Rover Land Rover

Often the best-laid  strategies  of men and women go awry, but sometimes plans that were conceived as no more than stop-gap measures do work far better than their planners expect.  This was the case with the Land Rover.

In 1946, Britain  was still feeling the devastating effects of World War II. Its  businesses were in shambles; its supplies of raw materials drained; and its forward progress at a standstill. To survive and flourish, Britain’s car companies were forced to make do with what little they had available. In that spirit, Maurice Wilks, Rover Managing Director,  looked at the U.S. Army surplus Jeep he had just acquired and said to himself, “We need to build something similar to this, only better.” He envisioned a growing market for such a vehicle, both in Britain and in export markets around the globe.

Two brothers work in partnership

It was comparatively easy for him to get his request to the Rover engineering department since the chief designer was his younger brother, Spencer. The objective was to build an interim vehicle that would help the company get through the first, very tough post-war years. Over the following eighteen months or so, the younger Wilks designed and produced several working prototypes of a rugged, go-anywhere 4-wheel-drive vehicle, the first of them on a Jeep chassis.

Two major design parameters were simplicity and strength. The former was apparent, the second not just an objective but a necessity. The war had taken a huge toll on Britain’s stock of machine tools and investment capital was rare, so Rover engineers were forced to use relatively rudimentary production techniques. Instead of creating special dies to shape body panels and fenders, for example, they designed pieces that could be fashioned by simple bending. For that same reason, sheet aluminum was preferred as the body panel material.

Similar techniques were used on the frame construction. Since Rover just  lacked the resources to stamp large, U-shaped frame rails, the designers decided to fabricate even larger “box” frame side members from sheet steel. The result was a ladder-style frame with impressive rigidity and strength.

Efficient and simple were design needs

For the drivetrain, Wilks’ crew had little choice but to use the gearbox, engine,  and rear axle from an existing Rover model. He chose components from the P3, including its 1.6-liter four cylinder that delivered about 40 horsepower. To drive all four wheels, Wilks’ team utilized  the expedient of installing a front axle much like the rear with included differential. Both axles were balanced by semi-elliptical leaf springs and damped by tubular shock absorbers.

A transfer case shifted the vehicle from low range to high, but the earliest Land Rovers were full-time four-wheel-drive vehicles. For particularly dangerous terrain, the front differential/free-wheeling mechanism could be locked from the cockpit via a pull-ring.

If the original Land Rover’s drive system was inelegant, it  surely  proved to be rugged. With an exceptionally sturdy cowl structure and stiff chassis, it was a vehicle that could–and did–take on almost anything.

Launch of Land Rover applauded

When it was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30, 1948, the Land Rover proved to be a solid success. It seemed well-suited to the intense demands of war-torn Europe, and it rapidly became a favorite vehicle in the widespread European colonies in Asia and Africa.

Interestingly, from the beginning,  its rudimentary, slab-sided styling was not questioned by potential buyers, because it looked well-suited to its intended use. Further, its aluminum body panels, installed by necessity, proved to be a key positive for the vehicle. The panels didn’t rust, and their light weight over the heavy steel chassis kept the center of gravity low, an advantage to handling. The 80-inch wheelbase  helped maneuverability, but it did come at the expense of a choppy on-road ride.

Uncomfortable Rover was outcome of priorities

Of course, ride comfort was well down the list of priorities. What the Wilkses wanted and what they delivered was basic, go-anywhere utility. Because of this,  the original production Land Rovers were basic in the extreme. The only top was canvas; there were no external door handles at all; and the seatbacks  appeared like lightly padded shovels. As if that weren’t  simple enough, both turn indicators and the passenger-side windshield wiper were optional.  Until 1950, a heater didn’t even make the option list.

Externally,  the only bow to “style” was the  radiator grille covering the headlights and the slightly raised hood. This fillip was meant to safeguard  them from brush and debris, but, in practice, it made them very difficult to clean.   Additional lights, though,  were located on the bulkhead.

Where the Land Rover did earn points was in utility. For example, the vehicle offered rear and center  power-takeoffs that could provide power to a wide variety of ancillary equipment, from generators to crop sprayers. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a Land Rover in the middle of a half-furrowed field, pulling a plow just like a tractor. Up front, an elective capstan winch was driven from the crankshaft pulley. If the driver found himself in a predicament that even four-wheel-drive couldn’t save him from, the winch and a friendly neighborhood tree could often do the trick.

Land Rover sales perfect

From the start, sales of the Land Rover exceeded the Wilkses wildest expectations. In the first full year of  operation, about 8,000 of the homely 4×4’s were sold, outdoing the Rover sales projection by 3,000 vehicles. Sales doubled to 16,000 the following year.

Soon it became obvious that, though designed as a stop-gap, the Land Rover could have a long and profitable run. Quickly, improvements were made: a station wagon model, a bigger (2-liter) engine, more accessible headlights, selectable two- or four-wheel drive.

By 1953,  Rover had modified  the grille, added exterior door handles and introduced a 107-inch (long) wheelbase model. Through the mid-Fifties, gradual enhancements were added, while the Land Rover became the stereotypical choice of “Great White Hunters” the world over. In November 1949, a little over a decade after its introduction, the 250,000th Land Rover was built.

Long series run morphed into BMW

That model was a Series II, which had been launched in 1958.  Later, 1n 1971, a Series III would come to market, soon after the debut of its upscale brother, the Range Rover. By that period, the Land Rover had out-lived its original maker. (In 1967, Rover became a part of British Leyland,  though the Rover name was revived two decades later. To this date, Britain’s Rover Group is owned by BMW.)

Despite the sometimes chaotic changes of fortunes its parent companies have endured, the Land Rover remained a steadfast performer, both in the field and in the salesroom. As a vehicle that went where no others could, it was undoubtedly the most crucial vehicle most Third World countries ever knew.

—© Studio One Networks—

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