The History Of Land Rover
The British Trans-Americas Expedition leaves Alaska in two Range Rovers in December - heading for Tierra del Fuego. One of the last great car journeys of the world left to be done, the real challenge lies in the jungles of the Darien Gap in Central America. The Land Rover 1-tonne Forward Control is announced. The vehicle is designed to the British Army specifications it is powered by a de-tuned, militarised version of the 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine used in the Range Rover. Following years of industrial disruption, British Leyland is taken under state control to prevent its bankruptcy and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. The production of an 88-inch Station Wagon at Solihull marks the one millionth Land Rover built. Industrialist Michael Edwardes is brought in by the Government to manage British Leyland. He creates Land Rover Limited as a separate operating company, and for the first time in its history, Land Rover is under independent management. A new version of the Land Rover 109-inch, powered by the V8 petrol engine, is launched. The four-door version of the Range Rover is launched.
Although Ford products should be targeted to different regions, worldwide technical commonality should be emphasized to keep the number of vehicle platforms and options to a minimal, consolidated, streamlined amount. Here鈥檚 a recent interview of Alan Mulally exclusively for Seeking Alpha. Focus on simplicity and commonality to put 85% of global Ford volume onto just nine platforms. Each platform will have numerous options, such as trim levels or energy systems (petrol, diesel, natural gas, hybrid, electric, etc), but the core platforms are consolidated and common throughout the company. Instead of producing fixed operating volume, Ford will continue to allow its production to match demand, so it can more flexibility ride through booms and busts of demand. The aforementioned consolidation and streamlining is key here, as well as the concept of producing vehicles closer to where they are used. Overall, I鈥檓 in agreement with Ford鈥檚 new approach (which it should have been doing all along), and Mulally鈥檚 leadership. The company is only selling approximately half of the number of vehicles annually in America as it was 10 years ago, due to a combination of the recession, lost market share, and the sale of certain car brands.
There was a buzz of activity at the Jaguar Land Rover headquarters in Gaydon on Monday as the firm welcomed its biggest single intake of graduates in its history. Des Thurlby, director of human resources at the firm, explained how it has been possible to take on such a large number. He said: 鈥淎s a business, we are growing and expanding. We are just about to launch the Land Rover Evoke and have many more exciting products planned. 鈥淲e need lots of engineers and manufacturers, but also people to work in our IT and finance and other departments. 鈥淲e had 8,600 applications and we have hired 336, so these people have done really well to be here. And it鈥檚 not just graduates. This month JLR is also hiring its largest ever intake of apprentices - 104 - as well as 500 experienced recruits who will go directly into staff jobs. The majority of the new employees will be working in Gaydon and Coventry, while others will take on roles across the UK. Among these is 23-year-old Gillan Rattray, who gained the job a year after graduating from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh with a masters in mechanical engineering. She said: 鈥淪ince I graduated, I have been wanting to get into the automotive industry, but it has been quite difficult.
USB chargers are placed under the slidable cup holders in the center console, while an HDMI connection and 12-volt plugs round it out. 4G Wi-Fi is offered for up to eight devices. Both come equipped with a turbocharged gas engine. The range starts with the 40i, which gets a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, while at the top is the 50i, which gets new 4.4-liter V-8. An Automatic Start Stop function is standard to keep mpg figures in check. Both engines mate to an eight-speed automatic transmission, which integrates with the onboard nav system and driver assist features to more accurately execute the shifts needed, based on what it reads up ahead. For example, the transmission will anticipate a downshift when approaching a hill, effectively using engine braking to slow the vehicle and stay within the posted speed limit. There鈥檚 also integration with the suspension system for greater ride comfort. Both trims send their respective power to the ground by way of BMW鈥檚 xDrive AWD system, which can alternatively run as a full RWD system when extra traction isn鈥檛 needed, enhancing overall fuel efficiency.
