Land-Rover celebrates 65 years of go-anywhere ability

| 16 May 2013

A host of rare models helped Land-Rover to celebrate its recent 65th anniversary at the Packington Estate where the marque's original prototypes were tested.

HUE 166 – the first Land-Rover built – was on hand to mark the event as a birthday cake in the shape of the classic was delivered by Lynx Helicopter.

Examples on show included the Forest Rover, a one-off that featured a wider track and heavy-duty off-road tyres, a Series II with a Cuthbertson tracked conversion, an early Range Rover and the 1989 Camel Trophy winner.

Land-Rover's John Edwards said: "Since 1948, every component in our vehicles has been designed and engineered with intent and Land-Rover continues to this day, to build the world's most capable all-purpose vehicles."

Devised by Maurice Wilks as a replacement for his Willys Jeep, Wilks' first Land-Rover design sketch was drawn in the sand of Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey.

The project was approved in 1947 and production proper started the following year, the British Army would choose the vehicle instead of the Austin Champ in 1949, while the Red Cross has used Land-Rovers since 1954.