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The 10th Anniversary of the Land Rover
coincided with the launch of the Series II versions, which retained
the 88-inch and 109-inch wheelbases. A major feature was the 2286cc
version of the existing petrol engine... but the most obvious aspect
of this latest model was its updated styling. For the first time
ever, Rover’s styling department was asked to take a look at the
Land Rover, and the series II is what they came up with. The
difficulty was that as the existing shape was so ideally suited to
the Land Rover’s image and demands, how could it be improved? The
styling team finally decided upon minor refinements and revisions
rather than any great restyling job; such changes included
“modesty skirts” on both sides to cover up the exhaust pipe and
chassis frame, more rounded body sides, a reshaped bonnet and neater
door hinges. A more varied range of colours was also introduced, emphasizing
the Land Rover’s appeal to the private motorist as well as the
commercial user. Softer road springs and modified dampers were now
incorporated, giving a softer, more comfortable ride and increased
stability - the Series II Land Rover could be driven at an angle of
45 degrees to the vertical with few problems...
Although the Land Rover had sold strongly
from day one, Rover pursued a policy of gradual improvement to the
model. The next stage in the evolution came about in 1961 with the
introduction of Land Rovers Series IIA. Changes were relatively
minor, apart from the adoption of a more powerful diesel engine, now
sharing the petrol engine's 2286cc capacity.
One problem that Rover simply had to tackle
was that of Purchase Tax on the Land Rover Station Wagons, these
being the only Land Rovers subject to this tax simply because of
their passenger-carrying abilities. The answer was to launch a
12-seater Station Wagon, which was possible due to the extra length
of the standard long-wheelbase models by now. Unlike the existing
10-seater models, the new 12-seaters were classed as “buses”,
hence commercial vehicles, and were not liable to Purchase Tax. This
enabled Land Rover to market the 12-seater on the home market at a
lower price than the 10-seater (just £950 as opposed to £1,293 in
1962), increasing Station Wagon sales dramatically. |
