On June 17, one of our favorite SUVs to ever set its wheels on this planet will celebrate its 40th birthday. And if the auto industry has taught us anything, it's that auto makers won't pass up the chance to celebrate whatever anniversary falls on their lap. With that being said, you can definitely expect Land Rover->ke46 to throw quite a part in two weeks' time when the unflappable and timeless Range Rover->ke469 celebrates the big 4-0.

It's hard to imagine that an SUV that has spawned only three generations has lived to be 40 years old, but if there's one vehicle that has clearly defied any and all expectations, it's the Range Rover. The first, and arguably the most iconic of the lot, was made back in 1970 and has since been known in auto circles simply as the 'Classic', lasting for more than 25 years thanks, in large part, to a number of upgrades and variants that were released until the second-generation Range Rover, tagged as the 'P38a', made its way to the roads in 1994. The P38a lasted around seven years before the third and current-generation Rover was introduced back in 2001.

Nine years later - and 40 years after it burst into the auto scene - the Range Rover is coming out with it's new baby, the LRX->ke2979, proving that a good thing never goes out of style, even if it's been 40 years since it first came out.

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