NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Land Rover partners with Virgin Galactic
New frontiers of Discovery to join togetherJaguar Land Rover has announced its first galactic alliance, partnering up with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic commercial spaceline.
Announced during the pre-New York International Auto Show reveal of Land Rover’s Discovery Vision Concept, Land Rover marketing boss Phil Popham spoke of the spirit of adventure the two British brands share.
“This is a marriage of two of Britain’s most iconic brands who celebrate shared values, a pioneering spirit and a true sense of adventure.
“Land Rover’s heart beats ‘above and beyond’. We are pioneers on land and Virgin Galactic is the pioneer of space. It’s a very special match of brands with a shared vision,” he said.
Branson (via video message) said: “We couldn’t be more delighted to have Land Rover join us on our incredible journey as our first global partner. It is hard to think of a brand which is more synonymous with exploration and adventure.”
After the announcement, the 200 guests present were taken to the flight deck of the USS Intrepid -- an aircraft carrier now docked in the Hudson River -- where the Discovery Vision Concept was unveiled next to a full-size replica of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, known as the Enterprise.
The partnership will see Land Rover vehicles imbedded into the daily workings of the Virgin Galactic program.
‘Future Astronauts’ will be ferried around the New Mexico base in Land Rovers, and their drive from the space terminal building to the spaceship will also be powered by Land Rover, which will also have a fleet of vehicles at the Virgin Galactic test centre in the Mojave Desert in California.
The Discovery Vision Concept will star at the New York International Auto Show, while its Virgin SpaceShipTwo counterpart will be on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum until April 22.
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