The first Evoque - the new baby Range Rover - rolled off Land Rover's production lines at the company's Halewood factory in Merseyside early July - but the first year's allocation has already been sold. I am, as you all know, lucky enough to be one of those customers who got my order in at the very start!

A total of 18,000 advance orders have been placed for the trendy new SUV worldwide.

This follows £2 billion of investment by Land Rover and an extensive publicity campaign that included an initial unveiling by Victoria Beckham last July. The former Spice Girl also designed a set of bespoke interiors for the car.

The first Evoque, a white, five-door model in Dynamic trim, will be donated to the Heritage Motor Museum near Land Rover's base in Gaydon, Warwickshire.

The Evoque also represents a big boost for the economy, as 1,500 new workers have been taken on at the Halewood plant. The baby Range Rover will be built alongside Land Rover's existing Freelander.

Prices start at £27,995 for the two-wheel drive Evoque, with a diesel engine and a manual gearbox. That model promises in excess of 50mpg, too.

Order books have been open for some time and, though the Evoque is destined to appear in UK showrooms in September, you can expect a lengthy waiting list.

Well, watch this space to see pictures of mine as soon as I take delivery!