Considered by many to be the only "real" Land Rover, the first version launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show had two basic characteristics: 4WD ability and panels made from plentiful-in-supply aluminium because the material was surplus to aircraft needs while steel was in short supply.
Since the prototype was a replacement for its inventor's second World War Jeep, the original of the species was very basic and aimed at agricultural use, and buyers of the production version had to pay extras for a roof, which could be canvas or metal.
The original vehicle's engine was a 1.6 litre petrol unit and that saw the Land Rover Series I through into 1951, when a 2 litre engine was provided.
A year before that, what was a major cosmetic change by Land Rover standards was also made, the moving of the headlamps from behind the grille to in front of it.
Things got a lot more interesting in 1954, when the 80-inch wheelbase of the original Land Rover was increased by six inches, and a pickup with an even longer wheelbase of 107 inches was offered. Two years later the standard Land Rover had two more inches added to the wheelbase, as did the pickup, and a 10-seater wagon version with four doors was built on the 107-inch chassis.
The model was then left without change until 1957 when the first diesel engines coincided with the Series II, of 2 and 2.25 litres capacity, the former used only in the SWB version at first. When the larger engine became the standard in 1961, the Series IIA was born. Visually it wasn't much different to its predecessor, but is today considered the quintessential Land Rover.
A variant of the basic Land Rover was introduced in 1962, called the FC (for 'forward control') which had the cabin placed more forward over the engine to give more room for cargo. Four years later came the Series IIC, with the option of the 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine.
That engine in 1967 became available in the LWB versions of the standard Land Rover, and the top-range model at that time became a 5-door Station Wagon built on the same underpinnings. The parent Rover company was already looking at more powerful engines, and the Buick aluminium 3.5-litre V8 that was later to be used in the ground-breaking Range Rover was actually tested in the Series IIA.
In 1969 there was another cosmetic shift, again just the headlamps, which were moved to the wings, and in 1971 the Series III arrived, with a plastic grille. Five years on the millionth Land Rover rolled off the production line.
A special military line of Land Rovers produced in the mid-1970s came from a development of the FC range, the 101FC, and included variants used for reconnaissance, field ambulances, radio cars and gun tractors. It was powered by the ex-Buick V8 petrol engine.
In 1979, the V8 replaced the top-range 2.6 litre petrol in the civilian vehicles, in a detuned form from the one used in the Range Rover. A number of changes were made to the other petrol and diesel engines and to the running gear, to increase reliability. The Land Rover was also getting more comfortable with options in better seats, soundproofing and even tinted glass. These were the extra items that made up the County Station Wagon in 1982.
In the early 1990s, Land Rover adopted the Defender name for the 110. In addition to some shape changes, the latest vehicle had coil springs all round, new engines based on those used in the Discovery that had been launched a few years earlier. In 1998, the 2.5 litre 5-cylinder TD5 turbodiesel became the only available engine.
In a piece of film trivia, a number of 101s were converted to futuristic Land Rovers for the 1995 movie Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone. In the film, Land Rover was the only remaining automotive manufacturer.
- BRIAN BYRNE