Range Rover Classic: British answer to Jeep Wagoneer

The Range Rover was created as a British answer to the Jeep Wagoneer, but it surpassed the competitor and ended up in a completely different orbit. Today, the Indy Auto Man used car mavens offer to dig deeper into the history of this legendary SUV, which conquered the US market.

British answer to Wagoneer

All-wheel-drive Jeep Wagoneer, which successfully combined the comfort of a passenger sedan with the capabilities of an all-terrain vehicle, aroused increased interest among buyers. It is not surprising that such a grand all-terrain vehicle manufacturer as the English company Rover (then still independent) seriously considered creating something similar. Moreover, marketing research conducted by British specialists in the mid-1960s revealed rather unexpected trends. It turned out that more than 2/3 of purchased Land Rovers, which at that time made up the lion's share of the world's SUV fleet, were used not to conquer virgin lands but for trips on ordinary roads and more or less active recreation. The company's management made the right conclusions, after which the standard Land Rover was improved by:

various additional equipment,
a six-cylinder engine allowed acceleration to 72 mph,
the Deluxe package included all of the above at once.

However, this was only the beginning.

A group of twenty engineers, led by Charles Spencer King, took up the design of a new all-wheel drive vehicle, which was to become something like the British analog of Jeep Wagoneer. The company's design studio, headed by David Bach, was responsible for the appearance of the "100-inch station wagon" (the working title of the project and the body type regaining popularity in the US today).

First Range Rover

On June 17, 1970, a serial SUV called Range Rover was released. The unusual appearance, unlike the design of the then utilitarian SUVs, and good driving performance, immediately caused a rush demand. The comparatively small production volume added fuel to the fire since the limited capabilities of English automakers were not comparable to those of the Americans.

Becoming a luxury

The first person to think of making the Range Rover truly luxurious was the Swiss Peter Monteverdi. He completely redesigned the exterior and interior, using leather and wood for the trim. In addition, Monteverdi slightly reduced the ground clearance, switching the car to alloy wheels.

American triumph

By the mid-1980s, the fragment of British Leyland that survived the fuel crisis - Jaguar-Rover-Triumph, set out on its own. To survive, it needed to find buyers for the expensive and gluttonous Range Rover, which thrifty Europeans were not too eager to buy. There was only one way out - to conquer the rich North American market. Moreover, the circumstances were favorable. Firstly, the only American luxury SUV at that time, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, began to bore even fans. Secondly, the Range Rover was not officially represented in the USA. Therefore, it was quite possible to count on the novelty effect. And finally, European cars were traditionally perceived by the American public as exclusive and more attractive than the products of domestic manufacturers.

On March 16, 1987, the restyled Range Rover appeared in the showrooms of American dealers. The standard configuration was equipped with air conditioning, cruise control, a four-speed ZF automatic, and all the luxury items available at that time, including an electric sunroof to meet the wishes of US consumers. For an additional fee, buyers could get a set of crystal glasses and folding wooden tables for all three passengers on the rear leather sofa. For off-road enthusiasts, waterproof covers were offered to protect the expensive leather.

The first pneumatic

The Americans were delighted! Moreover, Chrysler never responded to the challenge and did not seriously modernize its Jeep Grand Wagoneer. As a result, the once simple Range Rover now surpassed it in all respects, especially after the 1988 release of a modification with a V8, equipped with Bosch electronic injection. The engine was bored out to 3.9 liters, producing 182 hp. The Englishman turned out to be much more powerful and agile than the Yankee. And most importantly, it offered the level of comfort of an executive car, which was a novelty for an SUV.

In 1992, the V8 was upgraded, growing in volume to 4.2 liters and developing 202 hp. It received an electronic anti-skid system and air suspension of all wheels. Before that, only trucks, buses, and several luxury cars could boast air springs. Perhaps, by this time, the Range Rover had become the most comfortable, advanced, and sophisticated SUV.

In 1996, the classic Range Rover became a thing of the past. In just 26 years of conveyor life, 317,615 cars were produced, many of which are still on the road.

Although the classic Range Rover is history, its successors - the Rover Sport, Evoque & Velar - are available for sale at Indianapolis dealerships. Check the Indy Auto Man inventory and chose your favourite during the test-drive of these legendary British SUVs.