The first vehicles were an open design on the 80" chassis with the Rover 1.6L petrol engines. A full-time 4WD system had been developed with a free wheeling hub mechanism on the front wheels.

The early production models can be identified by the headlights located behind the steel mesh radiator grille and the sidelights mounted on the bulkhead. This was to altered so that the headlights come through the grille as in the picture, this was again redesigned in later Series 1 models to an inverted T shape grille with the headlights either side of it.

Coachbuilder Tickford were commissioned in 1949 to design the first Station Wagons. These models used the 80" chassis, had space for 7 people in cramped conditions, the all-metal rear body was built on a wooden frame. Production problems forced it to be dropped in 1951 with 641 been produced. The Station Wagon design was updated and reintroduced in 1954 on the 107" chassis seating 10 people.

Series I vehicles were also produced under licence in Belgium by Minerva and in Germany by Tempo.