What was the first Land Rover called?

At its launch in 1948 it was simply the Land Rover. The name Series I came later, once the Series II of 1958 had followed it.

Which Land Rover has sold the most?

The Discovery, according to JLR. More than 2 million have been sold since its launch in 1989, which JLR says makes it the best seller in the company’s history.

When did the original Defender end?

The last original-design Defender came off the Solihull line in 2016. The new Defender, a completely different design, was revealed in 2019.

Is the Freelander still made?

No. The last model years of the Freelander 2 were in 2014, and its place in the range passed to the Discovery Sport.

Otto Explains — Legendary Cars

The Legendary Cars That Defined Land Rover

Short Answer

Six cars changed what Land Rover is. The original Land Rover of 1948 created the company; the Range Rover of 1970 added luxury and grew into a brand of its own; the Discovery of 1989 became JLR’s best-selling product; the Freelander of 1997 took Land Rover into compact cars; the Range Rover Evoque turned Range Rover into a family; and the new Defender of 2019 reinvented the original after its production ended in 2016.

How did Otto choose these cars?

A car is here only for what it changed: what Land Rover makes, who it sells to, or how its range is organised. Fame alone is not enough, so celebrated cars that did not change the company’s direction are left out; they appear in Otto’s list of iconic Land Rovers instead. The six run from the launch in Amsterdam on 30 April 1948 to the new Defender of September 2019.

How did the original Land Rover create the company?

It turned a carmaker’s side project into a business of its own. Maurice Wilks sketched it in 1947 inside the Rover Company, which built it at Solihull from 1948. About 70 per cent of production in the first decade was exported, and by 1976 the 1,000,000th Land Rover had been built. What changed: Rover now had a working four-wheel-drive vehicle sold around the world, and the name Land Rover outlived the Rover cars it was born beside.

Why was the 1970 Range Rover a turning point?

It gave Land Rover a second kind of customer. Spen King’s idea was to combine the comfort of a Rover saloon with the ability of a Land Rover, and the car that went on sale on 17 June 1970 did it with a 3.5-litre aluminium V8, permanent four-wheel drive when most rivals had selectable systems, and coil springs at both ends. What changed: more than one million Range Rovers had been sold by 2017, the name grew into a family of models, and in 2023 JLR made Range Rover one of its brands.

What did the Discovery change?

It added a third model line alongside the original Land Rover and the Range Rover. Introduced in 1989 as a three-door, with a five-door from 1990, it launched with the 200Tdi diesel or a V8. The Discovery 3 of 2004 introduced Terrain Response, which sets the car up for the surface the driver selects. What changed: JLR now calls the Discovery its best-selling product ever, with more than 2 million sold since 1989, and Discovery is one of its brands.

Why did the Freelander matter?

It took Land Rover into smaller cars. Launched in 1997, it had 16 patented features including Hill Descent Control, and it was Europe’s top-selling 4WD for five years running. What changed: Land Rover had a compact model line that continued as the Freelander 2 from 2006, and Land Rover calls today’s Discovery Sport the Freelander 2’s successor.

How did the Evoque change Range Rover?

It took the Range Rover name into a new size of car. Unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and built from 2011, the Evoque is described by Range Rover as the world’s first luxury compact SUV, and it even became the first convertible Range Rover in 2015. What changed: Range Rover became a family rather than one model. The Velar of 2017 was introduced as its fourth member, and in 2026 JLR previewed the Range Rover GT as the fifth.

Why does the 2019 Defender matter?

It showed the original could be reinvented rather than retired. The last original-design Defender left Solihull in 2016; the new one, revealed in September 2019, is built on the D7x aluminium monocoque, which Land Rover says is three times stiffer than a traditional body-on-frame design, with permanent all-wheel drive. What changed: Defender became a brand of its own, built at Nitra in Slovakia, which JLR now calls its best-selling brand, and in 2026 Defender won the Dakar Rally’s new Stock class on its debut.

Common Questions

What was the first Land Rover called? At its launch in 1948 it was simply the Land Rover. The name Series I came later, once the Series II of 1958 had followed it.
Which Land Rover has sold the most? The Discovery, according to JLR. More than 2 million have been sold since its launch in 1989, which JLR says makes it the best seller in the company’s history.
When did the original Defender end? The last original-design Defender came off the Solihull line in 2016. The new Defender, a completely different design, was revealed in 2019.
Is the Freelander still made? No. The last model years of the Freelander 2 were in 2014, and its place in the range passed to the Discovery Sport.

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