Land Rover celebrates 45 years of Range Rover
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 6,000,000th vehicle rolled off the production line.
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 45th anniversary. 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.
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.