It’s highly unlikely that you haven’t heard about Land Rover before, no matter how interested in cars you might be. Not only are Land Rover models popular today, but they’ve been popular for decades by targeting a specific type of customer. Land Rover is a popular British automotive brand that focuses solely on SUV models.
Land Rovers are known for their offroad capabilities, but also the luxury they offer. It’s a specific brand people don’t know much about, which is why you’ll find everything you want to know about Land Rover, including who makes them, and where they are built.
If you’re interested in learning more about Land Rover, we encourage you to keep on reading.
Land Rover History
The Land Rover name is present in the automotive industry since 1948, but it was just a car model from the Rover Company. For 30 years, Rover has been offering Land Rover models only in military green color.
It was 1970 when the legendary Range Rover was introduced to the market.
The Land Rover brand officially became a company in 1978, even though it had more than 30 years of history by this moment.
In 1994, Land Rover including its parent company the Rover Group was acquired by BMW. While the brand was under BMW, the second-generation Range Rover, Freelander, and Mark II Discovery were introduced. In the year 2000, BMW sold Land Rover to Ford. Just two years later, the third generation of the Range Rover was introduced. By 2005, the Range Rover Sport was introduced.
In March of 2008, Ford sold Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors. The purchase was finalized in June of 2008, and Land Rover has been a part of Tata Motors since then.
Land Rover’s Current Models
The Land Rover brand has been a symbol of luxury and offroad performance in the automotive industry for more than 70 years, and in that time, it has released a couple of iconic models that are considered legendary even today.
Its current catalog of vehicles is divided into three model families – the Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender. The Range Rover models include the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, and Range Rover Evoque. The Discovery models include the Discovery, and Discovery Sport. The Defender has a single model option.
Land Rover in Motorsport
Although the current range of Land Rover models doesn’t remotely suggest racing and extreme offroading, the brand was very successful in some of the harshest races you can imagine. One of the most notable accomplishments was the complete domination of the Camel Trophy.
The first Camel Trophy was held in 1980 and Jeeps were used, however, the very next year, Land Rover was used and continued being used for the next 20 years. The models that were used included Range Rover, Land Rover Series III, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery, Freelander, Land Rover 90, and Land Rover 110. All of these vehicles were modified with special equipment that made them capable of tackling the most extreme terrain of the Australian Outback, Siberia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and many more.
Another accomplishment that confirmed Land Rover’s durability is the victory in the first ever Paris-Dakar Rally in 1979 with their Range Rover. Land Rover competed in this rally in the following years, but only with a few more podium finishes.
Where Are Land Rovers Made?
Although Land Rover is one of the most popular British brands, it’s not British-owned any more. Now, Land Rovers are made across six manufacturing facilities located in the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Brazil, China, and India.
The United Kingdom manufacturing facilities are in charge of manufacturing the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport and Evoque. The Discovery and Defender models are built in the Slovakia manufacturing facility, while the Discovery Sport and Evoque are made in Brazil. India’s manufacturing facility is in charge for the manufacturing of the Discovery Sport, and Range Rover Evoque.
Reliability Issues
Although Land Rovers are durable and are known for their luxurious craftsmanship, some of Land Rover’s models are followed by a reputation for being unreliable. The design, equipment, and features are astonishing, the materials used in the interior are impeccable, but the mechanical side of these cars has been tainted with issues for quite a while. Some of the most common reliability issues reported with Land Rover models include engine failure, premature brake wear, air suspension issues, and electrical issues.
The most reliable models from Land Rover include the Range Rover Evoque, while the least reliable includes the fourth generation Land Rover Discovery.
What Makes Land Rover So Special?
Although there are many alternatives that are more reliable and affordable than Land Rover, this brand is as popular as its ever been. The Land Rover brand is related to luxury and high-end production, and one thing is certain – it’s the most comfortable luxury SUV.
Land Rover’s main competitors in the luxury SUV segment are BMW, Audi, and as of late Bentley. All of the luxury SUV models from these manufacturers are expensive, however, Land Rover doesn’t provide the reliability other brands do.
One of the things that makes Land Rover a desirable brand is the feeling it provides. Owning a Land Rover creates a feeling of power, and being surrounded by a stylish interior will create the same feeling while you’re driving. On the other hand, it’s an SUV you can drive through mud, snow, and you can also tackle rough terrain without having to worry about getting stuck. Modern features in Land Rover models allow it to engage or disengage certain systems that will reduce body roll and increase stability and traction.
Even with known reliability issues, Land Rover has a pretty good resale value which is another thing many people consider when buying a car.
Conclusion
Land Rover is a British brand, currently owned by an Indian company Tata. It started as a British company and was owned by BMW and Ford before being acquired by Tata. Today, it offers top-of-the-line SUV luxury vehicles with amazing capabilities. It’s made in 6 manufacturing facilities spread across 5 countries.