There are numerous milestones in Land Rover's history, today the great British brand is owned by the Indian industrial conglomerate TATA, but the development and production of its vehicles sold around the World remains very much built-in-Britain retaining our heritage of innovation.
The first Land Rover went on sale in 1948 in short wheelbase form, the 110-inch models followed in 1982, the Range Rover in 1970, the Discovery in 1989, the Freelander in 1992 followed by the Range Rover Sport and this year by the Range Rover Evoque.
Now the 2012 models for all current models are on sale and the yet to come all-new Range Rover is being rigorously tested at Eastnor.
During my trip down memory lane, or more accurately memory tracks and impossibly steep hills, I tried two new Land Rover models at last week's Eastnor/Land Rover 50th anniversary celebrations.
First was the latest Range Rover Sport in its top Autobiography trim with its world leading all wheel drive technology powered by the latest 256hp 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine with its automatic transmission.
This was put through the toughest woodland terrain Eastnor offers, massive up and down tracks and waist deep water and mud.
The terrain has certainly got no easier during the 50 years of testing that has taken place but the technology developed has certainly made serious off road driving much easier.
I also had a spell off-roading behind the wheel of the Evoque five door with its 190hp, 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine with Prestige trim and the hugely impressive 4WD system which has at its core Land Rover's Hill Descent Control technology pioneered at Eastnor.
Only the lower ground clearance and lack of low ratio transmission stops the Evoque from using the severest test routes that Eastnor offers but instead the partnership has developed a less severe new course for testing and where members of the public can enjoy the Land Rover Experience.
The cleanest, in terms of emissions, smallest and lightest Range Rover ever still made light work of the challenges it faces at Eastnor in the hands of experienced and less experienced drivers and a new regime of Land/Range Rover owners.
The Evoque is winning over a completely new type of customer who have never owned a Range Rover, Land Rover or even a 4x4 before.
Evoque owners are probably never going to use their vehicles in serious off-road conditions but it is good for them to know just how capable it is.