Land Rover has offered up a hint that Defender production may indeed continue past 2015.
Land Rover has offered up a hint that Defender production may indeed continue past 2015.
Last month Land Rover issued a press release celebrating the last days of the Defender. The video features a large-scale sand drawing of a Land Rover on the beach at Red Wharf Bay, where the Wilks Brothers hatched the idea for a Land Rover back in 1948. The same press release also announced three new special limited edition Defenders for 2015, as part of a yearlong celebration to commemorate the iconic 4x4.
It seems that now the UK motoring press has seized on several lines tucked into that press release indicating that Defender production may continue after all, although outside the UK. And I quote- “UK production of the current Defender enters its final phase… Land Rover is also investigating the possibility of maintaining production of the current Defender at an overseas production facility, after the close of UK manufacturing. Any continuation would see low volume production maintained for selected fleets and special vehicle applications for sale outside the EU.”
Dave Phillips, editor of Land Rover Monthly, writes, “My guess is that…the whole line will be disassembled and rebuilt abroad – possibly India…of one thing you can be sure: Defender is far from dead and will live on for years to come.”
I for one am breathing a sigh of relief that Land Rover are considering keeping the Defender on, even if it is in limited numbers. Though I’m not holding my breath for a return of the original Defender to US shores.
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