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Today the Land Rover costs £12,000 to £17,000 in two versions, each with s choice of 2.5 and 3 5 litre petrol power or an outstanding 2.5 direct injection turbocharged diesel engine, for which the company has just won a Queen's Award.
Land Rover is a profit making part of Rover Cars and in June the 1.5 millionth model will roll of the production lines, clearly a descendant of the 1948 vehicle.
It is easily the longest four-wheel drive production run. The original Land Rover was updated into a Mk II in 1958, and the 25O,OOOth was built the following year.
The series III came out in 1971 and the current 110 and 90 models appeared in 1983. in 1990 the Land Rover was renamed Defender to distinguish it from the company name.
Its latest achievement is to have been chosen by the US. Army; which bought 45 for parachuting behind enemy lines as instant assault vehicles.
“It's almost like full circle,” said a Land Rover executive yesterday. “The Land Rover was built to replace a U.S. Army Jeep and now the U.S. Army is using Land Rovers.” |
