Land Rover has been very warmly received by the market. Starting with 3 thousand cars in the first year of production, the company increased its output to 8,000 in 1949 and doubled it in 1950. In subsequent years, production capacity was increasing steadily, reaching 30,000 cars in 1958, and 50,000 – in 1968. The car, created in fact only to make use of idle plants, overshadowed production of passenger cars which used to be the main Rover products.
In the 1960s the demand for the four-wheel drive vehicles significantly increased and Land Rover was at the forefront of new emerging market segment. The company decided to develop a new vehicle that would combine comfort and driving characteristics of a family car with the off-road capabilities Land Rover. The result of their work was Range Rover that was launched into production in 1970, and immediately caused a general admiration. This car was a real breakthrough.
Between 1980 and 2000, The Camel Trophy – annual vehicle-oriented competition was held. It was best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain. Those motorsport events have been called “the Olympics of 4×4”, and were all about adventure and exploration. Throughout 20 years, courageous explorers visited Amazon, Sumatra, Zaire, Brazil, Borneo, Australia, Madagascar and more. Those dangerous expeditions through difficult terrain put human and vehicle endurance to real test. Over the course of the twenty years, all of the Land Rover vehicle range were used, including Range Rover, Series III, Defender, Discovery and Freelander.