Bashford joined the
Rover Company at the age of 14 as an apprentice in 1930. He went on to be instrumental in the design of Rover's revolutionary
Land Rover off-road vehicle which was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. After the Land Rover, Bashford was involved in the development of a series of
David Bache styled Rover cars, including the
P4, as chief designer of chassis and body for the
P6 and as designer of the
SD1 which won
European Car of the Year in 1977. Bashford also played a key role, along with
Spen King, in the development of the 1970
Range Rover. Bashford retired in 1981. ==References==