Land Rover has a long and dynamic history, having been owned by multiple companies over the years. Currently, it is owned by Tata Motors, an Indian automotive giant that acquired the brand along with Range Rover in 2008. Under Tata’s leadership, Land Rover vehicles have been modernized with more efficient engines. In 2012, Land Rover was grouped with Jaguar to form Jaguar Land Rover Limited (JLR), and in 2023, the company simplified its name to JLR as part of a broader sustainability and branding strategy. This change also streamlined model naming, avoiding redundancies like “Land Rover Range Rover.”
Land Rover traces its origins back to 1948 when it was introduced under the Rover Company. Designed by Maurice Wilks and built on a Jeep chassis, it debuted at the Amsterdam Motor Show. Over the next few decades, Land Rover’s popularity grew, leading to the creation of Land Rover Limited under British Leyland Motors. In 1994, BMW acquired the brand before selling it to Ford in 2000. After eight years, Ford transferred ownership to Tata Motors, which expanded its manufacturing capabilities and significantly contributed to the brand’s growth.
Global Production of Land Rover
Although Land Rover was founded in England and still has its primary manufacturing facilities there, the brand now has a global production network. The Solihull plant in the UK assembles models like the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Velar, while the Halewood plant produces the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. Additionally, manufacturing plants in China, Slovakia, and Brazil serve key markets worldwide.
Since Tata Motors’ acquisition, a facility in Pune, India, has been producing the Land Rover Discovery. Due to a surge in Range Rover demand—reportedly increasing by 160% in India in 2024—the plant also began assembling the Range Rover Evoque and Velar.
Beyond vehicle assembly, Land Rover components are produced at various locations. The UK alone houses 13 additional sites and an Irish facility focusing on engines, batteries, and new technologies. In the U.S., a research center in Oregon works on advanced automotive technologies. Because Tata Motors also owns Jaguar, JLR operates a production facility in Graz, Austria, where Jaguar E-Pace and I-Pace models are manufactured. Additionally, a team in Budapest, Hungary, manages global supply chain logistics for JLR.
