The Range Rover is a descendant of the original Rover company, which was founded in 1878. Rover evolved from manufacturing motorcycles to making popular saloon cars, and along the way developed a 4×4 offshoot: Land Rover. The first Land Rover was launched in 1948, and the Land Rover name was originally intended to relate to just this model.
This vehicle, an incredibly practical, hardy vehicle that rivalled its competitor the Jeep, proved very popular with both military and civilian customers. Rover soon looked into expanding their 4×4 range under the Land Rover banner, but it wasn’t until 1970 that the first Range Rover was launched to the public.
This first generation Range Rover, now known as the Range Rover Classic, was not a luxury vehicle, but rather a sturdy 4×4 on a box section ladder chassis with coiled springs. It initially came with a 135bhp V8, but the engine power was gradually increased during the life of the Classic (up to 1996), and other improvements such as a four-door version were also introduced.
The second generation was built under the influence of the new owners BMW and was the first diesel injection with electronic controls in a Land Rover. Not only did it feature sat nav for the first time, but the car had a significant upgrade in terms of equipment and luxury features – designed to put it above the Land Rover discovery and beat other high-end 4x4s in the market.
The third generation was released in 2002, and marked a significant move towards the luxury market. The rugged look of the previous Range Rovers was replaced with a sleeker design that featured a longer back end and a more luxurious finish. Interior features were also upgraded, and the manual transmission was dropped entirely.
Range Rover also branched out into the Range Rover Sport (2004) and the Range Rover Evoque (2011), before launching the fourth and current generation in 2012. This generation of Range Rovers, which continues to go from strength to strength, is the most powerful, luxurious and prestigious range yet. Range Rovers are loved by everyone from royalty to premiership footballers, and if you hire any of our stunning models you’ll understand why. Better yet, why not opt for chauffeur-drive hire for the ultimate 4×4 luxury experience?
