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N0KFQ > TODAY 30.04.11 22:38l 47 Lines 2205 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Apr 30
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Sent: 110430/2133Z 7187@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.0.4
Apr 30, 1948:
Original Land Rover debuts at auto show
The Land Rover, a British-made all-terrain vehicle that will earn
a reputation for its use in exotic locales, debuts at an auto
show in Amsterdam on April 30, 1948.
The first Land Rover, known as the Series 1, was the brainchild
of Maurice Wilks, the head designer for the British car company
Rover, of which his brother Spencer Wilks was the managing
director. Maurice Wilks used an old American-made Willys-Overland
Jeep to do work at his farm in England. However, the Jeep was
plagued by mechanical problems and Wilks decided to design a more
reliable vehicle. He intended it to be used for farm work and be
more versatile than a tractor. The resulting Land Rover, known as
the Series 1, had a boxy, utilitarian design, four-wheel drive
and a canvas roof. Such features as passenger seat cushions,
doors, a heater and spare tires were initially considered extras
and cost more. The rugged Land Rover was well-received by the
public and ended up being used not just for agricultural work,
but by police forces, military organizations, aid workers in
remote places and travelers on expeditions where road conditions
were poor or non-existent. In 1976, the 1 millionth Land Rover
rolled off the assembly line in Solihull, Birmingham, England.
In 1970, the Range Rover, a more comfortable, luxurious version
of the Land Rover, launched. The Discovery, a less expensive
version of the Range Rover made its public debut in 1989; it was
marketed to a younger, less conservative audience than Range
Rover buyers. By that time, the company had experienced ownership
changes: In 1967, Rover became part of Leyland Motors (later
called British Leyland). British Aerospace later acquired Land
Rover. In 1994, BMW acquired the Land Rover business. Next, in
2000, the Ford Motor Company purchased Land Rover for $2.7
billion. In 2008, Ford, which was experiencing a sales slump due
to the worldwide economic crisis, sold Land Rover, along with
another British-based brand, Jaguar, to Tata Motors of India for
some $2.3 billion.
73, K.O. N0KFQ
Another old retired guy
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
N0KFQ@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
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