1947

Maurice Wilks, Rover's chief engineer and brother of company Chairman Spencer Wilks, used an army surplus Jeep on his estate in Anglesey, North Wales.

It was this vehicle which inspired the notion of producing an adaptable workhorse for farmers.
Soon the first prototype Land Rovers were built (based on the WWII Willys Overland Jeep) including the centre-steer prototype.

The Rover car company thought it had found a short-term solution to post-war shortages: The Land Rover's body was of 'Birmabright' aluminium alloy at a time when steel was in short supply.

1948 to 1958

Series I Land Rover

The 80" SWB Land Rover, with a 1.6 engine, made it's world debut at the Amsterdam motor show 30 April 1948.

It featured full-time 4WD with a front free-wheel mechanism which could be locked by a "ring-pull" control.
The headlights were mounted behind the radiator grille.
(which made them hard to clean).
The side lights were mounted on the bulkhead.

1949: 80" Station-wagon model.
1949: Headlights "through" the radiator grille.
1950: Selectable 2WD or 4WD - the free-wheel mechanism dropped.
1951: 2.0 petrol engine. 80" station wagon discontinued.
1952: Exterior door handles, new inverted-T radiator grill, side lights on wings.
1952 May: Land Rover signs a licence deal with Minerva of Belgium.
1953: Tempo of Germany begin building 'Tempo Land Rovers' under licence.
1953: 107" model introduced; SWB lengthened to 86".
1954: Station wagon reintroduced.
1954 Autumn: 100,000th Land Rover produced.
1955: 10-seater LWB station wagon introduced.
1956: Wheelbases increased by 2" (88" and 109"), except 107" SW.
1956: Land Rover signs a licence deal with Metalurgica de Santa Ana, Spain.
1957: Optional 2.0 diesel engine. Fully-floating half shafts on LWB.

1958 to 1961

Series II Land Rover

1958: (April) Series II introduced with 2.25 petrol engine.
Some early machines had the old 2 litre petrol engine fitted.
1958: Austin launch their Series I looking Austin Gypsy.
1959: 109" 10 seater station wagon introduced.
1959: November, 250,000th Land Rover produced.
1961: 2.25 diesel introduced.

1961 to 1970

Series IIA Land Rover introduced, with 2.25 petrol or 2.25 diesel engine.
1962: 12-seater LWB station wagon
1962: Forward Control Land Rover introduced.
1965: (approx) prototypes of the Military Lightweight.
1966: Optional 2.6 6cyl petrol engine on LWB and FC.
Improved FC (series IIb).
1966: 500,000th Land Rover produced.
1967: New dashboard, single concealed wiper motor.
1968: Headlights move to wings on export models.
1968: Military Lightweight 88" air-transportable released.
1968: Land Rover Becomes part of the leviathan British Leyland Motor Corporation (B.M.C.).
1968: Austin (also now part of B.M.C.) cease production of the Gypsy.
1969: Stronger Salisbury rear axle on 6-cylinder models.
1970: Headlights move to wings (see 1968 above).
1970: Range Rover released.

www.lr-mad.co.uk/history.html