letters to the editor

Land Rover
Corporate Info
LAND ROVER: CELEBRATING 60 YEARS AND GOING STRONG
Gaydon, 30 April 2008 – 60 years ago today, a motoring icon made
its public debut, when the original Land Rover was shown at a motor
show in Amsterdam, on April 30, 1948. The current Defender is
clearly descended from that first vehicle, now known as a Series I.
Extraordinarily, they even share a couple of original parts, an oil filler
plug and a cleat for tying down the canvas roof. But the rest of the
vehicle technology has moved on considerably.
Today, Land Rover goes from strength-to-strength, with a
five-model line-up headed by the Range Rover, and record global
sales of over 226,000 vehicles in 2007.
The company recently received an early birthday present, in the
form of two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. The first, for
'International Trade', was given in recognition of export sales of
nearly £4 billion per annum to 147 countries, with markets such as
China and Russia driving major growth. The second, for 'Innovation',
was awarded for Land Rover's acclaimed Terrain Response system. At
the twist of a knob, this sets up the vehicle's engine response and
traction systems to maximise performance on all terrains - the
electronic equivalent of having an expert instructor alongside the
driver.
Around the world, Land Rover will be celebrating its 60th
anniversary year throughout the summer with a series of special
activities and events.
Success Story
Land Rover is an outstanding British engineering and
manufacturing success story. Its manufacturing plants at Solihull
(near Birmingham) and Halewood (near Liverpool) and its R&D
facilities in the English Midlands, employ a workforce of 8,500 - and
the company helps support an estimated further 40,000 jobs through
automotive suppliers.
Since the first Series I model rolled off the production line at
Solihull, the vehicles created by Land Rover have defined the 4x4
market. In 1970, the company introduced what's been called the
most significant 4x4 vehicle ever, the Range Rover – the first 4x4 to
be equally capable on-road as off-road. Now, alongside the Range
Rover and Defender, sit the Discovery 3 (LR3 in some markets),
Freelander 2 (LR2) and Range Rover Sport.
Land Rover's spirit of adventure has been evident from the
earliest days. Adventurers, farmers, scientists, naturalists, and
outdoor sport enthusiasts have all used Land Rovers' capability to
access some of the world's most inhospitable regions. For 60 years,
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