Conceived in 1947 by the Rover Company’s Technical Director Maurice Wilks, the Land Rover was envisioned as a versatile agricultural and utility vehicle. It marked a major shift for Rover, whose luxury cars lacked demand in the post-war market. Designed as a single model offering, the Land Rover went on sale in 1948 and became the company’s biggest seller and would ultimately outlive the Rover car company itself.
Sold in June 1950 by Grenvilles, Sydney, this early example spent much of its life in Mudgee, New South Wales, before being acquired by a father-and-sons Land Rover parts and restoration business located near Lamington National Park, Queensland. Eventually sold, it was placed in storage for over two decades. Acquired by the current owner in late 2022 in barn-find condition, the Land Rover was then the subject of a meticulous 12-month ground-up restoration, creating a beautifully presented example of post-war British utility engineering.
