Well, it’s over. After 68 years of loyal service, Land Rover stopped this January 29 Defender production in its historic factory in Solihull, in the heart of England. Obsolete, the Defender no longer meets the US safety regulations since 1998, but the passage in 2015 of new anti-pollution European standards Euro 6 sealed the end of his career. Farewell to the four iconic Defender wheel drive. Sniff!
Timeless boilerplate
To summarize the Defender, one could say that it is for all. And to get anywhere. Timeless design that stands out, especially a soul. Originally produced for the general public in 1948 under the name Land Rover Phase I, it is adopted as a standard vehicle by the British army and then available in a specific model: the Land Rover Wolf.
He then takes the Defender name to the arrival of new models of the company in 1990 as Discovery. Peculiar both in town and in the forest or mountain, the legendary off-road capable of phenomenal performance. Evidenced by this crazy gamble succeeded by Richard Hammond Top Gear UK, which began in the head to reproduce a TV commercial in 1995 for Land Rover. The Defender are climbing the wall of a dam … Nothing less! No wonder journalists have classified the issue of classification of 20 cars head model who “changed the world”. Just that square!
A starting noticed
But all the stories have an ending. The year 2015 will therefore acts last stand for the English icon. Land Rover produced three limited editions, Heritage, Adventure and most luxurious of all, Autobiography, limited to respectively 400, 600 and 80 units, outings this summer. The Defender has also paid an appearance in the latest James Bond and a tribute by another English style icon, Paul Smith “himself”.
The Defender therefore farewell after 67 years of production and 2 million made 4×4. A special model has also been assembled in the history of the brand factory in Solihull, a suburb of Birmingham, by brand ambassadors, the original project manager of the Defender and the fans of the first hour.
Sold at auction to a buyer from Qatar December 16 at Bonhams in London for 400,000 pounds (about 532,000 euros), it became THE Defender most expensive in history.
Jaguar-Land Rover, however, would not leave us like that in open country. The group, bought by the Indian Tata Motors in 2008, working on a model that will replace the Defender. The first units are expected for 2017. In the meantime, we bet the coast of Defender in Youngtimers as old will climb. His esteem is it already the highest. Good road, Defender!
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