76LAN188004 OXFORD DIECAST Land Rover series I 109" hard top in "Royal Mail" livery

Rover chief engineer Maurice Wilks was inspired by his army-surplus Willys-Overland Jeep to create a workhorse vehicle for military and agricultural use.

Prototypes were up and running by late 1947, and production of the Series I began at Solihull in summer 1948.

The Land Rover price started from just £450.

Supply to the British forces started in 1949, the Land Rover replacing the Austin Champ, and later, the rust-prone Austin Gipsy.

Deliveries to organisations such as the Red Cross soon followed.

The 100,000th Land Rover was made in autumn 1954 and by 1958, production ran to around 200,000.