Celebrating 55 years of Range Rover: the evolution from royal favourite to luxury global icon

In the rarified air of celebrities, royals and moguls, in the star-studded streets of Hollywood and in manicured estates, it seems that the Range Rover is a constant in their choice of vehicle.

I doubt many of them, except perhaps British Royalty, are aware of its illustrious history and the fact that this year sees the 55th anniversary of the iconic luxury Land Rover marque.

Many have followed, but when it was first revealed on 17 June 1970, it was the world’s first vehicle that combined a proper 4x4 with luxury, comfort and refinement.

Stayed true

As the times have changed, so has Range Rover, including its vehicle portfolio, but it has stayed true to the ethos first envisioned as a luxury SUV with exceptional all-terrain capability.

So too has the design, but it’s always been eye-catching, and while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, I have always maintained that Range Rover is the embodiment of beautiful car design and not one manufacturer makes an SUV that can compare.

There aren’t many cars that can boast an exhibition as an icon of great industrial design in the Louvre shortly after it was launched or as recently as April, at Milan Design week, with an immersive ‘Futurespective’ installation which transported visitors on a cinematic journey between two distinct eras bookending its history.

But it almost was not to be.

A very British car

Despite misgivings from some senior Land Rover engineers, Spen King, nephew of Land Rover founders Maurice and Spencer Wilks, forged ahead with his idea that 4x4s could and should be far more refined and comfortable than existed back in the late ’60s.

It was and still is, a very British car with its romantic relationship with their countryside: a rural idyll of stately homes, landed gentry, elegant gardens and graceful vistas.

It has influenced British literature, culture and design and has remained a favourite with the British Royal family from the day it was launched. 

Range Rover returned to The Championships, Wimbledon, this year as the Official Vehicle Partner, bringing together the world's oldest tennis tournament and another British icon.

It’s not all strawberries and cream, though, and while you’re unlikely to see modern Range Rovers slinging around in mud holes or crawling over mountainous goat tracks, it has all the technology and ability to do that.

Still capable

It has a storied history of tackling tough challenges that include two first-generation Range Rovers travelling from Anchorage, Alaska, to attempt the first north-south crossing of the Americas.

They arrived in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina just over six months later, which saw the first crossing of the Darien Gap, a 100-mile stretch of roadless jungle between Panama and Colombia, where the vehicles averaged a mile a day.

Other off-road achievements include twice winning the Paris-Dakar rally, crossing the Himalayas from Solihull (the birthplace and home of Land Rover) to Mumbai and the fastest ever crossing of the Empty Quarter – the world’s largest sand desert – on the Arabian Peninsula.

Innovative

They have also been pioneers in technology and innovation.

They were the first with four-wheel disc brakes and coil springs (1970), the first SUV with ABS anti-lock brakes (1989), the first SUV with electronic traction control (1992), the first with electronic height-adjustable air suspension (1992) and the first with a lightweight aluminium monocoque chassis (2012) while today’s Range Rover Sport SV has the world’s first 6D suspension, to reduce roll and enhance ride comfort.

This year sees prototype testing of Range Rover Electric, the brand’s first fully electric vehicle with more patents expected to be filed than on any other Range Rover.

Range

It was only in 2005 that the second Range Rover was launched with the Range Rover Sport, entering the market for more performance-oriented SUVs. The third generation saw the light in 2022 and included the flagship SV.

In 2011, the Range Rover Evoque introduced a new sporting luxury compact SUV sector.

The Velar joined as the fourth member of the Range Rover family in 2017 and won a host of awards, including World’s Most Beautiful Car.

Local celebrity event

Not to be outdone, South Africa had their own Range Rover soiree at the Land Rover Experience in Lone Hill, Sandton.

Selected clients and media were invited to rub shoulders with celebrities and Range Rover representatives in a luxurious atmosphere while eating top-class cuisine and sipping Champagne, craft gin, Pimms cocktails and award-winning wines.  

Surrounded by the full array of Range Rovers, the skid pan had been converted into a tennis court with umbrellas and tables scattered around for the spectators while watching Bryan Habana, Bohang Moeko, Nandi Madida and Karen Zoid mix it up between the white lines.

Anele Mdoda was the MC for the day, and her comments from the umpire chair should secure her a seat at the next tennis Open.

The Range Rover has come a long way since its groundbreaking introduction 55 years ago, and it's just as desirable now as it was then. 

If I won the lotto, I wouldn’t tell anyone, but a V8 Big Body Range Rover will be a sign.