Land-Rover Series I 80-inch
A farm-and-work machine built from simple Rover parts became the starting point for the Land Rover story.
1948 Land Rover Series I 80-inch soft-top · Sicnag · CC BY 2.0 Generic
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Rover revealed the Land-Rover at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. This page stays with the earliest 80-inch-wheelbase utility version, before longer bodies and larger engines broadened the Series I family. Its corrosion-resistant aluminium-alloy outer panels helped conserve scarce post-war steel. The early front-drive freewheel arrangement differs from the selectable system fitted to later Series I vehicles.
Look a little closer.
The first production vehicles were painted in shades of green associated with surplus aircraft-cockpit paint—a practical choice in post-war Britain.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Designed for work first
Very short front and rear overhangs improved the approach and departure angles, while simple flat aluminium-alloy body panels could be shaped with modest tooling. The spare wheel could ride on the bonnet to free cargo space.
Source: Land Rover · The Defender Story ↗A transfer box for difficult ground
The driver's main lever selected four forward gearbox ratios. A separate transfer mechanism supplied high or low range, trading road speed for much greater wheel torque when climbing or crossing soft ground.
Source: Land-Rover Series I Operation Manual 1948–1951 ↗Where these facts come from
- Land Rover · The Defender Story
- Land-Rover Series I Operation Manual 1948–1951
- National Motor Museum · Land-Rover R04
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.