Fast-paced and entertainingly written, this book brings alive all
aspects of Land Rover from its humble beginnings in 1948 to today’s
world-wide renown. This book dwells on everything that its expert
author, a true fan who has been passionate about Land Rovers since
childhood, finds fascinating, informative, insightful and amusing — with
the aim above all of being a damned good read. The Land Rover Story is a
roller coaster ride through the life and times of Land Rover. Fast-paced
and entertainingly written, it brings alive all aspects of Land Rover
from its humble beginnings in 1948 to today’s world-wide renown, with
the vehicles — successes and failures — and people at the centre of the
story. ·The 1940s. How the Land Rover came about; the Wilks brothers;
the Centre Steer enigma; development and production; launch and
reaction. ·The 1950s. Rapid development and evolution of the original;
successes and dead ends; worldwide reach; early expeditions; weird and
wonderful modifications; the Series II. ·The 1960s. Consolidation and
further developments; Series IIA; military models; initial development
of the Range Rover; search for a V8 engine. ·The 1970s. The Series III;
Range Rover’s popularity but lack of investment; Land Rover abandons US
market; the British Leyland story; escape from BL and Michael Edwardes,
saviour of Land Rover. ·The 1980s. British Aerospace ownership; Land
Rover grows as most of Britain’s car industry self-destructs; emergence
of the coil-sprung models; make or break time with launch of Discovery
(Europe’s best-selling 4x4). ·The 1990s. Tdi engines; Defender and its
development. BMW ownership; second-generation Range Rover P38;
Freelander; second-generation Discovery; Td5 engine. ·The 2000s. Ford
takeover, alliance with Jaguar, shift towards luxury; third-generation
Range Rover L322; the G4 Challenge; Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport, TDCi
Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 4. ·The 2010s. Tata takeover, upsurge
in sales and profits; Range Rover Evoque and Victoria Beckham; Range
Rover 4; Range Rover Sport 2; Discovery Sport; Discovery 5; Range Rover
Velar; DC100 concept; end of Defender production; rise of Defender as a
fashion icon; and much more. This highly readable book is fascinating,
informative, insightful and amusing — and as such stands apart from all
other Land Rover books. All the important moments in Land Rover history
are covered in a fast-paced narrative that is relentlessly entertaining
and informative. Land Rover enthusiasts represent a huge fan base for
this book and they reside in English- speaking markets all over the
world.
