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Land Rover (Series/Defender) |
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The Land Rover Series I, II, and III, Ninety, One Ten, 127, and Defender are off-road vehicles produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover. The Defender is the descendant of the Series models, following over 50 years of "evolution" along the same basic design, and retaining very similar looks. According to Richard Hammond on a recent edition of Top Gear 70% of all these cars ever made are still running today.
Series models and Defenders are easily confused due to their similar styling — many body parts are interchangeable between brand-new models and vehicles nearly 30 years old. Differences, however, are significant. The principal differences between Defenders and Series models are that the Series models are leaf-sprung with selectable two- or four-wheel drive whereas Defenders are coil-sprung with permanent four wheel drive and locking central differential.
[] Development
The Land Rover was conceived by the Rover Motor Company in 1946 during the aftermath of World War II. Rover's usual products were luxury cars which were not in demand in the immediate post-war period and raw materials were strictly rationed to those companies building construction or industrial equipment, or products that could be widely exported to earn crucial foreign exchange for the country. Also, Rover's original factory in Coventry had been bombed during the war, forcing the company to move into a huge "shadow factory" it had built during the war in Solihull near Birmingham to construct aircraft. This factory was now empty but starting car production there from scratch would not be financially viable. Several plans for small, economical cars were drawn up, but all would be too expensive to produce. Maurice Wilks, Rover's chief designer came up with a plan to produce a light agricultural and utility vehicle, of a similar concept to the Willys Jeep used in the war, but with an emphasis on agricultural use. He was possibly inspired by the Standard Motor Company, who faced similar problems and were producing the highly successful Ferguson TE20 tractor in their shadow factory in Coventry. More likely, he used his own experience of using an army-surplus Jeep on his farm in Anglesey, North Wales.
The prototype Land Rover was developed in 1947 and had a distinctive feature—the steering wheel was mounted in the middle of the vehicle. It hence became known as the "centre steer". It was built on a Jeep chassis and used the engine and gearbox out of a Rover P3 saloon car. The bodywork was hand-made out of surplus aircraft grade aluminium, mainly an aluminium/magnesium alloy called Birmabright, to save on steel, which was closely rationed. Paint was also in short supply, resulting in the first production vehicles making use of Army surplus green paint. [1]
Tests showed this prototype vehicle to be a capable and versatile machine. It was fitted with power take-off (PTO) drives from the front of the engine and from the gearbox to the centre and rear of the vehicle to allow it to drive farm machinery, as a tractor would. It was also tested ploughing and performing other agricultural tasks. However, as the vehicle was readied for production, this emphasis on tractor-like usage decreased. The steering wheel was mounted off to the side as normal, the bodywork was simplified to reduce production time and costs and a larger engine was fitted, together with a specially-designed transfer gearbox to replace the Jeep unit. The result was a vehicle that didn't use a single Jeep component and was slightly shorter than its American inspiration, but wider, heavier, faster and still retained the PTO drives.
The Land Rover was designed to only be in production for 2-3 years to gain some cash flow and export orders for the Rover Company so it could restart up-market car production. It did, but by this time the Land Rover was outselling its normal car products by a huge amount and so the off-road vehicle has remained in production for nearly 60 years.
[] Land Rover Series I
Land Rover entered production in 1948 with what was later termed the Series I. This was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It was originally designed for farm and light industrial use, and had a steel box-section chassis, and an aluminium body.
Originally based on the US Army Jeep the Land Rover was a single model offering, which from 1948 until 1951 used an 80 in (2032 mm) wheelbase and a 1.6 L petrol engine. This was a basic vehicle, tops for the doors and a roof (canvas or metal) were optional extras. In 1950, the lights moved from a position behind the grille to protruding through the grille.
From the beginning it was realised that some buyers would want a Land Rover's abilities without the spartan interiors. In 1949 Land Rover launched a second body option called the "Station Wagon", fitted with a body built by Tickford, a coachbuilder known for their work with Rolls-Royce and Lagonda. The bodywork was wooden-framed and had seating for 7 people. Tickfords were well equipped in comparison with the standard Land Rover, having leather seats, a heater, a one-piece laminated windscreen, a tin-plate spare wheel cover, some interior trim and other options. The wooden construction made them expensive to build and tax laws made this worse — unlike the original Land Rover, the Tickford was taxed as a private car, which attracted high levels of Purchase Tax. As a result, less than 700 Tickfords were sold, and all but 50 were exported. Today these early Station Wagons are highly sought after. There are less than 10 still known to exist, mainly in museums, and they can change hands for as much as £15,000.
In 1952 and 1953 the engine was replaced with a larger 2.0 L unit. This engine was "siamese bore", meaning that there were no water passages between the pistons. Around this time the Land Rover's legal status was also clarified. As mentioned above, the Land Rover was originally classed as a commercial vehicle, meaning it was free from Purchase Tax. However, this also meant it was limited to a speed of 30 mph on British roads. After an appeal to the Law Lords after an owner was charged with exceeding this limit, the Land Rover was classified as a "multi-purpose vehicle" which was only to be classed as a commercial vehicle if used for commercial purposes. This still applies today, with Land Rovers being registered as commercial vehicles being restricted to a maximum speed of 60 mph (as opposed to the maximum 70 mph for normal cars) in Britain, although this rule is not often upheld nowadays.
1954 saw a big change: the 80 in (2032 mm) was replaced by an 86 in (2184 mm), and a 107 in (2718 mm) pick up version was introduced. The extra wheelbase was added behind the cab area to provide additional load space.
1956 saw the introduction of the first 5 door model, on the 107-inch chassis known as the Station Wagon with seating for up to 10. The 86-inch model had 7 seats and only 3 doors. The new Station Wagons were very different to the previous Tickford model, being built with simple metal panels and bolt-together construction instead of the complex wooden structure of the older Station Wagon. They were intended to be used both as commercial vehicles as people-carriers for transporting workmen to remote locations, as well as by private users. Like the Tickford version, they came with basic interior trim and equipment such as heaters and interior lights.
The Station Wagons saw the first expansion of the Land Rover range. Station Wagons were fitted with a "Safari Roof" which consisted of a second roof skin fitted on top of the vehicle. This kept the interior cool in hot weather and reduced condensation in cold weather. Vents fitted in the roof allowed added ventilation to the interior. While they were based on the same chassis and drivetrains as the standard vehicles, Station Wagons carried different chassis numbers, special badging and were advertised in separate brochures. Unlike the original Station Wagon, the new in-house versions were highly popular.
With the exception of the 107 Station Wagon, wheelbases moved to 88 in (2235 mm) and 109 in (2769 mm) for the pickup.
Finally, in 1957, the "spread bore" petrol engine was introduced, followed shortly by a brand new 2.0 litre Diesel engine that, despite the similar capacity, was not related to the petrol engines used. The petrol engines of the time used the rather out-dated inlet-over-exhaust valve arrangement; the diesel used the more modern overhead layout. This diesel engine was one of the first high-speed diesels developed for road use, producing 52 horsepower at 4,000 rpm.
This engine was slightly longer than the original chassis allowed, so the wheelbase was increased from 86 to 88 inches (2235 mm) for the short-wheelbase models, and from 107 to 109 inches on the long-wheelbases. The extra two inches were added in front of the bulkhead to accommodate the new diesel engine. These dimensions were to be used on all Land Rovers for the next 25 years.
[] Land Rover Series II
The successor to the successful Series I was the Series II, which saw a production run from 1958 to 1961. It came in 88 in (2235 mm) and 109 in (2769 mm) wheelbases. This was the first Land Rover to adopt a relatively modern shape, and used the well-known 2.25 L petrol engine, although early short wheelbase (SWB) models retained the 2.0 litre petrol engine from the Series I for the first 1500 or so vehicles. This larger petrol engine produced 72 horsepower and was closely related to the 2.0-litre diesel unit still in use. This engine became the standard Land Rover unit until the mid-1980s when diesel engines became more popular.
[] Land Rover Series IIA
The Series IIA is considered by many the most hardy Series model constructed. It is also the type of classic Land Rover that features strongly in the general public's perception of the Land Rover, from its many appearances in popular films and television documentaries set in Africa throughout the 1960s, such as Born Free. Certainly it was whilst the Series IIA was in production that sales of utility Land Rovers reached their peak, in 1969-70, when sales of over 60,000 Land Rovers a year were recorded (for comparison, the sales of the Defender in recent years have been around the 25,000 level since the 1990s). As well as record sales, the Land Rover dominated many world markets- in Australia in the 1960s Land Rover held 90% of the 4x4 market. This figure was repeated in many countries in Africa and the Middle East.
It was produced between 1961 and 1971. There were some minor cosmetic changes from the II, and the 2.25 L Diesel engine was introduced. Also the 2.6 L 6 cylinder engine was introduced for use in the long wheel base models in 1967.
To the eye the SII and the SIIA are very difficult to distinguish. The configurations available from the factory ranged from short wheel base soft top to the top of the line 5 door Stationwagon. The Rover V8 3.5l engine was first tested in 1965 in a short wheel base SIIA but not introduced to a Land Rover until the first-generation 2-door Range Rovers in 1970 and then later to the Series vehicles in the last of the SIII 109s in 1979. From February 1969 (home market) the headlamps moved into the wings on all models, and the sill panels were redesigned to be shallower a few months afterwards.
The series IIa 109 was also the first bonneted Land-Rover to get the 2.6 straight six engine, and to be upgraded to "One Ton" Specification.
1963 Land Rover Series IIA
A pickup-type series IIA.
1966 Land Rover Series IIa Station Wagon.
[] Land Rover Series IIA Forward Control
The Series IIA FC launched in 1962 was based on the Series II 2.286 L petrol engine and 109-inch chassis, but had the cab positioned over the engine to give more load space. Export vehicles were the first Land-Rovers to get the 2.6 L petrol engine. These vehicles were underpowered for the increased load capacity, and most had a hard working life. Not many were made, and most had a utility body, but surviving examples often have custom bodywork. With an upgraded powertrain, they can be used as a small motorhome.
[] Land Rover Series IIB Forward Control
The Series IIB FC produced from 1966 was similar to the Series IIA Forward Control but added the 2.286 L diesel engine as an option. The 2.6 L engine was the standard engine for this model. The width between the wheels was also increased to improve vehicle stability, and wheelbase was increased to 110 inches. Anti-roll bars were fitted along side a range of other minor improvements. Production ended in 1974 when Land-Rover rationalised its vehicle range. Many IIB components were also used on the "One Ton" 109 vehicle.
[] Land Rover Series III
Little changed cosmetically between the IIA and the Series III. The Series III is the most common Series vehicle, with 440,000 of the type built from 1971 to 1985. The headlights were moved to the wings on late production IIA models from 1968/9 onward (ostensibly to comply with Australian, American and Dutch lighting regulations) and remained in this position for the Series III. The traditional metal grille, featured on the Series I, II and IIA, was replaced with a plastic one for the Series III model. The 2.25 L engine had its compression raised from 7:1 to 8:1, increasing the power slightly (the high compression engine had been an optional fit on the IIa model for several years). During the Series III production run from 1971 until 1985, the 1,000,000th Land Rover rolled off the production line in 1976. The Series III saw many changes in the later part of its life as Land Rover updated the design to meet increased competition. This was the first model to feature synchromesh on all four gears, although some late H suffix IIa models had used an all-synchro box. In keeping with early 1970s trends in automotive interior design, both in safety and use of more advanced materials, the simple metal dashboard of earlier models was redesigned to accept a new moulded plastic dash. The instrument cluster, which was previously centrally located, was moved to the driver's side. The Series III had the same body and engine options as the preceding IIa, including station wagons and One Ton versions.
From 1979, increased investment by the British Government brought numerous improvements. From that year the more powerful 3.5 L V8 petrol engine as used in the Range Rover, all be it a detuned version (91 horsepower), was used in the Stage 1 V8 109. This was the first stage in the development of what was to become the 110. It used a variant of the Range Rover engine and drive train making it the only Series III vehicle to have permanent four wheel drive.
In 1980 the 4-cylinder 2.25 L engines (both petrol and diesel) were updated with 5-bearing crankshafts to increase strength in heavy duty work. At the same time the transmission, axles and wheel hubs were re-designed for increased strength. This was the culmination of a series of updates to the transmission that had been made since the 1960s to combat the all-too-common problem of the rear axle half-shafts breaking in heavy usage. This problem was partly due to the design of the shafts themselves. Due to the fully-floating design of the rear wheel hubs, the half shafts can be removed very quickly without even having to jack the vehicle off the ground. Rover designed the shafts to have a weak point so if the transmission was over-stressed, the easily-replaced half-shafts would break instead of a differential unit or the main gearbox. The tendency for commercial operators to overload their vehicles exacerbated this intended flaw which blighted the Series Land Rovers in many of their export markets and established a reputation that continues in many markets to the present day. This is despite the 1982 re-design (mainly the changing of the driveshafts from 12 driving-splines to 24 to reduce stress) all but solved the problem.
Also, new trim options were introduced to make the interior more comfortable if the buyer so wished (many farmers and commercial users preferred the original, non-trimmed interior).
These changes culminated in 1982 with the introduction of the "County" spec Station Wagon Land Rovers, available in both 88-inch and 109-inch types. These had all-new cloth seats from the Leyland T-45 Lorry, soundproofing kits, tinted glass and other "soft" options designed to appeal to the leisure owner/user.
Of more interest was the introduction of the High Capacity Pick Up to the 109-inch chassis. This was a pick-up truck load bay that offered 25% more cubic capacity than the standard pick-up style. The HCPU came with heavy-duty suspension and was popular with public utility companies and building contractors.
[] Land Rover Ninety and One Ten
The Defender name was adopted in 1990 as a measure to distinguish the utility Land Rover model from the Discovery and Range Rover, which were moving rapidly up-market — especially in the US. Production of what is now referred to as the Defender began in 1983 as the Land Rover 110, a simple name which refers to the 110 inch (2794 mm) length of the wheelbase. The Land Rover 90, with 93 inch or 2362 mm wheelbase, and Land Rover 127, with 127 inch or 3226 mm wheelbase, soon followed.
Outwardly, there is little to distinguish the post-1983 vehicles from the Series Rovers which had been in production since the late 1940s. A mild facelift of revised grille styling and the fitting of wheel arch extensions to cover wider-track axles are the most noticeable changes. Also the windscreen was changed from a two, to a one panel screen. Defender was, however, a complete modernisation of the former Series platform. Specifically:
* Defenders use coil springs on all four wheels, whereas Series vehicles had leaf springs. This gave a more comfortable ride when the vehicle was lightly laden and improved axle articulation to some degree.
* The new range featured a permanent 4-wheel drive system as used since 1970 on the Range Rover, featuring a two-speed transfer gearbox with a lockable differential. Series Land Rovers (with the exception of the first generation of Series I models and the 109-V8 types) had selectable 4-wheel drive, so were only capable of being driven in 2-wheel drive on the road.
* As part of the radical update, a new series of progressively more powerful and more modern engines were designed, although the Series III engine line-up remained in place when the vehicles were first launched.
* The interior was modernised, and a one-piece windscreen replaced the traditional split-screen of the Series models. Other details included the removal of the distinctive "Safari Roof" (see above).
[] Land Rover Defender 90 and 110
The biggest change to the Land Rover came in late 1990, when it became the Land Rover Defender, instead of the Land Rover Ninety or One Ten. This was because in 1989 the company had introduced the Discovery model, requiring the original Land Rover to acquire a name. The Discovery also had a new turbodiesel engine. This was also loosely based on the existing 2.5 L turbo unit, and was built on the same production line, but had a modern alloy cylinder head, improved turbocharging, intercooling and direct injection. The 200Tdi as it was called produced 107 horsepower (111 in the Discovery), and 188 lb-ft of torque (195 lb-ft in the Discovery), which was nearly a 25% improvement on the engine it replaced. The reason for the engine being detuned was to reduce engine stress and improve service life under prolonged periods of high engine speeds, such as when engaged in heavy towing, which the company reasoned were more likely to be encountered with a utility Land Rover than with a Discovery.
This engine finally allowed the Defender to cruise comfortably at high speeds, as well as tow heavy loads speedily on hills while still being economical. At a stroke Land Rover removed all the other engine options (now redundant in the face of such a good package in a single engine). Some enthusiasts consider the 200Tdi to be the best engine fitted to the vehicle.
1994 saw another development of the Tdi engine, the 300Tdi. This was the same capacity, and both the Defender and the Discovery had engines in the same state of tune (111 horsepower, 195 lb-ft), and had the same basic layout, but had over 200 changes to improve the refinement and on-road performance of the engine. However, in the process the economy of the engine was reduced slightly, as was the ability for it to be serviced by the owner.
Throughout the 1990s the vehicle climbed more and more upmarket, while remaining true to its working roots. If ordered without any optional extras, the Defender was a basic working tool. If the owner wanted, any number of accessories could transform it into a vehicle that was perfectly acceptable as an everyday method of transport, while still retaining excellent off-road abilities. This was epitomised by the limited edition 50th Anniversary Defender 90 from 1998 which was equipped with automatic transmission, air conditioning, roll-over protection cage and powered by the Range Rover 4.0 litre V8 engine.
[] The Land Rover 127 and 130
From 1985 Land Rover introduced a third wheelbase to its utility line-up, a 127-inch twin-axle vehicle designed to accommodate larger, heavier loads than the One Ten. Naturally called the Land Rover 127, it was designed specifically with use by utility and electrical companies in mind, as well as military usage. In its standard form it consisted of the front half of a One Ten Station Wagon, with 4 doors, providing seating for 6. The rear consisted of the rear body from a One Ten High-Capacity Pick Up (HCPU). The logic was that this allowed a workcrew and their equipment to be carried in one vehicle at the same time. The 127 could carry up to 1.4 tons payload, compared to the 1.03 tons payload of the One Ten and the 0.6 tons of the Ninety.
127s were built on a special production line, and all started life as One Ten Station Wagon chassis. These were then cut in two and the 17-inches of extra chassis length welded on before the two original halves were reunited. 127s did not receive their own dedicated badging like the other two models, instead they used the same metal grille badges as used on the Series III 109 V8 models, that simply said Land-Rover.
Although the standard body-style was popular, the 127 was a popular basis for conversions to specialist uses, such as mobile workshops, ambulances, fire engines or even flatbed transports. In South Africa, the Land Rover factory there offered a 127 Station Wagon with seating for 15. Land Rover also offered the 127 as a bare chassis, with just front bodywork and bulkhead, for easy conversion.
Initially held back by the low power of the Land Rover engines (other than the thirsty V8 petrol engine), the 127 benefited from the improvements to the line-up, and by 1990 was only available with the two highest power engines, the 134-horsepower 3.5-litre V8 petrol, and the 85-horsepower 2.5-litre Diesel Turbo.
With the introduction of the Defender name in late 1990, along with the 200Tdi engine, the 127's name was changed to the Land Rover Defender 130. The wheelbase remained the same; the new figure was simply a tidying up exercise. More importantly, 130s were no longer built from "cut-and-shut" 110s, but had dedicated chassis built from scratch.
The 130 remains available with only the 6-seater HCPU bodystyle as standard, and followed the same engine and other technical changes as the rest of the Defender range, including the fitting of a new interior and 2.4-litre Ford DuraTorq engine in 2007.
[] The Present Day Land Rover Defender
The last major change was the fitting of another diesel engine. The Tdi could no longer meet emissions regulations so in 1998 the Defender was fitted with an all-new 2.5 L, 5-cylinder in-line turbodiesel engine, badged the Td5. This replaced the Tdi as the only available power unit. The engine used electronic control systems to provide 11 horsepower more than the Tdi, and much improved refinement. Traditionalists were critical of the electronic systems deployed throughout the vehicle, fearing that these would fail when used in extreme conditions. This was not proved to be the case, but the increased complexity means that repairs and upgrades to the engine have to be done by someone with necessary electronic equipment, which has led home mechanics to prefer to buy second-hand Tdi-powered vehicles. However the Td5 as of 2007 is to be replaced by the Ford Transit's DuraTorq engine to comply with emissions regulations also the seating layout has been changed to comply with new seat belt regulations and the traditional air flaps will be removed and replaced with air con to the distress of many fans all over the world.
Another new vehicle is the Defender 110 Double Cab, featuring a station wagon style seating area, with an open pick up back. Although prototypes had been built in the series days, it was not until the late 1990s that this popular and adaptable vehicle got into production.
Now, more than ever, there is a strong division in sales pitch between the Station Wagon versions and the commercially-intended Pick-Ups and Van-bodied versions. Modern vehicles can be very luxurious. The "XS" Station Wagon was introduced in 2002 as a top-spec level, while the "County" package can now be applied to every model in the line-up. XS models come with many "luxury" features, such as heated windscreen, heated seats, air conditioning, electronic traction control and leather seats. These are popular with buyers in the UK and other developed countries, who either use the vehicle for on-road duties such as towing or people-moving, or simply as an interesting and fashionable alternative to an estate car.
At the other extreme, basic models are still popular with farmers, industrial and commercial users, as well as the emergency services. It finds willing buyers in over 140 countries. Land Rover still provides a staggering range of special conversions such as hydraulic platforms, fire engines, mobile workshops, ambulances and breakdown recovery trucks.
The Defender is very much an anachronism in today's vehicle marketplace. It is still largely hand assembled, and unlike most modern cars and trucks, all the major body panels and sub-assemblies simply bolt together. A Defender can literally be broken down to its chassis with simple hand tools — there is no unibody structure. This is actually an advantage when used extensive for off road travel — unibody vehicles can weaken over time, but there are no such stress points on a Defender. This feature allowed Land Rover vehicles to be shipped anywhere in the world as "CKD" ("completely knocked down") kits, but has become a liability because of the high cost of labour in the UK where the vehicles are primarily manufactured today.
Both enthusiasts and commercial users appreciate the bolt-together construction of the vehicle, for it not only means that modifications and accessories are easy to fit, but dented or damaged panels can easily be replaced with replacements. It also means that the bodywork of the vehicle gives absolutely no structural strength (it can be completely removed, leaving just the chassis and bulkhead/firewall if needed). This has its advantages in that modifications, damage or corrosion in the bodywork cannot compromise the vehicle's strength, but also means that the upper bodywork offers little or no protection in the event of the vehicle rolling over. Roll-over cages are popular modifications fitted by many users, and were standard fitment to all North American Specification (NAS) and 50th Anniversary Defenders. The simple construction of the vehicles has another advantage, which is that given a basic set of spanners, an individual vehicle can be switched between many of the various bodystyles available. For example, it is not uncommon for enthusiasts to fit a "Soft Top" canvas hood during the summer months, switching to an aluminium panel "Hard Top" van-back during the winter. Only long-wheelbase Station Wagons cannot be changed to other body types because of their unique 5-door arrangement, the lack of any lateral interior bulkheads and a differently-shaped chassis to accommodate the central row of seats. Whilst these procedures could in theory still be carried out on even the latest vehicles, the amount of interior trim, panelling and electrical wiring carried in the roof and side panels of a more modern Land Rover means that such swapping is not as quick or practical as it once was.
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