The Range Rover

The Rover Company (originator of the Land Rover marque) was experimenting with a larger model than the Land Rover Series in 1951, when the Rover P4-based two-wheel-drive "Road Rover" project was developed by Gordon Bashford.[2] This was shelved in 1958, and the idea lay dormant until 1966, when engineers Charles Spencer King and Bashford set to work on a new model.[3]

In 1967, the first Range Rover prototype was built (number plate SYE 157F), with the classic Range Rover shape discernible, but with a different front grille and headlight configuration. The design of the Range Rover was finalised in 1969.

The Range Rover was launched in 1970. In the early 1970s, the Musée du Louvre in Paris exhibited a Range Rover as an "exemplary work of industrial design".[6]

In 1972, the British Trans-Americas Expedition became the first vehicle-based expedition to traverse the Americas from north-to-south, including traversing the roadless Darién Gap. The specially modified Range Rovers used for this expedition are now on display in the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust collection at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

In 2002, the third-generation model was introduced, which saw the model move further up-market

In MY06 the first exterior update was applied with a slight face-lift of front fascia, tail lamps. Some other slight differences can be found on the "Supercharged" variant.

In 2007, the previous engines were replaced with the TDV8 engine developed by Ford and Land Rover at Dagenham and Gaydon. The 3.6-litre AJD-V8 32-valve twin turbo V8 engine develops 272 hp (203 kW), far more than the 177 hp (132 kW) of the previous engine and so is better capable to deal with the weighty vehicle. The maximum speed is 124 mph, whilst 0-60 mph was reduced to 8.6 seconds for a car with a kerb weight of 2.7 tons. Torque is a substantial 472 lb/ft (640Nm) at 2,000 rpm