Land Rover can lay claim to inventing the luxury off-road 4x4 with the Range Rover in 1970 (at £1,800). Discovery came in 1989 and soon made the Land Rover badged vehicle a ‘must have’ motor car for the more comfortably off middle class.
Built on a separate chassis, they offered manual transmission and centre differential lock, permanent 4x4 with a transfer box for high/low ratios. Although far from “utility” vehicles, these were dual-use 4x4s still capable of a proper job of work.
Mercedes-Benz evolved a more ‘soft-roader’ approach with the M-class of 1998 - aimed initially at and built in the USA. But the ‘Sport’ in SUV came – unequivocally – with the BMW X5 of 1999. It abandoned the transfer box but concentrated instead on a competent permanent 4x4 system which was as much of an asset on-road as off it.
Built on a separate chassis, they offered manual transmission and centre differential lock, permanent 4x4 with a transfer box for high/low ratios. Although far from “utility” vehicles, these were dual-use 4x4s still capable of a proper job of work.
Mercedes-Benz evolved a more ‘soft-roader’ approach with the M-class of 1998 - aimed initially at and built in the USA. But the ‘Sport’ in SUV came – unequivocally – with the BMW X5 of 1999. It abandoned the transfer box but concentrated instead on a competent permanent 4x4 system which was as much of an asset on-road as off it.
BMW actually coined the phrase “Sport Activity Vehicle” for the X5 (and subsequent X3 and X1). Typically German, it’s much more accurate and logical but hasn’t caught on. SUV it is. Logic, after all, has very little to do with this end of the car market
The X5 might have shocked BMW enthusiasts but, US-built again, sales took off and it has made shed-loads of money for the company. The X5 might have caused a stir but it was nothing compared to the disbelief of traditional Porsche buyers at the 2002 Cayenne. Jointly developed with Volkswagen, the Touareg is its sister-car.
Once more people voted with their wallets and it was a massive hit becoming the single biggest selling Porsche model. Second generation Cayenne (2010) again dropped the transfer box but VW retained it for one (‘Escape’) variant of the Touareg.
Land Rover meanwhile hadn’t been standing still. Third edition Range Rover arrived in 2001. Developed under BMW with Ian Cameron as design lead, it adopted unitary body construction as for X5. Manual transmission had gone but a new high/low ratio system retained class-leading off-road ability married to a vast improvement on-road.
Next up – Bentley Motors. Audi (VW Group’s premium brand) already has BMW SUV rivals: Q7, Q5 and Q3. Cheapest of the Group’s luxury car division is Bentley’s Continental GT V8 at a touch under £124,000. Earlier this year it said an SUV was planned. The Crewe factory is tooling up for production and it should arrive in 2015.
The X5 might have shocked BMW enthusiasts but, US-built again, sales took off and it has made shed-loads of money for the company. The X5 might have caused a stir but it was nothing compared to the disbelief of traditional Porsche buyers at the 2002 Cayenne. Jointly developed with Volkswagen, the Touareg is its sister-car.
Once more people voted with their wallets and it was a massive hit becoming the single biggest selling Porsche model. Second generation Cayenne (2010) again dropped the transfer box but VW retained it for one (‘Escape’) variant of the Touareg.
Land Rover meanwhile hadn’t been standing still. Third edition Range Rover arrived in 2001. Developed under BMW with Ian Cameron as design lead, it adopted unitary body construction as for X5. Manual transmission had gone but a new high/low ratio system retained class-leading off-road ability married to a vast improvement on-road.
Next up – Bentley Motors. Audi (VW Group’s premium brand) already has BMW SUV rivals: Q7, Q5 and Q3. Cheapest of the Group’s luxury car division is Bentley’s Continental GT V8 at a touch under £124,000. Earlier this year it said an SUV was planned. The Crewe factory is tooling up for production and it should arrive in 2015.
Rolls-Royce 20/25 Shooting Break (1933) – converted to this bodywork either during WWII or soon after, it is more of an estate car rather than small bus type sometimes seen earlier on large estates. Picture supplied by the Real Car Co, Bethesda. Specialist dealers in early Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, Real Car Co was awarded the Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy by Welsh Motoring Writers in 2010: www.realcar.co.uk.
And Rolls-Royce Motor Cars? Research is under way but CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos is reported as saying that no decision has been made, the right answer is not there yet and, if production does go ahead, a vehicle on sale is some years away.
But Rolls-Royce does have a heritage here upon which to draw. Having seen commendable military service in the Great War, the car was soon seen as an ideal basis for a Shooting Brake. From the 1920s coachbuilders were fitting wooden bodywork not only to the ‘smaller’ 20HP chassis/engine but larger Phantom too.
During World War II, commercial vehicles (which included shooting brakes) qualified for a greater petrol ration. Many owners sent their cars back to coachbuilders to be converted. Purchase Tax also came in but again commercial vehicles were exempt.
Shooting Brakes became a thriving business after 1945 but in time Inland Revenue closed the loopholes and cars with bodywork on a separate chassis became rare.
But Rolls-Royce does have a heritage here upon which to draw. Having seen commendable military service in the Great War, the car was soon seen as an ideal basis for a Shooting Brake. From the 1920s coachbuilders were fitting wooden bodywork not only to the ‘smaller’ 20HP chassis/engine but larger Phantom too.
During World War II, commercial vehicles (which included shooting brakes) qualified for a greater petrol ration. Many owners sent their cars back to coachbuilders to be converted. Purchase Tax also came in but again commercial vehicles were exempt.
Shooting Brakes became a thriving business after 1945 but in time Inland Revenue closed the loopholes and cars with bodywork on a separate chassis became rare.
The first Rolls-Royce Phantom of the BMW era. (Current model from £285,200; 6.7 litre; V12 cylinder; 453bhp) - might venture further off-road before long.
Like Bentley and VW Group parent, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has BMW behind it - its xDrive full-time 4x4 is highly sophisticated. It might not come with a transfer box but the 8 speed transmission in today’s Phantom, Ghost and Wraith offers a fair spread of ratios. Air suspension can vary the ride height and harnessing a car’s electronic assets for off-road use is a well-trodden path for powertrain and chassis engineers.
Is it likely? Probable rather than possible but it’s unlikely to be called an SUV – or shooting brake. It certainly won’t have wooden bodywork but could be a “classic estate car” perhaps with a taller off-road profile and an ability to venture off-tarmac (albeit occasionally) effortlessly and elegantly. But could you bear to get it dirty? Mind you, wouldn’t be “you” washing it down and cleaning it up afterwards, would it?
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the Farmers' Union of Wales.
Is it likely? Probable rather than possible but it’s unlikely to be called an SUV – or shooting brake. It certainly won’t have wooden bodywork but could be a “classic estate car” perhaps with a taller off-road profile and an ability to venture off-tarmac (albeit occasionally) effortlessly and elegantly. But could you bear to get it dirty? Mind you, wouldn’t be “you” washing it down and cleaning it up afterwards, would it?
By Huw Thomas
First published in Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the Farmers' Union of Wales.
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