Defender could live on

Land Rover has revealed two limited-edition Defenders to commemorate the final year of production before next year's radical new replacement, but has hinted the iconic British off-roader in its current form could continue to be built outside the UK.

In a statement this week, Land Rover said it is "investigating the possibility of maintaining production of the current Defender at an overseas production facility, after the close of UK manufacturing”.

It cautioned, however, that any existing Defenders built outside Britain (India is the most likely source, given Tata's ownership of Land Rover and that nation's low labour costs) would not be sold in Europe.

“Any continuation would see low-volume production maintained for sale outside the EU,” the company said, leaving the door open for at least private imports to markets such as Australia.

In the meantime, Land Rover says it will use 2015 "to celebrate its global automotive icon and look ahead to an all-new family of Defenders".

Designed to pay homage to a model that entered production in 1948, the Defender Celebration Series comprises two limited-edition models which each celebrate a different element of Defender’s unique history.

The Heritage and Adventure Editions are both powered by Land Rover’s 2.2-litre diesel engine and will be available globally. Both models arrive in showrooms in November, after pricing is announced in the second quarter of this year.

Inspired by early Land Rover models, the Heritage Edition mixes nostalgic design cues with modern creature comforts and is identified by distinctive Grasmere Green paintwork and a contrasting white roof.

A heritage grille and HUE 166 graphics, recalling the registration plate of the first ever pre-production Land Rover nicknamed ‘Huey’, also identify the Heritage model. Global production will be limited to 2654 vehicles.

The Adventure Edition, meantime, will be limited to 2277 units and is fitted with additional underbody protection, Goodyear MT/R tyres, unique decals and a leather-trimmed cabin.

“We wanted to mark the end of Defender production at Solihull with a special-edition but coming up with a single identity was impossible, so we developed two very different interpretations of the Defender to reflect its strength and breadth of character,” said Land Rover Vehicle Line Director Nick Rogers.

"Whether our customers want to celebrate Land Rover’s unrivalled off-road heritage, demand the ultimate in terms of design and performance or have a genuine thirst for adventure, there will be a limited-edition Defender that will be fit for purpose.”

The reveal of the two final Defender specials is the first instalment in a year-long celebration to mark the end of production, before a new-generation Defender is introduced.

“With a history stretching back 68 years, this is a Land Rover that has thrived for decades on its unquestionable capability and iconic shape," said Rogers. "I am now lucky enough to be one of the many enthusiasts at Land Rover committed to creating a fitting successor to the legendary Defender.”

As part of the initial celebration, a 1km-wide Defender was drawn in the sand at Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, UK, where Rover's then engineering director Maurice Wilks first sketched the shape of the original Land Rover in the sand and proposed the idea to his brother Spencer, Rover’s managing director, in 1947.

“My father met his brother on the beach at Red Wharf Bay and made a drawing in the sand of how he thought the Land Rover could be made,” said Stephen Wilks, son of Maurice. “That was the start of it all, the conception of Land Rover.”

Maurice wanted a versatile vehicle that could double as a light tractor and off-roader. His design was christened the ‘Land Rover’ and went on to become a global automotive icon.

The largest sand drawing ever produced in the UK took six Land Rovers three hours to complete before the tide came in.

Each vehicle – a Land Rover Series I, II and III, plus a Ninety from the Eighties, a Defender 90 Hard Top and a Defender 110 Station Wagon – towed a 12-foot agricultural harrow to draw a continuous 4.52km line just minutes before it was erased by the incoming sea.

The Series II once belonged to the Wilks family and in memory of the moment originally enacted by their fathers, cousins Stephen and Nick Wilks, the sons of Maurice and Spencer Wilks respectively, were on hand to take part.