Talk to any classic Range Rover enthusiast about a car that defines the brand and most will say Velar.

The name Velar revers to a veil or velum covering an object, protecting it and keeping it hidden. Fitting then that this would be the term given to the original Range Rover prototypes from 1969 – 1970. In total there were 26 Range Rover Velar prototypes created and they are now highly coveted objects as they are seen as the origins of the Range Rover brand. These 26 Velars were subjected to hot and cold weather testing all over the world, were used on motorshow plinths once cleaned up and then tested to near destruction again once they left the motorshow. The life of the Velar prototype was a rough one, but one that paid dividends for years to come. When the Range Rover classic was launched in 1971 it was a highly luxurious model, as modern Range Rovers are today, and it took the world by storm as the combination of luxury and off-road prowess was so unheard of, this success was down to the rigorous life lead by the Velar prototypes.

Nowadays the Velar prototypes are fast approaching 50 years of age, yet their story is largely untold. Within the specialist groups and forums the Velar name is one held dear and carries a great deal of heritage with it but no one outside of the Range Rover fraternity really knows about them. Did you know that a Range Rover Velar won the first ever UK off-road race in Wales in 1971? The man behind the wheel was Roger Crathorne, the man dubbed ‘Mr Land Rover’ because if there was anything he didn’t know about Land Rovers and off roading it wasn’t worth knowing. The early Velars were the first time much of the British public had seen such an unconventional car and all Velars played a part in bringing the Range Rover brand into the history books.

It is clear that the Velar name is legendary, what started as describing early prototypes as ‘covered’ has now become a way to describe the origins and essence of the brand. Why then In 2017 are we we so interested in revisiting the Velar name?

Last year insiders from JLR fuelled speculation that the next Range Rover could well be named, you guessed it, Velar.

Rumours, spy shots and speculation from across the internet indicated that Range Rover were soon to be adding a new model to their product family tree; their fourth body shape to be exact. Sat between the Evoque and Sport models, the Velar stares at the SUV-Coupe market like the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE and says ‘I’m taking you down!’.

The new model was speculated with a choice of 6 and 8 cylinder petrol and diesel engines offering between 275 – 500bhp and will use many of the underpinnings as the hugely successful Jaguar F-Pace. Intended as a nod to the Charles Spencer King era and Range Rover Classic 2-door, this new prototype already carries a weight of expectation and judgement on it’s shoulders.

While until now these were purely speculation and rumours we have seen this morning images confirming that we will be seeing something new added at this year’s Geneva Motorshow. The Range Rover community looks on with interest to see if the nomenclature sticks and, if so, does the car live up to its ancestral name?

There’s not long to wait with this one, but we are surely interested!