Range Rover settles into middle age, hits the big 4-0!

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Range Rover turns 40 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Since the mid-90s, the the luxury SUV segment has become an increasingly crowded field with almost every brand trying to get a piece of the pie (and in many cases several slices of various sizes). Way back in 1970, though, there was only one. Forty years ago this month the very first Range Rover rolled out of a UK factory and its continued rolling ever since.

Unlike the Jeeps, International Scouts and Land Cruisers of the day, the Range Rover managed to combine the luxury amenities and on-the-road ride qualities of a Jaguar with the rock crawling prowess of those other brands. Range Rover built such a reputation that at one time Jaguar even considered building its own competitor. Fortunately, Land Rover came into the Ford family before that happened and now both brands have passed into Indian hands. The realities of the modern world mean that future Range Rovers will undoubtedly change, getting lighter and perhaps adopting hybrid technology. For now at least, the badge still represents the epitome of British luxury blended with jungle crawling capability.