Rover chief engineer Maurice Wilks was inspired by his army-surplus
Willys-Overland Jeep to create a workhorse vehicle for military and
agricultural use - and for export abroad to kick-start both Rover's
fortunes and the national economy after World War II. Prototypes were up
and running by late 1947, and production of the Series I began at
Solihull in summer 1948. It had permanent four-wheel-drive with
low-ratio gearing and a locking freewheel mechanism, and a 50bhp,
1.6-litre engine from the Rover P3 saloon. It was fitted with
lightweight body panels made from surplus aircraft-grade aluminium -
steel was in short supply post-war - and came with army-surplus green
paint. The Land Rover price started from just £450. Supply to the
British forces started in 1949, the Land Rover replacing the Austin
Champ and later, the rust-prone Austin Gipsy. Deliveries to
organisations such as the Red Cross soon followed. The 100,000th Land
Rover was made in autumn 1954 and by 1958, production ran to around
200,000.
It was widely used by the Civil Defence as in this example, registration
number SFX 582 was used by the West Suffolk Division