When it comes to the Range Rover, Land Rover has plenty to brag about – the road-going off-roader is the forerunner to virtually ever car in its segment, and arguably the standout mass-produced British model of the last fifty years. Since its launch in 1970, when the Range Rover was the first SUV to use permanent four-wheel drive, it has crossed the treacherous Darien Gap of Central America, won the Paris-Dakar rally twice and even been displayed alongside the artwork at the Louvre Museum of Paris. Even more significantly for JLR, it has sold more than million examples worldwide. So now, in what is its golden anniversary, there’s a lot to commemorate.
Not being one to miss out on a testimonial, Land Rover will launch a special Range Rover Fifty tomorrow, June 17 - exactly 50 years to the day since the original arrived. As a nod to that year, 1,970 cars will be produced, with a Fifty-specific finish and, for the first time in decades, three Heritage exterior solid paints reproduced from the original RR palette available in “extremely limited” numbers. The shades are as follows, ordered here in how typically seventies they are: Tuscan Blue, Davos White and Bahama Gold. The rest of the run can be finished in Carpathian Grey, Rosello Red or Aruba, or a dramatic Santorini Black.
Both standard and long-wheelbase bodies are offered in Fifty guise, with each car sitting on 22-inch alloys as standard and wearing bespoke exterior bits finished in Auric Atlas black. Inside, each RR will get a plaque bearing a ‘1 of 1,970’ inscription, with the lettering also shown on the illuminated treadplates and stitched into the headrests. The script, by the way, was penned by Gerry McGovern OBE, Land Rover’s chief creative officer, who has headed up the design of JLR’s Range Rovers since 2010, from the Evoque to the full-size top model.
Land Rover said the Range Rover Fifty variant is available with a variety of powerplants, including petrol and diesel motors, and also the P400e plug-in hybrid. It doesn’t provide more specifics than that at this stage, though the RR is available with everything from that 2.0-litre-based PHEV powertrain to JLR’s beguiling 5.0-litre V8, with Land Rover’s turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six the newest addition to the line-up. Thanks to that expansive choice, prices will vary significantly for the Fifty run – although you'd be wise to expect a sizeable increase on the list prices of each current variant.
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