Everyone loves Range Rovers. They turn heads wherever they
go, even the old classic ones. Since you’re here, I want to tell you the story
of how Range Rover era has begun. The story goes back to 1970, but before that,
let’s talk a little bit about the great company behind the manufacturing of the
luxurious well-known Range Rover SUVs.
We all know that the one behind Range Rover masterpiece is
the Land Rover Company that has a great history in terms of making luxury and
military vehicles. As many car manufacturers, Land Rover has a military
history, and its vehicles were known for their rough and rugged character as
well as their great off-road capabilities. This made them wanted and desired by
many drivers and also made them a target for military use. The British Army
relied on many modified Land Rover vehicles, such as SIIA ambulance that had
the chassis of a Land Rover. Even the Queen Elizabeth, who had a good
relationship with Land Rover, preferred some Land Rover vehicles for military
use. The old Land Rover Defender, which was inspired by the US-made Willys Jeep
that was used by the Allies in the Second World War, was one of her favorites.
Back in 1970, Land Rover had finally decided to start
building luxurious SUVs, which is the beloved Range Rover. Let’s begin with the
story of this iconic 4x4 vehicle. Back then, the first ever luxury SUV made by
Land Rover was also the first ever British-made SUV, so it was a surprise to
everyone. When it comes to loving a vehicle, you look at its special features
that let it take a place in people’s hearts. What made the 1970 Range Rover so
special? Just like the Range Rovers of nowadays, the classic SUV was way ahead
of its time. This SUV started the era of vehicles that would fit the on-road as
well as the off-road use. It was a car that would fit everybody’s needs, almost
perfect. At that time, making a 4x4 vehicle that was also comfortable and
luxurious with a powerful performance was something new.
The 1970 Range Rover had an impressive design that would
make it recognizable wherever the vehicle was. It came in a style of a station
wagon with only 2 doors. It actually looked like an off-road vehicle. At the
same time, it looked unique somehow; it actually looked like a luxury car, and
it marked the beginning of luxury 4x4 cars.
It was the first luxury SUV with permanent 4x4 drivetrain. It
also had disk brakes on 4 wheels. It was also something phenomenal because the
4-wheel disk brake system was still a new system. What made the Range Rover
1970 even more special was its aluminum-body V8 petrol engine, which the
company bought from General Motors. The company wanted to do something special
that its rivals didn’t do, and it was providing a V8 diesel engine based on its
aluminum V8 petrol engine. The goal of the Range Rover was to combine the
comfort of a Range Rover with the off-road capability and strength of a Land
Rover.
In 1970, the Range Rover wasn’t the only vehicle with a 4x4
system. There were other vehicles, like the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wagoneer,
designed to please the people who love an adventurous lifestyle. However, these
kind of vehicles were rare in Europe. Land Rover decided to create a 4x4 SUV
with good capabilities, but the company didn’t expect the Range Rover to be
very comfortable, very luxurious, very spacious, and very capable of tackling
any kind of terrain, all at the same time. It was only supposed to have a
little of taste of comfort, but the company created a masterpiece. It created a
luxurious car that had a great performance, a great off-roading abilities, and
great suspensions that also provided comfort for long rides and also daily use.
The luxurious as well as high performing tough Range Rover
1970 had a 3.5L V8 that could make a power of 154hp and 278Nm of torque. The
engine was considered powerful back then, and the car could only drive on 4x4,
no 2wd. According to the factory, the first Range Rover could reach a top speed
of 154km/h. Like many American cars, (since the Range Rover had a V8 made by
General Motors), the car’s fuel efficiency wasn’t that good, and this was one
of the very few cons of the Range Rover legend. The price of a classic Range
Rover 1970 today might vary between 50 000 and 80 000 $ depending on its condition.
Hani started his career in Automotive Journalism when he was 10 years old as a talented photographer for automotive, hanging around cars all the time has created a passion for the automotive industry since day 1.
He is now a full time auto journalist and content creator for Motor 283.
In honor of INFINITI’s 35th anniversary, today we look back on the J30, sharing lesser-known details about the sleek and daring sedan. The J30 arrived with a design that literally exemplified INFINITI’s approach to thinking “outside the box”.
It was in March of 1974 when mass production of the Countach started at the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese; a model that entered into legend and remained on the market for a full 16 years. The Countach was the first Lamborghini whose bodywork was made “in-house” with panel-beating carried out by hand, and the first whose interiors were produced by the Lamborghini Upholstery Department, a real revolution which, 50 years on, has become a tradition at Sant’Agata Bolognese. On the occasion of this anniversary, Lamborghini has brought back the very first Countach LP 400 to the production line on which it was created, and where today the Lamborghini Revuelto is produced, for a past and present photo shoot. Furthermore, Lamborghini has made some exclusive images of the Countach line available from its archives.
“We are proud to still be producing our super sports car models in the place where the Countach was created,” commented Ranieri Niccoli, Lamborghini’s Chief Manufacturing Officer. “Production has radically changed since then and there was a marked transformation of many aspects starting with the production of the Countach right through to today's models. Today our production is very different from 1974, but it retains the best aspects and brings together the manual skills of our operators and the best available technologies, giving rise to the so-called Manifattura Lamborghini Next Level. The common denominator between the production of the Countach and our cars today is attention to detail.”
Naming cars is one of the most interesting aspects of automotive history, as many car names carry rich cultural, historical and geographical stories. In this series that we present to you at Motor 283, we will specifically focus on cars that were named after cities rich in history. In today’s story, we bring you the story behind naming the Dodge Monaco, that classic car that has etched its name into the memory of car lovers, after the Principality of Monaco.
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