“Keeping the story of this Great British icon alive”
In presenting this collection we set out with a very clear objective: “To capture, preserve and maintain for future generations an accessible permanent record of the classic Land Rover in the context of seven decades of it being Britain’s most loved workhorse; a British design icon”.
WHY Land Rover ?
The arrival of the first Land Rover in 1948 transformed not only the fortunes of the Rover Motor Co, but also went on to revolutionize the way the automobile would be viewed as a workhorse for organisations large and small. So important was this single brand that it was seen in every quarter of the World, contributing in equal measure in exploration, in military campaigns and in the bringing relief aid to Developing Countries. Accordingly, the distinctive profile of a Land Rover makes it the single most widely recognised vehicle across five continents.
At home the Land Rover immediately reached out beyond its agricultural roots and was embraced by industry and government departments alike. Its straightforward and flexible construction encouraged a plethora of derivative developments. The Land Rover was soon seen carrying not only the livery of its various users, but also specialised mechanical and design adaptations driven by the specific needs of the day. There is no single vehicle design that has impacted so largely on a country’s industrial landscape and its Commonwealth than the British Land Rover.
So strong was the initial concept that, after a few initial (and inevitable) developmental improvements, the design signature of the earlier Land Rovers can be traced through unbroken to the last vehicle that ran off the production line in 2016. This unshakeable Land Rover DNA (later named ‘the Defender’) serves to make it one of the truly classic design icons of post-war Britain.
The Land Rover Heritage Collection seeks to preserve a permanent record of this amazing story. It is one of a small number of the UK’s foremost collections of classic Land Rovers (civil and military) manufactured between 1948 and 2016. A hallmark of our collection (and perhaps the unique signature of our work) is the wish to capture and preserve the many derivative designs that reflect the sheer versatility, breadth and depth of utility offered in the workplace by the Land Rover over its long history.
Over the past 20 years there has been an explosion in technical and authoritative historical reference articles concerning the birth and development of the Land Rover. Indeed we celebrate this pool of work and benefit endlessly from these important contributions to our collective knowledge. However, many works are written by die-hard enthusiasts in a manner addressed to (and enjoyed by) like-minded specialists – and often on esoteric matters of a very narrow field of interest. Such is our passion for broadening an informed understanding of the ‘Land Rover Story’, in the curation of our collection we seek to narrate our work in a manner that will inform and appeal to more casual enthusiasts or generalists. The ‘die-hards’ are more than adequately catered for by others with far greater credentials than us in this field.
Notable exhibits in the Land Rover Heritage Collection are held within the LRHC Trust to ensure their preservation for future generations. The Trust is also responsible for the public display and exhibition of the collection for the benefit of all.
As well as being ‘shown’ at classic vehicle events throughout the UK, our vehicles are also enjoyed by the public ‘on screen’ and ‘in print’. Selected vehicles in our collection are also available on loan terms for publicity and media events, location filming and other display or academic purposes.
A MODEST DIVERSION
The traditional Land Rover also gave birth to the worldwide SUV industry. The front runner in this genre of automotive development being the World-leading Range Rover, seen for the first time in 1970. The Land Rover ‘story’ would be incomplete without a passing reference to this innovative brand that owes its creation to its predecessor. The telling of Range Rover’s evolution therefore also features within our work at the LRHC Trust, all be it to a lesser degree than that of its forerunner.
OUR COMMUNITY
You are most welcome to browse our collection on this website. Please also follow us on social media or, for those with a little more interest, explore our archive and reference articles held on the ‘Ambassadors’ Only‘ section of our website. Once we are free once more from Covid restrictions, enthusiasts are welcome, by invitation, to join us at our site in Somerset to experience the collection. We would also be very pleased to hear from anyone who might wish to assist our small band of Trust volunteers throughout the UK who assist us in our administration, maintaining our exhibits and growing our collection. Do take time to follow the ‘Get Involved‘ button on the menu above.