The last Land Rover Defender, icon of sturdy, utilitarian, resilient British design, will roll off the production line tomorrow (29 January) of its Solihull factory in England’s West Midlands. The beloved rugged 4×4 was scheduled to cease production last December, but the news sent a surge in demand and so the axe was suspended for a little while longer. But European Union fuel emission regulations demanded its demise after 68 years and over 2 million sales, making it one of Britain’s most popular home-grown vehicles.
Such is the popularity of the Land Rover that the 2,000,000th edition sold for a terrain-busting £400,000. The Landie’s box-section chassis and tough design features were originally intended to appeal to the agricultural market and it was indeed a hit amongst farmers far and wide – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has often been seen driving various Land Rovers on her rural estates in Scotland and Norfolk, as well as in formal settings such as reviewing her troops.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh inspect Venom fighter planes. (Courtesy: Daily Mail)
The current model was named the Defender in 1983, to distinguish it from the luxury offshoot Range Rover line which was launched in 1976. Before being dubbed the Defender it was sometimes called the One Ten, for the size of its wheelbase in inches, soon became a firm favourite.
The first Land Rover was developed in 1948, and launched to the world at the Amsterdam Motor Show. Modelled after the famous Jeep that was used extensively during the Second World War, the Land Rover was created due to a simple personal need. Maurice Wilks, an engineer with Rover, sketched a design for a vehicle to replace an ailing Jeep for use on his farm. The Land Rover proved a hit.
The first production of 8,000 cars sold out quickly, and production was increased to 24,000 the following year to satisfy the enormous demand. Before long, 1000 Land Rovers were being produced each week. The Land Rover began to occupy a firm place in the automobile market, and by 1976 one million had been manufactured.
A Land Rover Defender in a river. (Courtesy: Land Rover)
The timeless and versatile appeal of the Land Rover Defender has seen it being used in a wide variety of circumstances. From being driven around Balmoral by Queen Elizabeth II, to a starring role in television series such as Daktari, the Land Rover Defender is a truly versatile vehicle.
The Defender was also used in battle, with the UK and Commonwealth nations using Land Rovers since the 1950s, and the Americans adopted them decades later during the Gulf War. International versions were created, modified to satisfy American and Australian safety standards, whilst still remaining true to the design. They were used in combat in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.
European Union emissions and safety regulations have forced Jaguar Land Rover, now owned by the Indian company, Tata Motors, to cease production of the vehicle, whose classic design cannot be married with these new safety standards.
Tata has promised that a new Land Rover will be revealed in 2017 but the project is shrouded in secrecy.
