50 YEARS OF VELAR: THE STORY OF RANGE ROVER
Tuesday 4th April, Solihull, Land Rover has opened a new visitor attraction at its thriving Solihull manufacturing plant. ‘The Range Rover Story’ is an interactive exhibit created to celebrate 50 years of the world’s most revered luxury SUV.
Range Rover has been manufactured at Solihull since 1970, but its history with the site goes back to 1967 when the first secret prototype was conceived, codenamed Velar. The new exhibit will take visitors on a time-travelling voyage from its inception in the mid 1960s, through to the introduction of the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. The exhibition culminates in an exciting unveil of the new Range Rover Velar, celebrating British design and engineering integrity.
Roger Crathorne (known as Mr Land Rover) dedicated 50 years’ service to Land Rover and has been heavily involved in the creation of the exhibition. He said: “The exhibit tells the incredible story of the Range Rover, from the original Velar prototype through to today’s new model. At the time I began my career in 1967 as a Technical Assistant on the Velar Team, the intention was never to build a luxury vehicle. Over the 50 years since, the Range Rover has come a long way. We wanted to develop a more comfortable on-road Land Rover that would combine the comfort of the Rover with the Land Rover 4×4 capability to support a growing leisure market.”
Nigel Blenkinsop, Operations Director at Solihull, said: “We are hugely proud to build the Range Rover Velar at Solihull, the birthplace of both the Land Rover and Range Rover. Here, we have invested over £2bn in recent years to enable us to triple production. Our business is now Britain’s number one car manufacturer.”
The opening of the Range Rover exhibition coincides with the opening of Velar manufacturing tours at Solihull. Velar is the third new model in a year to be launched at the plant, following the Jaguar F-PACE and new Discovery. Velar is produced in one of the largest aluminium body shops in the world and is beautifully finished in a versatile trim hall; capable of producing three different SUVs – all built to customers’ unique specifications.
The Solihull plant has contributed to the company doubling its sales and headcount in the past five years. This has supported the UK’s revival in manufacturing, boosting the British economy where the automotive company provides 240,000 jobs in the supply chain. The Range Rover family contributes £10bn annually to the UK economy and is Britain’s largest luxury export.
4×4 Land Rover Servicing & Repairs In Berkshire – At an affordable Price
Don forget that If you have a Land Rover, Range Rover or any other Four Wheel Drive Vehicle the NK4WD can maintain it to the highest standards, specifications and scheduling, using original equipment. This combined with our competitive labour rates approximately which is approximately half the main dealer rates (which won’t invalidate your vehicle’s warranty), it doesn’t need to break the bank.
If however your vehicle needs more serious attention, we have both the expertise & equipment to fix it quickly and efficiently. We carry a large stock of parts and together with our years of experience, it guarantees a speedy and efficient repair. Over the years we have also invested heavily in the latest equipment and facilities to enable us to provide you with exceptionally highest standards; both in terms of the work we do and the service you receive.
Land Rover, Range Rovers and most other our Wheel Drive Vehicles have a well earned reputation for reliability and people will tell you they thrive on abuse. They are without doubt tough, however like all vehicles, regular maintenance is very much the key to trouble-free motoring so let NK4WD carry out your servicing and repairs.
Remember, our vehicle servicing is done at a fixed price and we offer a labour rate which is half or better than the main dealer rates.
Nk4WD can provide comprehensive servicing and repairs in the following areas:
- Engines
- Gearboxes & Clutches
- Fault Diagnosis
- Air Conditioning
- Tyres
- Performance & Tuning
- MOT’s
- Welding
Computerised Diagnostics
At NK4WD, we have the latest computerised diagnostic equipment, specifically designed to quickly identify faults on your Land Rover vehicle and facilitate an expeditious rectification.
This equipment also enables us to carry out system resets and performance & economy enhancements.
Why not contact us today and discuss your requirements…
Contact us now on 01344 885222 or email us service@nk4wd.co.uk