1958 to 1971
Perhaps the most exciting time of Land Rover development was as the brand came of age on the 10th Anniversary of its introduction to the World in April 1948. Masking the engineering developments to both short and long wheelbase versions were the distinctive changes to its looks, introduced by Rover’s design guru, David Bache. Gone were the utilitarian and harsh slab-sided panels in favour of a barrelled ‘hip’ that ran the length of the vehicle. Necessary to accommodate a much needed widening of the running gear, this distinctive design cue remained with the Land Rover for the rest of time ensuring universal recognition of the brand from then until the final vehicle left the line in 2016. A level of refinement was showing itself. Illustrated by the lower side sill that concealed much of the go-ings on below decks that had hitherto been exposed for all to see.
This period also saw true exploitation of the Land Rover concept of adaptability. Our exhibits reflect the Series II in all its variants; pick ups, hard topped utilities and customised adaptions. This period saw regular models and simplified chassis-cab versions sold to third party after-sale manufacturers of specialist vehicles. So well illustrated by our tracked Cuthbertson, Angus Fire Tender or Air Drive Back Hoe. In addition to an improved variety of available power units, the Land Rover franchise was also being stretched into new areas such as the heavy duty ‘One-ton’ or load-enhancing ‘Forward control’ variants. This explosion of creativity is reflected in our exhibits within this category of our collection.
