The first Land Rover manufactured by Metalúrgica de Santa Ana was assembled in 1959, licensed, and produced from a CKD kit from the British Solihull factory in England. Available in both 88-inch and 109-inch chassis variants, it was offered with a 2.2 L gasoline engine or a 2.0 L diesel engine. Initial clients were mostly public companies and official government entities, where the Santana proved itself as a reliable and tough workhorse. As its popularity grew, the diesel variant became the most popular model in the overall market, while gasoline showed more demand from buyers demanding better performance, like police or other government institutions.