Land Rover to mark 70th birthday with online celebration

Land Rover to celebrate its 70th birthday with special web broadcast
The Land Rover Series launched in Amsterdam 70 years ago today
Car maker to gather selection of classic models for special event to mark 70 years since ground-breaking Land Rover was launched

The original Land Rover was launched 70 years ago today (30 April), and the company is marking the event with a special celebration that will be broadcast online.

The Land Rover Series 1 was launched in 1948 at the Amsterdam motor show, having been conceived by Rover in the aftath of World War Two. With demand low for the luxury cars the firm had previously produced and the firm's factory damaged during the war, the company decided to develop a Jeep-style off-road vehicle for agricultural use. It was originally launched with a single, 1.6-litre, 50bhp petrol engine.

The machine proved to be a huge hit, with the line-up of Land Rover models rapidly expanding. In 1978, Land Rover was spun off into its own company, which is now owned by Tata Motors.

In pictures: 70 years of Land Rover

Tonight at 8pm BST, the Coventry-based car maker will launch a live online broadcast (watch it here later) from the Land Rover Classic Workshop that will feature originals such as ‘HUE’, the first prototype Land Rover, and the first two-door Range Rover, as well as current models including the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar.

Land Rover’s 70th-year celebrations began three months ago, when it revealed plans to “sympathetically renovate” one of three pre-production cars from that Amsterdam unveiling. The completely unrestored example was rediscovered last year.

Cropley: Celebrating the Land Rover Defender (from 2016)

Since that car was first shown in 1948, Land Rover has sold more than 7 million cars.

Saying goodbye to the Land Rover Defender: an Autocar special

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth said: “Land Rover was born with the launch of a single vehicle. Today, our family of SUVs is testament to the pioneering spirit of innovation that has characterised Land Rover for seven decades.

“Our family of Defender, Discovery and Range Rover models provides unrivalled capability, versatility and luxury, giving us the perfect foundation for another 70 years of success.”

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