When Was Land Rover Founded?

The first Land Rover made its debut in 1948, but the Rover Company that created the Land Rover model series has much older origins–it was founded in 1885 in Warwickshire, England and began as a bicycle manufacturer. Explore Land Rover history at Land Rover West Chester, and contact your local authorized Land Rover retailer near Philadelphia to learn more.

Land Rover Model Series Origins

In 1947, the design for the original Land Rover drafted by engineer and Rover Company Chairman Maurice Wilks, while Wilks was staying on the family farm in Wales with his brother Spencer. Some interesting trivia about the creation of the first Land Rover:

• The prototype Land Rover was built on a Jeep axle and chassis.
• Early Land Rover colors were limited to military surplus auto paint in army green after World War II.
• The first Land Rover publicly debuted at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30, 1948.

Land Rover Company Timeline

Follow the Land Rover history timeline to see how the Land Rover model series became the brand name we know today, then learn more about its military history at Land Rover West Chester near Exton

• 1967: Rover Company becomes Rover Triumph, as part of Leyland Motors (later British Leyland Motors).
• 1970: The Range Rover model is introduced.
• 1976: The one millionth Land Rover is produced.
• 1978: Land Rover Limited becomes its own company under British Leyland Motors, 30 years after the creation of the first Land Rover model.
• 1987: The Range Rover is first released in the United States.
• 1989: the Land Rover Discovery is introduced.
• 1994: The Rover Group is acquired by BMW.
• 2000: The Rover Group is broken up by BMW and Land Rover is sold to Ford
• 2005: The Range Rover Sport comes on to the scene.
• 2007: The four millionth Land Rover is produced.
• 2008: Tata Motors, based in Mumbai, India, purchases Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford and creates a new Jaguar Land Rover subsidiary.
• 2011: The Range Rover Evoque is first released.
• 2017: The Range Rover Velar is introduced in London.
• 2018: Land Rover announces the project Cortex which aims to “create self-propelled cars-robots that are able to independently navigate off-road in all weather conditions.”
• 2019: The return of the Land Rover Defender is announced for 2020.

Explore the Land Rover Brand at Land Rover West Chester

If you want to learn more about what the Land Rover brand brings to the modern driver, explore innovations like InControl® technology, Hill Descent Control®, and Adaptive Dynamics. To find a new Land Rover model for sale near Chester Springs browse our inventory at Land Rover West Chester today!