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LAND ROVER PRODUCTION MILESTONE

6M-LR-Solihull

  • Land Rover celebrates production milestone
  • Six millionth production Land Rover is luxurious Range Rover LWB Vogue SE
  • Landmark vehicle fitted with unique, celebratory puddle lamp graphic
  • One-off vehicle showcased on Land Rover stand at Shanghai Auto Show
  • 2015 marks 67 years of Land Rover’s innovation in design and technology, and the 45th anniversary of Range Rover production

Whitley, UK, 20 April 2015 – Land Rover is celebrating the production of its landmark 6,000,000th vehicle by giving it a unique design feature.

The completion of a Yulong White Range Rover LWB Vogue SE on 2 April saw Land Rover hit the manufacturing milestone and the 6,000,000th vehicle has been fitted with a bespoke puddle lamp graphic to signify its unique status.

The luxury SUV takes centre stage at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show showcasing its one-off motif, which replaces the standard Range Rover silhouette projected by the vehicle’s puddle lamps. The image is created by an inscribed lens within the door mirror-mounted downlight and displaying the Land Rover logo and landmark figure.

The illuminated graphic, which is the width of a grain of rice, is projected through a magnifying lens onto the ground every time the vehicle is unlocked in an image which is 80cm in diameter. This same graphic was projected on to the wall of the Solihull manufacturing facility to mark the moment when the 6,000,000thvehicle rolled off the production line.

Andy Goss, Director, Group Sales Operations, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “For 67 years Land Rover has been building the world’s most capable all-purpose vehicles.  Over this period, a range of ground-breaking innovations and technologies have blended great design, refinement and unmatched all-terrain capability.

“It’s fitting that the 6,000,000th Land Rover to be produced is a Range Rover, since this year marks the 45thanniversary of the original Range Rover’s launch and even today, the vehicle remains peerless. With the growth of sales in China since the latest version of the Range Rover was introduced in 2012, it is entirely appropriate that this landmark vehicle is destined for a Chinese customer.”

The 6,000,000th Land Rover debuts on the Land Rover stand at the Shanghai Auto Show, and will subsequently feature in a number of celebration events being staged in China to mark Range Rover’s 45thanniversary.  Ultimately this special Range Rover will be sold in the region and its specially commissioned puddle lamps will serve as a permanent reminder of the significance of this unique model in Land Rover’s history.

6,000,000th Land Rover lights up Solihull
6,000,000th Land Rover lights up Solihull

Range Rover sits at the pinnacle of the Land Rover brand. The latest model was introduced in 2012 and matches class-leading axle articulation of 597mm, wading capability of 900mm and the ability to tow up to 3,500kg, with a range of state of-the-art petrol, diesel and Hybrid powertrains that successfully harness advanced technologies to deliver exceptional refinement, performance and efficiency.

In addition, the luxury SUV combines sophisticated exterior design and exquisite interior detailing with the exceptional luxury, comfort and fine attention to detail that are established Range Rover hallmarks.

The 6,000,000th vehicle was built at Land Rover’s Solihull facility, where the company has been producing its world-famous SUVs since 1948. The factory has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, almost trebling production and doubling its workforce. Today Solihull is a global centre of excellence for aluminium and lightweight vehicle manufacturing.  It boasts Europe’s largest aluminum body shop, producing the biggest single aluminium pressing of any vehicle for the Range Rover – weighing only 7kg.

Of the 6,000,000 Land Rovers produced, more than 900,000 are Range Rover vehicles and the iconic luxury SUV is the first car to have been displayed at the world-famous Louvre museum in Paris, where it was cited as an ‘exemplary work of industrial design’.

The original Land Rover Series I was unveiled at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30 April 1948, so this month marks the 67th anniversary of the brand. One-third of the 6,000,000 vehicles produced to date have been manufactured in the last eight years at Land Rover’s UK plants, in Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside. The current model line-up includes Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery, Discovery Sport and Defender.

 

LAND ROVER HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1947 Original Land Rover project approved
1948 The Land Rover is launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30th April
1948 First Station Wagon introduced
1949 British Army orders its first Land Rovers
1950 Freewheel 4×4 system replaced by selectable two or four-wheel-drive
1953 Long-wheelbase Land Rover introduced
1957 Diesel engine introduced
1958 Series II Land Rover unveiled with more refined styling
1959 250,000th vehicle produced
1961 Series IIA with 2.25 diesel introduced
1966 500,000th vehicle produced
1970 Original two-door Range Rover (the Classic) goes on sale
1971 Land Rover Series III launched
750,000th Land Rover produced
1972 Range Rover crosses the Darien Gap on the 18,000-mile British Army Trans-America expedition, taking 99 days to cover 250 miles of dense jungle
1976 1,000,000th Land Rover built
1977 Range Rover wins 4×4 class in the 30,000km (18,750-mile) London-Sydney Marathon – the longest ever speed-based car rally
1979 A Range Rover wins the inaugural Paris-Dakar rally (and again in 1981)
1981 First production four-door Range Rover debuts along with the first factory-produced limited edition – the ‘In Vogue’
1982 Automatic transmission introduced on Range Rover for first time
1983 Land Rover adopts coil sprung suspension with introduction of One Ten
1984 Land Rover Ninety introduced
1985 Diesel-powered ‘Bullet’ Range Rover breaks 27 speed records
1987 Range Rover launched in North America
1989 Range Rover is world’s first 4×4 to be fitted with anti-lock brakes
Land Rover Discovery is introduced as a three-door model only
1990 Land Rovers are re-launched and renamed Defender 90, 110 and 130 with new 2.5-litre turbo-charged direct injection diesel engine
Five-door Discovery arrives
1992 Land Rover North America is founded with a limited run of 500 Defender 110 vehicles powered by the 3.9-litre V8 engine
Range Rover is world’s first 4×4 to be fitted with electronic traction control and automatic electronic air suspension
1993 Land Rover North America follows up the success of the launch of the Defender 110 with the Defender 90 soft top
1994 Second-generation (P38A) Range Rover introduced
Discovery launched in USA
1997 Land Rover Freelander launched
1998 Discovery II launched
2001 3,000,000th Land Rover produced is a Freelander
2001 Third-generation Range Rover introduced
2002 500,000th Range Rover is produced at the Solihull plant
2004 Discovery 3 introduced at New York Auto Show
2005 Range Rover Sport launched
2006 All-new Freelander 2 introduced
2007 4,000,000th Land Rover produced is a Discovery
2009 Discovery 4/LR4 launched
Freelander TD4e (Stop/Start) introduced delivering 10% improvement in fuel consumption over previous model
2010 Range Rover Evoque introduced
2012 Fourth-generation Range Rover introduced – the world’s first all-aluminium SUV
2013 Second-generation Range Rover Sport introduced before establishing record for production standard SUV at Pikes Peak
Land Rover Discoverys complete record-breaking London-Cape Town expedition, making 10,000- mile journey in 10 days
2014 500,000th Range Rover Sport sold
2014 Land Rover Discovery Sport introduced
2015 Exclusive Range Rover SV Autobiography Black edition launched at New York
6,000,000th Land Rover produced is a Range Rover LWB SE Vogue

 

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