The original term, Land Rover, referred to one specific vehicle, a ground-breaking civilian all-terrain utility vehicle which was designed by Maurice Wilks and launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30, 1948. The bodies were constructed of a lightweight rustproof proprietary alloy of aluminium and magnesium called Birmabright. This material was used as a result of post war steel shortages and the plentiful supply of aluminium from scrapped post-war aircraft. The alloy's resistance to corrosion allowed the Land Rover to build up a reputation for longevity in the harshest conditions. Until quite recently, all models featured sturdy box section ladder-frame chassis.

The Land Rover brand name was later used for several distinct four-wheel drive models including the replacement for the old Series 1 model, the 110 and later Defender, the world renowned Range Rover designed by Spen King in 1970, the Discovery in 1989 and the compact Freelander 4x4.

Land Rovers are mainly manufactured at the Solihull plant, near Birmingham in the West Midlands although some production takes place at Jaguar's car factory in Halewood on Merseyside. The site is a former Ford car plant that used to produce the popular Escort. Jaguar and Land Rover now work closely together and are essentially one company but two separate brands. Today's Land Rover Range is a far cry from those early utilitarian vehicles developed by Rover car company engineer, Maurice Wilks, and tested on his Welsh farm. The entire Land Rover range not only offers unrivalled off-roading ability but strong on-road performance too.

Land Rover's truly impressive range leads the field in the four-wheel driver sector of the market and the recognition of the brand throughout the world has never been higher.