Heritage

Land Rover has been the exclusive producer of unique four-wheel-drive vehicles since 1948. At the end of World War II, the company's engineers set out to develop a rugged 4x4 vehicle for on-road as well as agricultural and industrial applications. In the summer of 1948, the original Land Rover was born. With its massive steel frame and extremely capable drivetrain, the Land Rover was an immediate success. Its lightweight body panels were constructed of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, lowering the vehicle's center of gravity, thereby improving its stability off-road.

Range Rover

Incrementally improved year after year, the original Land Rover concept (whose direct descendant is the 1997 Defender 90) was joined by the sophisticated Range Rover in 1970. This trendsetting vehicle was the first (and arguably is still the only) vehicle to combine the elegance of a luxury sedan, the spirit of a European sports sedan and the rugged capability of a 4x4.

In 1995, the all-new Range Rover 4.0 SE was introduced to North America. Created on a foundation of legendary attributes, the Range Rover 4.0 SE put even more distance between itself and rivals that failed to match its award-winning predecessor's unique appeal. Joined last year by the performance-oriented 4.6 HSE, the 1997 Range Rover line continues to offer authenticity and integrity that is so rare in the automotive industry. No other vehicle has the heritage of a Land Rover.

he introduction of the first Range Rover, 26 years ago, opened to the world a new way of travel. By combining the often contradictory requirements of off-road prowess and on-road luxury, the Range Rover established a legend of near mythical proportions -- a legend built on the combination of permanent four-wheel drive, V-8 engine power and a sophisticated all-terrain suspension system. From the frigid tundra of the Canadian Arctic to the blistering heat of the Sahara and the sweltering equatorial jungles of South America, no challenge has ever been too great for this exclusive vehicle that uniquely blends style, strength, quality and reliability.