01:27 has meant that these vehicles are now
01:29 an essential part of the British landscape
01:32 and a worldwide automotive phenomenon,
01:36 tackling mountains, molehills, swamps, and desert terrain
01:41 with equal efficiency, proving there's
01:44 no vehicle more desirable than a Land Rover when
01:48 the odds are stacked against you.
01:52 During their lifetime, these four-wheel drive vehicles
01:55 that have become synonymous with the Land Rover name
01:59 aren't only popular choices with everyday road users,
02:03 but with farmers, scientists, and even explorers.
02:09 And thanks to its versatile design and off-road
02:13 capabilities, the vehicles have become an absolute necessity
02:18 for the military, so much so that by the new millennium,
02:22 they'd infiltrated markets in over 140 nations
02:27 throughout the world.
02:30 For many of their owners, Land Rover vehicles
02:33 became much more than a car.
02:36 They became a passport to adventure.
02:39 And today, we have the pleasure of exploring
02:41 how and why Land Rover has become a modern day legend.
02:46 However, before we begin this fascinating journey,
02:53 let's take a few minutes to consider
02:55 the events that contributed to the invention
02:58 of the very first Land Rover, the much loved Series 1.
03:02 As 1945 drew to a close, like many other nations,
03:11 Great Britain was suffering the after effects
03:14 of the Second World War.
03:17 The country faced financial ruin as its industries
03:20 collapsed due to the shortage of raw materials and resources.
03:26 Consequently, life in peacetime Britain was tough.
03:32 A new government had brought about new hope
03:35 with a promise to rebuild the British economy.
03:38 But this wasn't going to be easy.
03:41 In fact, they turned to the nation's car industry,
03:45 one of the world's largest, to help put the country back
03:48 on its feet, or perhaps wheels, depending
03:51 upon your point of view.
03:54 The government believed that if Britain's car manufacturers
03:58 could design and mass produce cars for sale
04:02 on an international scale, the money brought in
04:06 from foreign exports would help to revive the faltering economy.
04:12 Up until this time, the Rover Company
04:15 had produced some of the most affordable luxury
04:17 cars in Britain, boasting high quality prestige
04:22 at a reasonable price, and Rover cars
04:24 were extremely sought after.
04:28 But because of the war and the lack of money thereafter,
04:32 the demand had all but dried up.
04:34 So with nothing to lose, Rover accepted the government's
04:38 challenge.
04:41 After seeking permission to restart civilian car
04:44 production, the designers at Rover started work.
04:49 The first idea that they came up with
04:51 was a novel small car design.
04:53 But as soon as the engineers realized
04:58 that steel supplies would continue
05:01 to be rationed due to post-war shortages
05:04 and allocated in accordance with the number of cars exported,
05:09 they abandoned the plan and decided
05:11 that the small car market was not
05:14 going to be the way forward.
05:17 With nothing else in the pipeline,
05:19 Rover began mass producing pre-war design cars
05:23 at its newly acquired Solihull factory,
05:26 in the hope that these cars would be good enough to export.
05:31 However, the disappointing lack of British sales
05:35 made it clear that these cars would struggle
05:38 to be a worldwide success.
05:41 If they wanted to help themselves and the government
05:44 while wisely avoiding bankruptcy,
05:47 they needed something revolutionary,
05:50 and they needed it urgently.
05:54 With no time to waste, the chief engineers
05:56 of the company, the Wilkes brothers,
05:59 attempted to come up with a vehicle that would be
06:01 suitable to sell worldwide.
06:03 Yet realistically, they felt that spectacular
06:07 and innovative might be better executed when
06:11 the company was stable and time would be on their side.
06:16 Therefore, a vehicle that would simply act as a stop gap
06:20 in the Rover range, providing a temporary solution
06:24 until the raw materials for car production came off ration,
06:28 was considered to be the most sensible option.
06:33 The vehicle they came up with was fundamentally
06:35 inspired by Maurice Wilkes' great passion for farming,
06:39 which was as vital to the recovery of post-war Britain
06:43 as the car industry.
06:45 (dramatic music)
06:48 At the time, Wilkes, like many other farmers,
07:07 was using an ex-army Willys Jeep,
07:10 but because of its tendency to break down,
07:13 and even when going, its inability to double
07:17 as a light tractor, he began to think about creating
07:20 a Rover vehicle to replace it.
07:23 Of course, at the time, there wasn't anything remotely
07:26 suitable on the market that he could buy,
07:29 so he decided to design his own replacement,
07:32 one that would also very conveniently fill the gap
07:36 in the market that Rover had been looking for.
07:39 And so, born out of necessity, the Land Rover story begins,
07:48 as does our journey for this program
07:52 with the eponymous Series One.
07:54 (dramatic music)
07:57 (dramatic music)
07:59 (dramatic music)
08:08 When Maurice Wilkes brought his idea back
08:15 to the engineers at Rover,
08:17 he gave them very basic specifications.
08:20 He told them he wanted this new car to be a Jeep-like,
08:24 utilitarian, four-wheel-drive vehicle
08:28 that would also be versatile enough to use
08:30 as a light tractor in the harshest of conditions,
08:34 and what's more, it had to be suitable
08:36 for everyday road transport as well.
08:39 Tough as this design challenge was, in practical terms,
08:44 the manufacturing process had to satisfy
08:47 three more vitally important criteria.
08:51 The car had to be simple in design,
08:53 cheap to build, and require as little steel as possible.
08:58 Maurice Wilkes was asking a great deal of his team at Rover,
09:03 but they immediately set to work.
09:05 Using the Willys Jeep as a yardstick,
09:10 the Rover employees had a good basic concept to work from,
09:14 and the idea of using aluminium alloy
09:17 for the car's bodywork instead of steel
09:20 proved to be nothing short of inspirational.
09:23 (gentle music)
09:26 Not only was this a material that was easier to manipulate,
09:36 but also it was, of course,
09:37 far more readily available than steel.
09:40 This meant that it would bring down
09:43 the manufacturing costs dramatically
09:46 and make the finished vehicle cheaper to buy.
09:49 Equally, using aluminium alloy
09:52 allowed them to design bodywork
09:54 that was really quite simple
09:56 in that it only consisted of three separate panels,
10:00 each of which could be easily and independently unbolted
10:04 from the basic construction if required.
10:06 The Series 1 was consequently both lightweight
10:15 and more resistant to corrosion,
10:18 which was an obvious advantage
10:20 for a vehicle that was likely to spend most of its life
10:23 in harsh conditions, an essential consideration
10:27 if the Land Rover was going to make its mark
10:30 in international markets.
10:32 It was an added bonus that this resistance to corrosion
10:37 meant that the vehicles would have a much longer life
10:40 than more traditionally constructed cars.
10:42 Although Rover could opt for the soft aluminium alloy
10:48 when it came to the bodywork,
10:49 the chassis had to be made out of the strongest material possible,
10:53 which at the time was steel.
10:56 At that time, it was common practice to use heavy presses
11:08 to create the individual parts
11:10 that would fit together to become the chassis.
11:13 But rather than use this tried and tested method,
11:18 the Rover engineers came up with a new way,
11:21 one that used heavy box sections of steel
11:24 that had been welded together.
11:26 It not only saved time and money,
11:29 but far from being a low-quality, brittle chassis,
11:33 it was both strong and durable.
11:36 And just like the aluminium bodywork,
11:39 the chassis design became recognised as a Land Rover trademark.
11:45 (MUSIC)
11:48 Once the rest of the design was put together,
11:53 work on a prototype began in the spring of 1947.
11:58 Not long after this, a further 25 cars were produced,
12:02 so that extensive testing could be carried out.
12:06 It's quite remarkable that over half of these cars
12:10 have survived more than 50 years
12:13 and are still around to this day,
12:15 some of them having been painstakingly restored
12:18 by their devoted owners.
12:20 With the Rover bosses more than happy with their finished product,
12:33 all that remained was for the company to unveil their creation
12:37 to the general public.
12:38 And this is precisely what they did.
12:40 On April 30th, 1948, at the Amsterdam Motor Show,
12:45 when the Land Rover Series 1 officially went on sale.
12:49 Looks-wise, it was hardly surprising
12:57 that the car bore a distinct resemblance to the Jeep,
13:01 but that's where any similarities ended.
13:04 Beneath the paintwork, the Land Rover was a totally different car altogether.
13:09 It featured a newly developed, yet conventional,
13:12 1,595cc four-cylinder petrol engine
13:17 and a gearbox designed so that you could drive downhill,
13:21 even mountainsides if you wanted to,
13:23 with incredible ease.
13:25 It was another milestone in the development
13:28 that Land Rover would soon become famous for.
13:32 (MUSIC)
13:34 The Series 1 also featured a cleverly designed,
13:43 permanently engaged, four-wheel drive transmission,
13:46 which ensured that the tyre wear and tear was kept to a minimum.
13:51 The leaf-strung suspension might have been a touch bouncy
13:55 when the car was driven on tarmac,
13:58 but in off-road conditions, it was almost unbreakable.
14:02 This characteristic made the Land Rover an ideal car for export to countries
14:08 where most of the roads were dirt tracks and rough terrain.
14:12 (MUSIC)
14:25 More importantly still, Maurice Wilkes' desire for a vehicle
14:29 that could also double as a light tractor hadn't been forgotten,
14:33 and the Series 1 was more than capable of fulfilling this requirement.
14:38 However, what made the car even more appealing to the general public
14:43 was its ingenious mechanical simplicity.
14:46 Thanks to this, it was a car that saved you money
14:50 as you could repair and service it yourself,
14:53 as long as you had a basic understanding of motor vehicles.
14:57 (MUSIC)
15:00 Looking back, with the benefit of hindsight,
15:08 it's obvious that the new Series 1 was everything that Maurice Wilkes
15:12 had wanted it to be, and much, much more besides.
15:16 It was a no-nonsense, unpretentious, honest workhorse car
15:22 with a well-defined purpose in life.
15:25 This was a vehicle that was able to do its job well,
15:28 and cosmetic considerations were far from paramount.
15:32 In fact, the early Series 1s didn't even come with a roof and doors as standard,
15:38 because they were optional extras.
15:41 With no competition to speak of, it wasn't surprising that the Land Rover Series 1,
15:48 a car years ahead of its time, sold well.
15:52 Finally, British farmers had a car suitable for all their needs,
15:56 and they quickly made the Land Rover a best-seller.
16:00 (MUSIC)
16:03 Nevertheless, it wasn't just the farmers that liked this vehicle.
16:15 The general public responded well to it,
16:17 and almost immediately after its launch, hundreds of Series 1s were snapped up by the military.
16:24 (MUSIC)
16:27 Painted in khaki with the characteristic short front,
16:45 rear overhang and off-road capabilities,
16:48 the Land Rovers were the perfect replacements for their now-ageing World War 2 Jeeps.
16:54 By the end of 1949, the pages of AutoCar and Motor Magazine
17:03 were filled with special features on Rover's new creation,
17:07 and even the daily newspapers wanted to get in on the act.
17:13 Far from being the stopgap that Rover had envisaged it would be,
17:17 the company had to double production just to cope with the demand.
17:22 With the excellent response to the Series 1 in Britain,
17:27 Rover decided to take the car to the USA and Canada
17:31 to try and make it the popular export vehicle that it was originally intended to be.
17:37 (MUSIC)
17:41 (MUSIC)
17:43 Unfortunately, sales were rather disappointing,
17:51 and continued to be so throughout the 50s.
17:55 But, thankfully, it was a different story altogether when it came to the rest of the world,
18:00 because despite the Americans being slow to take it,
18:04 elsewhere, the advantages of the Land Rover were more readily appreciated.
18:10 (MUSIC)
18:13 In the 1950s, the motoring industry underwent considerable change,
18:30 as manufacturers began to realise that there was a growing demand for economical small cars.
18:37 (MUSIC)
18:40 This was great news for Rover,
18:51 because whilst car manufacturers were preoccupied with making micro and bubble cars,
18:58 they didn't have the time or the inclination to produce any worthy competition for the Land Rover.
19:05 (MUSIC)
19:08 So, with the 4x4 market all to itself for almost the whole decade,
19:21 the Series 1 underwent minor changes.
19:25 In 1950, a new metal roof was introduced,
19:29 and two years later, the car got exterior door handles and side lights on the wing.
19:35 By the end of 1953, the Land Rover was available with a larger 2-litre engine,
19:43 and a longer 86-inch wheelbase.
19:47 Also on offer was the first long wheelbase model,
19:51 and with a large number of rivets and non-matching side doors,
19:56 it looked quite honestly as if it had just been thrown together.
20:00 Nevertheless, at a very serviceable 107 inches in length,
20:05 it sold well, and was exceptionally popular with people who needed either four doors,
20:11 or a greater carrying capacity,
20:14 and after all, the Land Rover had never been renowned for its good looks.
20:20 (MUSIC)
20:22 1954 was a great year for Rover,
20:30 as the 100,000th Series 1 rolled off the assembly line,
20:34 and the Land Rover name was rapidly becoming known for its durability and off-road capabilities.
20:41 But, perhaps even more importantly,
20:44 the car was beginning to sell well in various countries across Europe,
20:49 bringing in much-needed money for the still-recovering post-war economy.
20:54 Three years after the launch of the 86 and 107-inch wheelbase models,
21:02 both gained an additional 2 inches, and a new 2.2-litre petrol engine.
21:08 Having achieved so much success already in both the British and European market,
21:14 things continued to get better for Land Rover,
21:18 especially when the emergency services bought hundreds of the 86-inch Series 1 models.
21:25 Although the vehicles had to be adapted by specialist conversions,
21:31 the Land Rovers made great fire engines and ambulances,
21:35 and thanks to such all-weather, off-road, on-road performance,
21:40 the Series 1 definitely helped to save many lives.
21:47 (music)
21:50 In 1958, a new Land Rover variant was released,
21:56 named, logically, but perhaps a little unimaginatively, the Series 2.
22:02 And, apart from a new 2.25-litre petrol engine,
22:07 it wasn't incredibly different from the original.
22:10 Nevertheless, this new variant continued to increase Land Rover's popularity,
22:16 both in the UK and Europe,
22:19 and Rover were so pleased with both the sales figures and their satisfied customers,
22:25 that it remained virtually unchanged for 13 years,
22:29 except for the occasional engine update, of course.
22:33 By the time the 1960s started to swing,
22:38 the variety of Land Rover options was only matched by the diversity of its customers
22:44 and the uses to which they put them.
22:47 The cars were fulfilling vital roles in the emergency services,
22:52 and they were being used as recovery vehicles for the AA and RAC as well.
22:58 From its humble beginnings, as the farmer's friend,
23:01 the Land Rover had grown in importance to play a crucial role in 20th century life.
23:08 (music)
23:13 (music)
23:16 (music)
23:21 (music)
23:26 (music)
23:31 (music)
23:41 (music)
23:44 Keen to capitalise on this increasing popularity,
23:53 Rover expanded its range of Land Rover products by creating a new variant,
23:59 called the Series 2A.
24:02 (music)
24:08 (music)
24:11 By 1962, the Rover designers were busy listening to their customers' requests,
24:21 and despite the fact that they'd increased the length before with the Series 1 long-wheelbase Land Rover,
24:28 their customers still asked for a car that had a greater carrying capacity.
24:34 So, by the end of the year, the Series 2A Forward Control was launched.
24:40 It was basically a Series 2A with a long-wheelbase 109-inch chassis,
24:46 and it was available with a completed cab or as a rolling chassis.
24:51 The car sold remarkably well, so much so that Rover struggled to keep up with demand,
24:58 but rather than enjoying life on the open road,
25:01 most of the Forward Controls ended up working for a living,
25:05 either on the farm or as a public service vehicle.
25:09 (music)
25:13 In fact, Rover were so happy with the way the new vehicle was selling,
25:22 that by 1966, the year that saw the 500,000th Land Rover built,
25:28 they decided to upgrade the design further.
25:32 The Forward Control gained a wider track, a slightly longer wheelbase of 110 inches,
25:39 and a front anti-roll bar for even better stability.
25:44 Meanwhile, on the export front, back in 1961,
25:50 Rover had taken the Series 2A to North America
25:54 in the hope that this would be the Land Rover that broke into the previously elusive US market.
26:01 The decision to advertise it as a chic alternative to the homegrown American 4x4s
26:08 seemed like a good idea, but the good citizens of the USA didn't share this view,
26:14 and they simply didn't buy it.
26:17 (music)
26:22 Undeterred, Rover went on the attack,
26:25 and because of its UK and European success,
26:28 they gave the Americans the Series 2A Forward Control.
26:33 Thankfully, this model fared much better,
26:37 and after a few years, it became one of America's top sport utility vehicles.
26:43 Now that Land Rover had finally been accepted in the US,
26:48 and was selling well in countries worldwide,
26:51 a survey showed that the cars had no less than a third of the world's market for 4x4s.
26:58 It seemed that finally, Land Rover was starting to become the export car
27:03 that both Rover and the British government had hoped that it would be.
27:09 However, what was surprising was that the same survey highlighted
27:14 that over two-thirds of Land Rover owners used their cars for recreational purposes,
27:21 or, even more surprisingly, as everyday road transport,
27:25 rather than exclusively for the more practical applications
27:29 for which the car had originally been intended.
27:33 (music)
27:37 (music)
27:40 It seemed as if things couldn't have been better for Land Rover,
28:05 and by 1968, even greater success was on the horizon.
28:10 Thanks to the car's versatility and ruggedness,
28:14 not only had it cornered the mainstream market,
28:18 but it also managed to satisfy the requirements of the military as well.
28:23 The armed forces of most of the Western nations
28:26 had now become important Land Rover customers,
28:30 and business was booming.
28:34 (music)
28:37 To maintain this stranglehold on the military market,
28:58 two more Land Rover variants were created
29:01 for exclusive sale to the armed forces.
29:04 The first one was called the Lightweight,
29:07 and was basically a stripped-down Series 2A,
29:10 which was suitable for air freighting into a war zone.
29:15 When they entered service at the end of 1968,
29:24 they were incredibly popular with the troops,
29:27 and remained so until they were replaced with the Series 3 Lightweight in 1972.
29:33 The second exclusive Land Rover was called the 101 Forward Control,
29:39 and was chosen in favour of another variant named the Middleweight.
29:44 Yet despite eight prototypes being made by the beginning of 1969,
29:49 it wasn't until 1975 that the military started to use it,
29:55 and by this time it had undergone radical changes since the design stage,
30:00 the most noticeable being the 3.5 litre V8 engine.
30:06 So far, the success that Land Rover had experienced in the 60s
30:17 totally overshadowed how well it had sold in the 50s.
30:22 But what's surprising is that it managed to achieve it
30:25 in the face of worthy competition,
30:28 in the shape of BMC's Austin Gypsy.
30:32 For ten years, the Land Rover had managed to beat it hands down,
30:36 and when Austin and Rover merged to form British Leyland Motor Corporation,
30:42 the competition was scrapped.
30:49 Near the end of the decade, the Land Rovers were given a six-cylinder engine,
30:54 and BLMC decided that it was time to give the car some creature comforts,
31:00 one of which was well upholstered front seats.
31:05 However, the engineers thought that they could make the car even more luxurious,
31:12 and with this in mind, they set to work on developing a brand new kind of Land Rover,
31:18 one that wouldn't be based on the original Land Rover chassis or design.
31:24 It was a car that would adopt the name Range Rover,
31:33 and for the next section of this programme,
31:35 we'll look at how this car, through the 70s and 80s,
31:39 played a vital role in helping to keep Land Rover on course
31:43 towards becoming a modern day legend.
31:48 The design brief for the new Land Rover was simple.
31:54 It had to combine the comfort of a saloon car with the off-road capabilities
31:58 that Land Rover had now become legendary for.
32:02 To make this possible, one of the first things that the engineers at Solihull did
32:07 was to give the Range Rover a brand new long travel coil spring suspension,
32:13 as this would offer car owners a much more sophisticated and comfortable on-road ride.
32:20 They also decided to give the Range Rover a brand new engine,
32:24 a 3.5 litre V8 Monster to be precise,
32:28 as well as a new transmission and four-wheel disc brakes,
32:32 which were something of a novelty at the time.
32:37 The process from concept to production was swift,
32:41 and on 17th June 1970, in Cornwall,
32:45 the brand new four-wheel drive Range Rover was launched.
32:49 It was available with two doors and had an interior
32:53 that could be hosed out for the die-hard enthusiasts
32:57 who still insisted on using this new luxury model down on the farm.
33:03 The Range Rover was a remarkable car
33:06 that remained fundamentally unaltered for nearly 26 years,
33:11 and it was only after this phenomenal time span
33:14 that it was finally replaced by a more sophisticated version.
33:19 Upon the Range Rover's launch, the board at British Leyland Motor Corporation
33:26 waited anxiously to see what the British thought of their new car.
33:31 But there was no cause for concern,
33:34 as the reception that the Range Rover received was nothing short of amazing.
33:39 Not only did the press give it wonderful reviews,
33:43 but also virtually every report contained nothing but praise.
33:48 Early indications suggested that the car would be an immense success,
33:52 and sure enough, after only a few months,
33:55 the company was swamped with orders,
33:58 which they were of course delighted to supply.
34:01 But despite its popularity with most of the car-owning public,
34:06 there were a few hardcore Land Rover enthusiasts
34:10 who thought the Range Rover couldn't possibly be as tough
34:14 or as versatile as the original.
34:17 However, in 1971, the car proved its off-road capabilities
34:22 when it was driven by the British Army in the Transamericus Expedition,
34:27 an event that no other vehicle had, to date, managed to finish.
34:32 After a gruelling 141 days of off-road jungle and swamp hell,
34:39 the Range Rover completed the task.
34:42 This remarkable achievement not only boosted sales,
34:47 but it also added even more polish to Land Rover's already legendary reputation.
34:54 In the early 1970s, this growing reputation for strength and durability
34:59 attracted police attention for all the right reasons,
35:03 and specially adapted Range Rovers were adopted as police vehicles.
35:08 In fact, the UK's police forces were so happy with the car's performance
35:13 that they used Range Rovers until the car was discontinued in 1996.
35:20 (music)
35:23 Despite the Range Rover becoming the best-selling car in the Land Rover range,
35:33 the Series 2A was still in demand,
35:36 as many people still craved this simple, no-nonsense workhorse.
35:41 In fact, BLMC thought that it would be worthwhile to upgrade it.
35:46 And as a result, the Series 3 was created.
35:50 (music)
35:55 (music)
35:59 (music)
36:02 (music)
36:15 (music)
36:18 (music)
36:32 (music)
36:35 (music)
36:50 (music)
36:53 On the outside, this new variant looked like its predecessor,
37:13 but inside there were significant differences,
37:16 as the main dials and switches were moved so they were now in front of the driver.
37:22 The car also featured more comfortable seats,
37:27 and was available in both short and long wheelbase formats,
37:31 with various engine configurations and body styles.
37:36 (music)
37:41 (music)
37:44 Although the Land Rover Range was going from strength to strength
37:57 in the British and European markets,
37:59 the same couldn't be said for its North American market.
38:03 In 1974, the Series 2As were losing out to better-powered homegrown trucks.
38:10 Therefore, due to dwindling Land Rover sales,
38:13 the company was left with no other choice but to once again withdraw from the American market.
38:19 (music)
38:28 This was just the beginning of a whole run of problems to beset Land Rover,
38:33 as behind the scenes, things weren't looking good for BLMC.
38:38 By the end of the year, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy,
38:42 like many others in Britain, as a result of unemployment and industrial disputes.
38:48 In fact, the company and Land Rover only survived because it was taken into government ownership.
38:57 (music)
39:00 (music)
39:28 Despite trading difficulties, the Rover Group was created in 1978,
39:33 and realising that the Range Rover was just as popular as ever,
39:38 money was pumped into producing more of these classic vehicles to help keep the company afloat.
39:44 Also, the Series 3 Land Rover, thanks to its rugged character,
39:50 was as popular as ever, with farmers and the military,
39:54 which meant that the 4x4 part of the company got the attention it deserved,
39:59 and instead of merely upgrading the car,
40:02 the team at Rover Group decided to launch another Land Rover variant alongside it.
40:09 (music)
40:17 The car was christened the Land Rover Stage 1,
40:21 and was basically a long wheelbase Series 3 with a 3.5 litre engine,
40:26 plus a unique front styling that combined the grille flush with the headlights.
40:32 And as the Land Rover Range rolled triumphantly into the 1980s,
40:37 the new adaptation sold just as well as the Series 3 had previously.
40:44 (music)
40:47 However, at the dawn of what was undoubtedly one of Land Rover's most glorious decades,
40:56 the car market was beginning to change,
40:59 as vehicle owners demanded a much higher degree of luxury for their motoring.
41:05 To satisfy their customers' demands in 1981,
41:09 engineers at the Solihull factory began developing an all-new upmarket four-door Range Rover
41:16 that would include luxury trim and an automatic gearbox.
41:21 (music)
41:25 Unfortunately, however, because the parent company was still recovering from financial problems,
41:38 the public had to wait until 1983 to get their hands on this iconic car.
41:45 Nevertheless, 1,000 Vogue Special Edition Luxury Range Rovers were released,
41:51 and within just a few weeks, all of them had been snapped up.
41:56 While these specials were flying out of the showrooms,
42:00 the classic Land Rovers, the Series 3 and the Stage 1,
42:05 began to lose sales worldwide to the Japanese 4x4s that had now swamped the market.
42:12 Efforts were made to rectify matters,
42:16 and the design team worked on ways to compete with the Japanese.
42:21 In 1983, the Series 3 was discontinued,
42:25 but as the new Range Rover wowed customers worldwide,
42:29 a new workhorse Land Rover was launched.
42:33 The all-new Land Rover 110 represented something of a revolution,
42:39 as it was the first classic Land Rover design to be produced with a coil spring suspension,
42:45 front disc brakes, improved setting and a one-piece windscreen.
42:50 It also combined the same basic styling as the Series Land Rovers
42:55 with the latest in technological advances.
43:00 Initially, this new Land Rover was only available in a 110-inch wheelbase format,
43:05 but it wasn't long before a short wheelbase 90-inch option was introduced.
43:11 When the car was launched, it was a great success at home and abroad,
43:15 and it proved to be very competitive.
43:18 In fact, this updated 4x4 design helped to ensure that Land Rovers remained a favourite with the world's military.
43:27 By the middle of the year, 90% of Land Rover production was destined for the third world,
43:33 for use by the armed forces.
43:36 When the four-door Range Rover was launched, the company's success increased tenfold,
43:43 with no one prepared for the incredible sales it achieved in a very short space of time.
43:50 By early 1984, the car represented nearly 80% of the company's total sales.
43:57 In fact, it was so popular that hardly anyone in Britain still bought the two-door version,
44:04 and consequently it was discontinued a year later.
44:08 Even the US market took to the stylish new Range Rover,
44:12 with customers importing them before they'd officially gone on sale stateside.
44:18 [Music]
44:30 With the future appearing to be set fair, and the interest in Range Rover growing in the USA,
44:37 the company focused its attention on a full-scale launch in America.
44:43 The cars that were exported to the States were the most luxurious models that had ever been produced in the Solihull factory,
44:51 fitted with an all-leather interior, air conditioning, cruise control and automatic transmission.
44:59 With an asking price of a whopping $60,000,
45:03 the Range Rover was nearly treble that of the home-grown Ford Explorers and Jeep Cherokees,
45:10 but money proved to be no object.
45:13 This luxurious, classic 4x4 became an American status symbol as quickly as it had become a British one,
45:22 as celebrities flocked to buy them.
45:25 In fact, the American elite helped the car sales climb to unprecedented heights,
45:31 and once again, Rover struggled to meet demand.
45:35 [Music]
45:43 Meanwhile, back at Company HQ in Solihull,
45:46 the directors were so pleased with the Range Rover's success over the past two decades,
45:52 that they decided to expand the Land Rover range by creating a Junior Range Rover.
46:00 In 1989, a brand new Land Rover was launched called the Discovery,
46:06 combining all the stylish lessons learned from the Range Rover with the practicality of the classic Land Rover.
46:13 Just like its Japanese rivals, the new car came with a rear-mounted spare wheel,
46:19 and a large side-opening rear door, as well as many other features that were pure Land Rover.
46:26 When it was launched, it was only available in a two-door format,
46:30 so that it wouldn't encroach on sales off the Range Rover,
46:33 and customers were given a choice of engine.
46:37 They could either have the 3.5-litre V8,
46:40 or a brand new, award-winning TDI direct-injection turbo diesel,
46:46 that was developed almost entirely in-house.
46:49 [Music]
46:58 This car proved to be the ultimate leisure 4x4 vehicle,
47:02 as not only was it luxurious and modern,
47:05 but also had the off-road capabilities of a Range Rover.
47:09 Consequently, within barely a year,
47:12 the Discovery's sales exceeded all of the Rover Group's expectations.
47:17 So much so, that in 1990, the four-door version was announced,
47:22 further helping the car to become known as the world's best family 4x4.
47:28 As the company struggled to keep up with the demand for their new car,
47:34 they wisely remembered the rest of the Land Rover range.
47:38 In fact, the Land Rover 90, 110 and 127 variants,
47:43 were given the infamous 2.5-litre TDI engine,
47:47 and at the same time, these workhorse cars became known as 'Defenders',
47:52 in recognition of their incredible popularity with the military.
47:57 By the end of 1992 in America,
48:01 the success of the Range Rover led to the export of the all-purpose Defender range.
48:07 As a result, 500 US specification Defender 110s were built,
48:13 costing a staggering $38,000, but again they sold out immediately.
48:19 Sensing an overwhelming demand for Land Rover products,
48:24 dedicated Land Rover centres appeared right across America,
48:28 with each one specialising in the full range.
48:32 With US-spec Defender 90s now permanently on the market,
48:36 in 1994 the car was named winner of the 'Best of What's New' award
48:42 in the American magazine 'Popular Science'.
48:46 When BMW took over the Rover Group in 1994,
48:55 the Land Rovers and Range Rovers were the high flyers of the company,
48:59 and the new management was immediately forced to increase production
49:04 to keep up with demand.
49:06 Yet despite the fact that BMW were already swamped with orders,
49:11 they nevertheless decided it was a good time to release a new generation of Range Rover.
49:18 The proposed design retained many of the classic styling points of the original,
49:24 but also featured a variety of electronic gadgets,
49:27 a new engine, plus a classic leather and walnut trim interior.
49:33 Despite being pitched against the likes of Mercedes and Jaguar,
49:37 the modernised Range Rover sold well,
49:40 but because of its move upmarket, the majority of the people who bought it
49:45 chose not to drive it off-road, despite its legendary capabilities.
49:50 As a result, unlike its predecessor, the second generation Range Rover
49:55 became known as an on-road car with off-road option.
50:01 As was to be expected, the launch of this new Range Rover
50:05 meant that sales of the original started to tumble,
50:09 and in 1995 they declined to such a degree that BMW decided to stop production.
50:16 It was indeed the end of an era, because during its lifetime,
50:21 no other 4x4 had such worldwide appeal,
50:25 and thanks to its amazing design, over 70% of these all-time classics
50:31 are still in use around the world today.
50:34 Meanwhile, the Discovery models were starting to look old compared to the competition.
50:41 To deal with this problem, BMW decided to create a new, smaller Land Rover model,
50:47 hoping that this too would be a success in the ever-growing leisure market,
50:52 named the Freelander.
50:55 When it went on sale, the Freelander proved to be a brilliant leisure sports utility vehicle,
51:02 and just like the rest of the Land Rover Range, it was an instant hit,
51:06 but more than ever with Britain's younger car drivers.
51:10 In fact, it was so popular that on Land Rover's 50th birthday in 1998,
51:17 the new small 4x4 joined the rest of the Land Rover Range,
51:22 the Defender, the Discovery, and the Range Rover in the company's Hall of Fame.
51:28 From a post-war stopgap to a motoring legend,
51:34 the Land Rover and Range Rover brands weathered every storm the 20th century could throw at them,
51:41 and emerged triumphant to power into the new millennium and beyond.
51:47 Land Rover had been born out of necessity,
51:51 and its success was a result of constantly moving with the times,
51:56 keeping pace with customer demand.
51:59 It has, of course, also had its fair share of lucky breaks,
52:03 none more so than in 2001, just after Ford had acquired Land Rover from BMW.
52:11 The writing appeared to be on the wall for the Defender, which was looking rather dated,
52:17 but when the heroine of Tomb Raider drove a new V8 version in a major Hollywood movie
52:24 that was seen by millions, sales rocketed.
52:37 With such a commitment still to designing and producing vehicles that the general public finds so desirable,
52:44 whether farmers, service personnel, or busy families at leisure or about town,
52:50 there's a Land Rover product to suit every need, although not necessarily every pocket.
52:57 Quality has always come at a price, and as this programme has shown on numerous occasions,
53:03 in the luxury Range Rover market, prestige is the most important consideration.
53:09 Equally, the reliability and durability of the Land Rovers will always prove to be a worthy investment.
53:26 Sadly, our time enjoying the delights of these classic vehicles is rapidly drawing to a close,
53:33 but we do just have a few moments to take a last look at the Land Rovers and Range Rovers
53:40 that have gone down in the history of the British car industry as all-time greats.
53:46 The nostalgia of seeing the Land Rover Series 1 will thrill every enthusiast.
53:53 And the Series 2s.
53:56 2As.
53:58 And Series 3s that followed in this pioneering vehicle's footsteps will always be a pleasure to watch.
54:07 However, if luxury is more in keeping with personal taste,
54:12 who could fail to take pleasure from being reminded of the early Range Rovers
54:17 and that ultimate style machine, the Vogue Special Edition.
54:23 These treasures from the past will always receive a warm reception,
54:28 but the success of the Land Rover brand has always been built on looking to the future.
54:35 Therefore, seeing the Discoveries, Defenders and even more contemporary Freelanders
54:43 offers great promise for the future from these multi-function vehicles
54:48 that will always be much, much more than a mere mode of transportation
54:54 wherever in the world you happen to want to go.
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