Land Rover is a well-known brand of vehicle. They are best known for being an off-road type of vehicle as well as being a four-wheel drive. Land Rover has a long history behind it, longer than you might think! This article is to explain who owns Land Rover and what you should know about them.
The Founding of Land Rover
Land Rover has been around for a very long time, the company that is. Its earliest form was called the Rover Company which was a bike manufacturer way back in 1885 in Warwickshire, England. It changed ownership throughout the decades of its history.
The first design for the vehicles that we know today was developed in 1947 in the aftermath of World War II by Maurice Wilks. He and his brother Spencer spent time on a farm working on the designs. It is said that they were inspired by the Jeep and the first prototype was built with Jeep parts.
It was then in 1978 that Land Rover Limited was founded. But, by this time, the Rover Company had been absorbed under the Rover-Triumph division of British Leyland Motor Corporation back in 1967.
Land Rover Under New Management
Land Rover would continue to be passed around. This includes BMW in the 90s and Ford in the early 2000s. It wasn’t until January 18, 2008, that Tata Motors of Tata Group created the Jaguar Land Rover Limited as its own subsidiary.
Tata Motors is an auto manufacturing giant from the subcontinent of India. Tata Motors, like Land Rover, has its origins back in the 1800s, specifically 1868 when it was a trading company. The Tata Group themselves became internationally known through several feats of accomplishments. These include:
- When they built India’s first hotel with electricity back in 1907.
- They also built the first hydropower plant in western India.
- Founded the Indian Institute of Science in 1911.
Tata Motors would then buy Jaguar Cars and Land Rover in 2008 to become Jaguar Land Rover Limited in 2013. Tata Motors is responsible for other automotive groups and projects around the world while its parent company, Tata Group has many other businesses not related to cars. Some of this includes telecommunications and hospitals.
Land Rovers and Range Rovers
Now, you may be confused about Land Rovers and Range Rovers. Well, the difference is nothing because Range Rover is actually not a separate brand, but a model within Land Rover.
Not to mention, the Range Rover is the name of the Land Rover lineup and is even known as the Range Rover family. This family consists of the Range Rover, the Ranger Rover Sport, and the Range Rover Velar.
So, their full name is Land Rover Range Rover or Land Rover Range Rover sport, and so on.
Who Land Rover Today?
Today, Jaguar Land Rover is under Adrian Mardell who just got the position of interim CEO in November 2022. Prior to that, he was the CFO starting in June 2019. Even before that, he has been working for the company for 30 years in a variety of financial roles. He has helped the company deliver its promises to its shareholders, causing ambitious gains.
As of today, the Chairman Emeritus for Tata Group is Sir Ratan Naval Tata. He is an industrialist who was the chairman of the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012. He was also the interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017.
Tata has invested in many companies with his acquired wealth. Some of these businesses focus on cash-back or rewards programs, while others deal with online real estate, discount coupons, mobile phones, pet care, or wholesale or retail goods. Tata is a large supporter of education, medicine, and rural development he donates much of his money to these things. In fact, he is one of the largest philanthropists in the world donating up to 65% of his income to a variety of charities.
Conclusion
Land Rover has continued to make strides in the business world. They have even started to branch out from vehicles and started other products under the Land Rover name. These include bicycles, coffee, and pushchairs.
Land Rover also continues to have a usage in the military as well because of its similarities to Jeep. Reconnaissance and modifications for holding weapons are largely the extent of their use.
Regardless, this company started just as a little bike company and is now a world-famous brand of off-road vehicles. Despite being under a variety of ownerships, it continues to grow in prestige and recognizability.
For any entrepreneur out there seeking to make their own car manufacturer, look to Land Rover as an inspiration. They started in the late 1800s but didn’t really take off until the 1970s. This kind of thing takes time, but if you give your business the same amount of care and respect, then who knows where it will end up in the far future?!
