Britain's tax law once classed anything with twelve seats or more as a bus, so this Land Rover got two extra seats to dodge Purchase Tax.
Median 74 hp across 9 similar cars
Lead trim: Series II 2.0 petrol (52 hp, first SWB cars) · up to 72 hp
Land Rover Series II1958–1961
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Land Rover Series II yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactBritain's tax law once classed anything with twelve seats or more as a bus, so this Land Rover got two extra seats to dodge Purchase Tax.
The Land Rover Series II, produced from 1958 until the Series IIA arrived in 1961, was the successor to the Series I and came in 88 in (SWB) and 109 in (LWB) wheelbases. It was the first Land Rover to receive the attention of Rover's styling department: chief stylist David Bache produced the familiar "barrel side" waistline, with a 5 in greater width to cover the wider tracks, and a better truck-cab design with curved side windows and a rounded roof. It was the first vehicle to use the well-known 2.25-litre petrol engine, 72 hp, closely related to the 2.0-litre diesel unit and the standard Land Rover unit until the mid-1980s, though the first 1,500 or so SWB models kept the 52 hp 2.0-litre petrol engine from the Series I to use up stock. The 109-inch station wagon introduced a twelve-seater option on top of the standard ten-seater, which took advantage of UK tax law (twelve seats or more was classed as a bus, exempt from Purchase Tax) and remained popular until 2002. The 107-inch Series I station wagon continued until late 1959 for export demand, and specialist conversions such as the tracked "Cuthbertson" and the tractor-wheeled "Forest Rover" were built on the Series II.
Collectors Spotted in the Land Rover Series Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Land Rover Series yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series II 2.0 diesel | 1958–1961 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 51 hp | 87 lb-ft | — | 4WD | — | — |
| Series II 2.0 petrol (52 hp, first SWB cars) | 1958–1958 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 52 hp | 101 lb-ft | — | 4WD | — | — |
| Series II 2.25 petrol (72 hp) | 1958–1961 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 72 hp | 120 lb-ft | — | 4WD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The one-millionth Land Rover ever built rolled off this line in 1976, still riding on leaf springs from the 1940s.
This is the Land Rover of every film set in Africa, built in the years its home sales peaked at over 60,000 a year.
Britain's tax law once classed anything with twelve seats or more as a bus, so this Land Rover got two extra seats to dodge Purchase Tax.
The very first Land Rover prototype put the steering wheel dead-center of the dashboard — a layout so odd it became known as the 'centre steer.'
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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