The Land Rover was a post-war marvel, a vehicle that helped change the
face of motoring on and off-road around the world. From its humble
beginnings as a temporary stopgap intended to get the Rover Company up
and running again, created in a workshop at Solihull, it soon endeared
itself to those who needed to travel off the beaten track anywhere in
the world. Its success can be gauged by the fact that, in only six
years, more than 100,000 were made.
The vehicle evolved quickly in its first ten years from 1948-58 - to the
extent that the Land Rovers known as Series Ones include five wheelbases
and three engines - and it became a permanent part of the Rover
Company's range. Owners and drivers soon included royalty, farmers,
explorers and soldiers, and the Land Rover became a ubiquitous part of
the British landscape, especially in rural areas.
Inevitably, the Land Rovers that started the legend became cherished and
sought-after classics, to the extent that the Land Rover Series One Club
is now the largest Land Rover club in the world. Series Ones are owned
by people as diverse as the tasks Land Rovers are expected to perform,
and this book reflects that. Photographed in recent years, it offers a
portrait of these cherished vehicles, their owners and the events they
attend.
