Series II 88

The development of the Land Rover 88 Series II was preceded by the production of the Land Rover Series I. This was launched on the market between 1948 and 1958 as a vehicle for agricultural use. In the years before the Second World War, however, the British company Rover had primarily produced luxury cars. The car was equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine. As steel was still in short supply after the war, aluminium was used to manufacture the body. The production of this model series not only secured Rover’s economic existence, but also laid the foundation for the Land Rover 88 Series II.

As the market for commercial vehicles had developed well for Rover in the 1950s, the company decided to further expand its range. The Land Rover 88, also known as the Series II, was produced in 1958. Chief designer David Bache also created the typical Land Rover look with the new series. The curved windows and the curved roof of the car were considered concessions to the lorry version. The company also developed a 12-seater that could be registered as a bus in the UK, which gave the owners tax advantages. As a diesel engine was used for the Land Rover models from 1957, this made it necessary to extend the wheelbase to 88 inches, which corresponded to 2235.2 millimetres. The long version was extended to a wheelbase of 109 inches or 2768.6 millimetres. The new features of the Land Rover 88 also included the bodywork. This had curved side panels that served to accommodate wider tracked axles. Another typical trademark of the Land Rover was its square design, the round lamps and the recessed radiator grille. Furthermore, the new engine had a displacement of 2286 cc and was available as a diesel engine as well as a petrol engine. From 1967, a 2625 cc six-cylinder petrol engine was also available. However, this often caused technical driving problems in extreme conditions. The Series II A was launched in 1966. This attracted a great deal of attention for the Land Rover 88 in the media and ensured that the car became better known. At the beginning of 1968, model number 600,000 came off the production line. In 1969, record sales were even achieved with 60,000 vehicles sold per year. Between 1971 and 1984, the last model series of the Land Rover 88 was created with the Series III, which also had two wheelbases of 88 and 109 inches. In addition, different body styles with larger load volumes appeared.