Land Rover is a British brand of four-wheel overland or adventure vehicle vehicles, owned by international car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of Tata Motors.
Here’s some weird and crazy facts we swear you didn’t know about Land Rovers before.
1- The first Land Rover had the steering wheel in the middle, right in the middle of the dashboard.
Why you ask? No particular reason other than the fact that the designer wanted to use one on his farm. To keep things more tractor-like, the designer just put the steering wheel in the middle. Unfortunately this means, they had to build two different versions of the car for left and right hand drivers.
2- Students were given Land Rovers to race around the world for “educational purposes”
Did your school give you grades for driving to places like Singapore and the Sahara in a Monster truck all day long? Yeah, we didn’t think so.
In the mid-1950s, Land Rover used to provide vehicles for Oxbridge students to drive across full continents “for the sake of learning.”
3. The father of Land Rover’s, Charles S. King, was a jet engine-designing ninja.
After world war two, he got his start developing a jet turbine engine for Rolls Royce. Later, in the late 1950’s, he switched to the Rover company.
Fun fact: Charlie built a car around a jet engine and set the first turbine powered world land speed record, because why not !
4- Land Rover made the first monster truck
Monster trucks are cool. Their extremely large tyres , often used for racing over rough terrain makes good sport. But that’s not why they were first created. The world’s first monster truck came as a result of necessity. The government demanded that Land Rover create a pick up truck that could cut through even the largest, deepest puddles.
The company agreed, building on four tractor tyres and beefed-up axles, creating the first monster truck. This was nearly 30 years before the rest of the world popularised the format.
5. They made floating SUVs, because just playing around with sand ain’t good enough for Land Rover.
Their floatation device in a nutshell : Imagine a cross between a pick up truck and a river draft, with a dedicated propeller at the back, a rudder to steer and a snorkel to prevent its diesel engine from drowning.
How can we help ?
Even today, the Rover brand has a wide range of trucks and SUVs, that are the ideal off-road vehicles to take you on the path of wilderness. So naturally, when you purchase a Land Rover, you want to maintain the quality of your investment. Care for your car with RedFox.
For a reliable, good quality service for your car, be sure to visit your nearest Redfox garage in Abudhabi or Ras Al Khaima. With the latest diagnostic equipment and advanced paint booths, your car is in experienced hands. We undertake preventive maintenance to protect your car from all kinds of damages. To book, visit our website, or contact us via Instagram/Facebook at @redfox.ae.
