Surviving six changes of ownership in its lifetime, the now iconic Range Rover SUV celebrates 40 years of its existence on the road this week.  It was on the 17^th of June 1970 when British Leyland launched the first generation Range Rover off-roader as a more comfortable and upscale version of its already famous Land Rover that was scheduled to end its line.  The Range Rover remains in production to this day

It didn’t start out as a luxury 4X4 and had relatively spartan appointments by modern standards, but the first Range Rover was a landmark in the emerging Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) category of road vehicles that would soon see a marriage of luxury road sedan and sporting off-road 4X4 utility vehicle.  It had the seeds to become the world’s first true “luxury” 4X4 off and on the on the road and became a sensation as a British icon on the road and earn the name today as the Range Rover Classic.

Even from the start, the first generation Range Rover carried its signature squarish exterior and formal stance inherited from the Land Rover’s rather upright and very British demeanor.  It only had simple vinyl seats with molded rubber for its floors and plastic dashboards you can wash with hose.  Features that would define it as a luxury SUV like air conditioning, power assisted steering, carpeting, leather/cloth seats and interior wood trims were only fitted much later in its 25 year of production.

Land Rover’s Managing Director Phils Popham has this to say about its Range Rover line.  “It’s really 4 vehicles in 1.  It’s a luxury motor car, a leisure car that can go anywhere over highways and no-ways, a high performance long distance tourer and a cross country utility vehicle.”

The “father” of the Range Rover line, Charles Spencer King, a former engineering chief of the company recalls that the Range Rover was designed “to combine the comfort and on-road finesse of a Rover saloon with the off-road muscle of a Land Rover.  Nobody had done it before and it seemed worth the try as Land Rover was in need of a fresh new product.”

1995 saw the next generation Range Rover enter the markets with an updated Rover V8 engine and the option to use BMW’s V6 turbo diesel with the first electronically controlled diesel injected engine for the brand.  Needless to say, it was at this time that the marque went out of British hands into Bavaria’s premier car company BMW that promptly gave it more “German” engineering.  It was positioned way above the Land Rover Discovery and was more luxurious than the Mercedes Benz G-wagen.

By this time, the Range Rover name has firmly etched it enviable place as a topnotch luxury 4X4 that commanded a premium anywhere it was sold.  In 2002, the new Land Rover owner Ford launched the 3^rd generation SUV flagship initially developed under BMW.  Today, the Land Rover and range Rover marques are owned by the Tata Motors Group and maintain its factories in Solihull, England. By the end of 2010, there will be a new Range Rover “baby” to debut at the Paris Motor Show.

It is interesting to recall the roots of the Range Rover in the context of its selling price.  You could have one for £1,998 in 1970.  Today, you need to shell out £66,095.for a base model.