Land Rover

Founded 1948
Founder Rover
Headquarters Gaydon, England
Key people David Smith,Acting CEO
Industry Automotive
Products Automobiles
Employees 13,000
Parent Ford
Website www.landrover.com


Land Rover is an all-terrain vehicle and Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) manufacturer, based in Gaydon, England with two production plants at Solihull, West Midlands and Halewood, Merseyside. Originally the term Land Rover referred to one specific vehicle, a pioneering civilian all-terrain utility vehicle launched on April 30, 1948, at the Amsterdam Motor Show, but was later used as a brand for several distinct models, all four-wheel drive.

Starting out as part of The Rover Car Company or Rover, Land Rovers were designed and manufactured as a range of four-wheel drive vehicles under a succession of owners, including British Leyland, British Aerospace and BMW. In 2000, the marque was sold by BMW to the Ford Motor Company, becoming part of their Premier Automotive Group. Media reports stated that Jaguar and Land Rover became owned by the Indian company Tata Motors on March 26, 2008, this contradicted press releases by the Ford Motor Company and Tata Motors issued on the same day, stating that the sale was not due to be completed until the end of the second quarter of 2008.

It is understood that Ford Motor Company Ltd. will not retain any shareholding in either the Jaguar or Land-Rover companies, unlike Aston Martin where on its sale a small shareholding was retained; the total sum to be paid in cash by Tata Motors is approximately US $ 2.3 billion, Ford will then contribute up to US $600 million to the Jaguar Land Rover pension plans.

Land Rover is one of the longest lived sport utility vehicle (SUV) brands (the only brand which is older is Jeep).