The Auto Biography of the Land RoverPaperback, 1 March 2026

World War II proved, among other things, the value of a basic 4-wheeled drive vehicle of rugged construction. The success of the American Jeep inspired the Wilkes' brothers, Maurice & Spencer, who ran the Rover car company, and who expected a British version to be well received. Launched in 1948, customers were never in short supply for their creation, the Land Rover, although there were some unexpected owners for such a sparse and utilitarian car including King George VI and Winston Churchill. Once the British army embraced it as their vehicle of choice, the Land Rover's place in motoring's hall of fame was secured. Since those days, the company has gone on to invent the concept of the luxury 4 x 4 with the launch of the Range Rover in 1970 and has added further to the distinguished stable with the Discovery, Freelander and more recently, the Evoque and the new Defender 90 & 110.