Suburban & Travelall, say hello to the 1955 Road Rover series I prototype, aka the precursor to the daddy of all SUV’s, the Range Rover. As sales of the Land Rover flourished in the early 1950s, Rover began to explore the concept of a new model which would be positioned between its car range and the Land Rover models. It was to be more car like but retaining the cross-country abilities of the Land Rover, without its utilitarian image. Rover settled on the name 'Road Rover' for the project, which it began in 1952. The initial Road Rover design was based on a modified P4 car chassis, fitted with a Land Rover engine. Initially four wheel drive was planned but most prototypes had rear wheel drive only. The austere and simple body was nicknamed 'Greenhouse'. In common with its sister Land Rover with which it shares a resemblance, the first Road Rover made use of aluminium body panels. By 1955 Rover took a different approach to the project, the later series 11 prototypes taking styling cues from the American station wagon. The Road Rover project was finally abandoned in 1959. Although only a few years later the work would begin on ideas for the Range Rover which would span the gap between car and 4x4 vehicle which Rover had identified nearly two decades earlier. SNX 36 is the last and only survivor of the 12 series I prototypes. It was used by Bertie Marks Solihull's Transport Manager for some years after formal testing was over before returning to Rover. By @landroverphotoalbum at the @britishmotormuseumfor #prototypelandrover #RoadRover #RangeRover #RangeRoverClassic #landroverphotoalbum #inkyenston #Oldrovers #GaydonLandRoverShow @ British Motor Museum https://www.instagram.com/p/CSR-BnkNX6O/?utm_medium=tumblr