ROVER

27 entries

British bicycle, motorcycle and car maker in independent operation from 1878 to 1967, creator of the Land Rover and Range Rover.

Founded
1878, by John Kemp Starley and William Sutton
Cars from
1904
Base
Solihull, Warwickshire
Today
Dormant marque of Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors

The company was founded by John Kemp Starley and William Sutton in 1878 and made the Rover safety bicycle in 1885, usually described as the first recognisably modern bicycle. Car production followed from 1904.

Rover built the Land Rover from 1948 and created the Range Rover in 1970. It was bought by Leyland Motors in 1967, gave its name to the Rover Group in 1986, and the group was broken up by BMW in 2000.

  1. 1878Company founded by Starley and Sutton
  2. 1904Car production begins
  3. 1948Land Rover introduced
  4. 1967Bought by Leyland Motors
  5. 2000Rover Group broken up by BMW