h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

First seen in 1954 as a result of the rationing after the war. Intended as a stop-gap in motor car production they ahve become one of the most successful 4 wheel drive vehicals of all times.

Six months before its official release, I saw the Landrover Discovery being test driven around Solihull, near the Longbridge plant and endeared to its looks instantly.
The design of this vehicle is far more aesthetic than the 'boxey' look associated with older Landrovers and doesn't produce the classic drowning-in-blancmange tickover noise.
Strange then that for an off road vehicles, nobody has ever seen one touch dirt or even get within a good 'commute' of the countryside in general...

In defence of the Discovery, we use them at work, with test benches radio masts and big top-boxes and they get driven anywhere! However, I know what you mean, as the wax-jacket brigade don't like mud on the nice paintwork. (Oops, when do I get shot down by somebody wearing a wax jacket. Sorry)

I know someone who built a safari racer from one 2 days after they were launched
Discovery that is .....odd that he kept the real chasis number
but I guess the real owner would not recognise it !

I had a friend whose dad was obsessed with said all-terrain vehicles.
He always wanted a banana yellow one.
When he died, they asked the florist to make a display in the shape of a Landrover with yellow flowers.
They couldn't do it, but they did make the words up for him, and he had Landrover written on his coffin in flowers.
Weird guy. Fitting tribute.

yellow is not such a bad colour considering some military ones used in desert conditions where painted pink.

Was it a pink desert?
Could be good camoflage

Landrovers first appeared on sale in 1948, Not 1954

Ahhh yes, but maybe they were invisible for the frist six years of their "life" and thus were "first seen" in '54. You never know... ok, well
maybe you do but that doesn't stop me from making off the wall comments.

yes I believe the rock of the desert was pink

Landrover's were probley the 1st SUV ever made. Yet some Idiot in the
USA is saying it was in California with some guy who put a hard cover
over his pickup-truck. Does anybody know the truth?

My son, Fred, aged 10 months has a Land Rover Pushchair. Possibly the best three wheeler all-terrain pushchair of all time?

hullo there, LandRover afficianados (?), er...enthusiasts...(?), uh... FANS. Yeah, that's it: fans. I can spell 'fans'.

Hi LandRover fans!

I need help with my research on the Jeep. There doesnt seem to be a guide entry for LandRover yet. [amazing, glaring, gaps exist in the Guide as yet--shocking]. Since I dont use enough 'u's in my spelling to write about the favorite ORV, ATV, SUV without bias, I wondered if anyone here can provide more background about the LandRover. I don't want to claim that the Jeep was the first ORV if I am allowing a yankee bias to creep into my writing.

Is the LandRover a post-war vehicle? Is there something else that could vie with Jeep for the title of first ORV? Please see article on Toledo (Ohio) http://www.h2g2.com/A103096 . Perhaps an authoritative article on the LandRover is required?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Beuhler?

Anyone?

I used to have a Landrover, short wheelbase Series 3, petrol engine. And I loved it! Afraid it only did about 11 miles to the gallon, but I once lost a "hot-hatch" on a winding country lane near my home. I don't think he'd ever seen one drifted round bends before! It was over 20 years old, but eventually had to go because the ladder chassis rusted out, and I A; Couldn't afford to get it rebuilt, and B; needed a vehicle to get to work.

Agree - hired one for recent hols in Lake District (UK) - they do 15mph downhill (Laughrigg Fell) with a 2 year old - slighty faster with a 5 year old. Brakes consist of loud screams from Mummy! (Oh she did use language the kids didn't understand - insert Bable fish!)
Did you spot the manufacturers warning notice - maitainance and lubrication routines for this vehicle - is it the same as in the 4x4 I wonder?
Of to think of a Nick Name '51026' is rather formal and won't fit on the cheque-book

The Romans used all terain carriots in the late B.C's (I know I have seen Ben Hure!)

WAS THAT BEN HURE THE ONE THEY MADE AFTER BEN HUR!

I imagine also the one without all terrain chariots!

I had a long wheelbase 6 cylinder series 2a, and used to say "it can go absolutely anywhere, so long as your not more than 20 miles from a petrol station" ...and yes, the chassis went!

I am told tha more than half the Land Rovers ever built (since 1948) are still operational but this must be an urban myth as between us we've disposed of 3!.

Your urban myth doesn't say they're all on/off the road in _England_ (though it does seem like that sometimes on a windy Lincolnshire road) I know of a 1949 effort near Sofia in Bulgaria and there was something from the 1960's (I think) in the New year parade on Saturday.