← Land Rover

Series I–III

The original — built from aluminum because steel was rationed.

The Series I (1948) was bodied in aluminum alloy panels, not for weight or corrosion resistance as such — though both helped — but because post-war Britain had strict steel rationing while aircraft-grade aluminum was comparatively available. Early Series Is were even painted in surplus military aircraft cockpit paint, which is why light green became an early signature color.

The Series II (1958) brought the first real styling input, from designer David Bache, giving the vehicle the curved waistline that later Land Rovers kept even as the rest of the body stayed resolutely flat and functional.

The Series III (1971) modernized the interior and switched to an all-synchromesh gearbox, and remained in production until 1985, when it was replaced by the coil-sprung Ninety and One Ten models — the direct ancestors of what would later be named Defender.