50 Years of Range Rover

Show Notes for Podcast Episode #23
Celebrating 50 Years of Range Rover (Interview with LR Product Manager, Simon Turner)

Summary:
For this episode, we discuss the 50 years of innovation and exploration with the Range Rover, including the Camel Trophy, crossing the Darien Gap, and the evolution within the model. Our guest Simon Turner, Land Rover North America Product Manager includes discussions around the history of the model, the current innovation, improving reliability, and the future of the brand. 



Range Rover Classic 1970-1995

P38 Range Rover 1994-2002


MKIII Range Rover 2001-2012


The Darien Gap Expedition 1970 (Overland Journal Interview with Colonel John Blashford Snell)



A Brief History:

1966 Work began on the first Range Rover prototype, known as the '100-inch station wagon'

1970 The original two-door Range Rover - known as the Classic - goes on sale

1971 Range Rover receives the RAC Dewar award for outstanding technical achievement

1972 The Range Rover is the first vehicle to cross the Darien Gap on a British Army Trans-America expedition

1974 Range Rover completes west to east Sahara desert expedition - 7,500 miles in 100 days

1977 A modified Range Rover wins the 4x4 class in the London-Sydney Marathon, a gruelling 30,000 km (18,750 miles) event and the longest ever speed-based car rally

1979 A specially modified Range Rover wins the first Paris-Dakar rally (a Range Rover wins again in 1981)

1981 First production four-door Range Rover appears along with the first factory-produced limited-edition Range Rover - the 'In Vogue'

1982 Automatic transmission becomes available on Range Rover

1983 Range Rover 5-speed manual gearbox is introduced

1985 The diesel-powered Range Rover 'Bullet' breaks 27 speed records, including a diesel record for averaging more than 100mph for 24 hours

1987 Range Rover launched in North America

1989 Range Rover is the world's first 4x4 to be fitted with ABS anti-lock brakes

1990 Limited Edition CSK - named after founder Charles Spencer King - is launched as a sportier Range Rover

1992 Range Rover Classic is the world's first 4x4 to be fitted with electronic traction control (ETC)

1992 Long-wheelbase LSE (known as County LWB in the US) launched

1992 Automatic electronic air suspension introduced, a world first for a 4x4

1994 Second-generation (P38a) Range Rover goes on sale

1996 Range Rover Classic bows out after total production of 317,615 units

1999 Limited Edition Range Rover Linley appears at London Motor Show

2001 All-New Range Rover (L322) launched

2002 Half-millionth Range Rover produced at the Solihull plant

2005 Second model line - the Range Rover Sport - launched

2006 Terrain Response and TDV8 diesel introduced

2009 Range Rover features all-new LR-V8 5.0 and 5.0 supercharged petrol engines and technology updates

2010 Range Rover celebrates its 40th anniversary

2010 All-New compact Range Rover to be revealed at Paris Motor Show

Host Bios: 
Scott Brady
Scott is the publisher and co-founder of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal and is often credited with popularizing overlanding in North America. His travels by 4WD and adventure motorcycle span all seven continents and includes three circumnavigations of the globe. His polar expeditions include two vehicle crossings of Antarctica and the first long-axis crossing of Greenland. @scott.a.brady

Matthew Scott
Matthew is a leading expert in automotive adventure. He has extensively explored the world's most remote places by 4WD and is considered an industry authority on overland travel. He is the only American to ever become an editor of a major Australian 4WD publication and has over 15 years of competitive auto racing experience. @mattexplore