The 88-inch wheelbase became the short-wheelbase form of the original Land Rover in the mid-1950s, after the 80-inch Series I introduced in 1948. The Series I pioneered the marque with a rugged box-section chassis, aluminium-alloy body panels and selectable four-wheel drive. The 88-inch length became the definitive short-wheelbase utility Land Rover through the 1950s.
The 88-inch wheelbase Land Rover grew out of the original Series I launched in 1948 on an 80-inch wheelbase, conceived by Maurice Wilks as a rugged agricultural workhorse inspired by the wartime Jeep. Its short wheelbase, aluminium alloy body and go-anywhere four-wheel drive made it a symbol of durability on farms, in deserts and on colonial roads around the world. It established the utilitarian off-road formula that defined the marque for decades.
78years
2trims
49–69hp range
The Story
Why the 88" WB mattersTrims
2 trims · 1948–1958Short-wheelbase (88in) Series I, the original 1948 Land Rover.