After 68 years and more than two million units, Land Rover brings to an end production of the Defender, and prior to that, the Series Land Rover, at its famed Solihull works. More than 700 current and former employees of Land Rover who were involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles were invited to to commemorate the last vehicle off the line, a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top.
Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive officer of Jaguar Land Rover, said, “today we celebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances. There will always be a special place in our hearts for Defender, among all our employees, but this is not the end.”
More than 25 vehicles from Land Rover’s long history were on display around the Solihull plant. The last of the Defender vehicles – destined to be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection – includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifications since 1948 – the hood cleat.
Also announced was Land Rover’s Heritage Restoration programme, which will initially begin with the restoration and sale of early Series Land Rovers. Comprising of a team of 12 experts with a combined total of 172 years of experience – ten of whom are being transferred over from the now closed production line – the programme focuses on the restoration, service and the sale of Series I vehicles and will later expand to include other Series vehicles and Defenders.
Land Rover also announced the upcoming launch of its online ‘Defender Journeys’ platform, which will allow owners to upload details of their most memorable journeys in a Series Land Rover or Defender. The Land Rover Defender is still available for sale in Malaysia at a retail price of RM153,888 including GST. A Limited Edition Accessories package is available at RM65,388 including installation and GST.
The post Last of a legend: Land Rover ends Defender line in Solihull, announces Heritage Restoration programme appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
