Land Rovers became a status signal because people with remote country homes that they kinda actually did need an off-road-capable car to reliably get to and fro

Land Rovers became a status signal because people with remote country homes that they kinda actually did need an off-road-capable car to reliably get to and from, would also drive them in the city sometimes, or in resort towns, or other visible places. People who had no actual use for them started imitating them and buying Land Rovers. Then people a notch down from even that level of cluefulness caught on. Land Rover started making cars to cater to that market, which only cared about Land Rover because "it's a rich-people brand" but had no idea how they'd gotten that way, and just wanted a suburban SUV with Land Rover branding. I assume Land Rovers, at least newer ones, are now considered a bit embarrassing for at least the second group (the first wave of imitators).