|
The Range Rover is a four-wheel drive high-performance luxury SUV produced by Land Rover in the United Kingdom. It was first introduced in 1970 and is still in production today. From its inception, the Range Rover has always been one of the most luxurious sport utility vehicles available, although superb off-road capability is an essential cornerstone of the model.
The Range Rover is built on a box section ladder type chassis, much like the contemporary Series Land Rover, but utilizes coil springs as opposed to leaf springs, permanent four-wheel drive, and disc brakes all round. It was originally powered by the lightweight Rover V8 engine. Current models are powered by a Jaguar V8 of 4.4 litres. The vehicle is one of the most expensive of its type on the market.
In 1972 the British Trans-Americas Expedition became the first vehicle-based expedition to traverse both American continents north-to-south, including traversing the infamous roadless Darien Gap. The specially modified Range Rovers used for this expedition can be seen in the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust collection at Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK.
There have so far been 3 major model changes. Among enthusiasts, the original model is known as the Classic, the second generation is known as the P38A and the latest generation is known as the L322 or just "new Range Rover".
Before 1987, Land Rover vehicles were only sold in the United States through the grey market. The Land Rover company began selling the Range Rover officially in the U.S. in 1987. From that time until 1993, the U.S. marketing was all in the name of Range Rover, that being the only model offered in the American market. In 1993, with the arrival of the Defender 110 and the imminent arrival of the Land Rover Discovery, the company's U.S. sales were under the name "Land Rover North America".
|