RE: Land Rover Defender '2,000,000' announced
Monday 22nd June 2015
Yes, we've had the Heritage models and the Rugby World Cup car already. Oh, and the Paul Smith creation. Plus the video tribute. But the Defender's time is nigh - in case you hadn't heard - and Land Rover is going to take every opportunity between now and December to mark its passing.
Spotted the numberplate reference yet?This is the 'Defender 2,000,000', predictably enough the two-millionth Series Land Rover/Defender built at Solihull. It's a one-off car that will be auctioned by Bonhams on December 16, with funds going to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as well as the Born Free Foundation.
Land Rover Defender '2,000,000' announced
One-off Defender built for production milestone; you thought Land Rover would let it go quietly?
Spotted the numberplate reference yet?
Marking it out from a regular Defender are maps of Red Wharf Bay - the beach where the Land Rover design was first drawn out - on the wing and the seats, '2,000,000' logos (just a few, not two million thankfully) and an aluminium plaque signed by everyone who helped assemble the car on the driver's seat plinth. On that plaque will be Bear Grylls, roped in by Land Rover for a bit of adventurer kudos. Just in case the Defender was lacking that... Keen Land Rover fans will have spotted the numberplate too; 'S90 HUE' is a direct reference to 'HUE 166', the registration of the first pre-production Land Rover.
So between now and December we can pitch some estimates on just what the Defender 2,000,000 might sell for. Beneath the limited-edition embellishments it's a 90 Station Wagon, which was a £25K car. This may sell for a little more than that... None of the Heritage cars were what you would call cheap, and there will never be another two-millionth Defender. All guesses welcomed!
Watch the video here.
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Discussion
The Crack Fox said:
Quite a milestone. I wonder who actually buys these new nowadays. I rather fancied one until I tried a new one recently and was gobsmacked at how utterly horrible it was in just about every respect.
most I see leaving on transporters and around despatch are LHD so I'm not sure too many are sold here anymoresheepman said:
The Crack Fox said:
Quite a milestone. I wonder who actually buys these new nowadays. I rather fancied one until I tried a new one recently and was gobsmacked at how utterly horrible it was in just about every respect.
most I see leaving on transporters and around despatch are LHD so I'm not sure too many are sold here anymoreThe Crack Fox said:
Quite a milestone. I wonder who actually buys these new nowadays. I rather fancied one until I tried a new one recently and was gobsmacked at how utterly horrible it was in just about every respect.
Its brilliant. Look at my car history. The Defender is a true legend and my favourite car of the last few years. They're not designed to be comfy or good on road - they're designed to be durable, easy to fix in the field and excellent in extreme off road situations. They're designed to spend their lives off road unlike most (even good) off roaders. Use something like a Range Rover on a farm constantly for 5 years and it'll expensivelly break. A Defender would be at home.
It's a fantastic vehicle if you want something interesting, with history, and that was truly designed for a grander purpose than nipping to the shops in comfort. It's a utility vehicle in the best sense of the word.
The Defender is an icon of Britain and is a vehicle you appreciate the more you live with it.
If it was so dreadful why does it have such a loyal following and how has it survived longer (largely unchanged) than most other vehicles?
If it wasn't for the EU the Defender would likely carry on for a lot longer yet as the design just works and like a London Taxi does what it does very well.
I've owned my Defender longer than I've owned any other vehicle - coming up to 8 years now. In that time I've had 6 other cars that have come and gone when I got bored of them.
The Defender is adaptable to whatever you want it to be and that's its strength. It can be blinged up for the town (and there are some seriously bling examples around), cross the arctic, swim the Bering Straight, cross the desert, fight the Taliban or take third world children to school. It can be a 4x4 to go out to repair power lines in the middle of nowhere or a campervan anywhere there's a road (or isn't in many cases). Many people owe their lives to the ability of the Defender to get there in all conditions. Its possibly one of the most recognisable vehicles on the planet.
Why wouldn't Land Rover celebrate the 2,000,000th one to roll off the production line?
If it was so dreadful why does it have such a loyal following and how has it survived longer (largely unchanged) than most other vehicles?
If it wasn't for the EU the Defender would likely carry on for a lot longer yet as the design just works and like a London Taxi does what it does very well.
I've owned my Defender longer than I've owned any other vehicle - coming up to 8 years now. In that time I've had 6 other cars that have come and gone when I got bored of them.
The Defender is adaptable to whatever you want it to be and that's its strength. It can be blinged up for the town (and there are some seriously bling examples around), cross the arctic, swim the Bering Straight, cross the desert, fight the Taliban or take third world children to school. It can be a 4x4 to go out to repair power lines in the middle of nowhere or a campervan anywhere there's a road (or isn't in many cases). Many people owe their lives to the ability of the Defender to get there in all conditions. Its possibly one of the most recognisable vehicles on the planet.
Why wouldn't Land Rover celebrate the 2,000,000th one to roll off the production line?
rudecherub said:
Ending production in the UK - due to EU rules.
Just vote No to the EU, and then Landrover can continue to make Defenders in the UK.
Big assumption that UK legislation wouldn't be worse than EU. Just vote No to the EU, and then Landrover can continue to make Defenders in the UK.
Don't forget that the EU also serves to temper the utter lunacy of our barely elected idiots.
Our decision not to deport certain people being a somewhat prime example of our domestic idiocy being worse than the collective idiocy of the EU.
It's often better to have something judged by 12 than by 1.
DonkeyApple said:
rudecherub said:
Ending production in the UK - due to EU rules.
Just vote No to the EU, and then Landrover can continue to make Defenders in the UK.
Big assumption that UK legislation wouldn't be worse than EU. Just vote No to the EU, and then Landrover can continue to make Defenders in the UK.
Don't forget that the EU also serves to temper the utter lunacy of our barely elected idiots.
Our decision not to deport certain people being a somewhat prime example of our domestic idiocy being worse than the collective idiocy of the EU.
It's often better to have something judged by 12 than by 1.
Deportation of certain individuals is all about human rights, ie ECHR, membership of the ECHR is a requirement of EU membership.
And "temper the utter lunacy of our barely elected idiots" you mean like Jean-Claude Juncker "There can be no democratic choice against the European Treaties, or Martin Schultz who says "Britain belongs to the EU" or Ken Clarke "I look forward to the day when Westminster is just a council chamber in Europe" or Dave who's idea of negotiation is to announce even before he began, that whatever happens - he'd campaign to stay in the EU ie ensure the UK ceases to exist, broken up into regions within the European State.
Besides the growing markets, markets for defenders, and other JLR products are in the Commonwealth, China - the rest of the world, - or - the market in decline, and it has been since we joined is the ECC/EC/EU - does it make sense to handicap our industry with blanket regulations of a small inward looking customs union.
Edited by rudecherub on Monday 22 June 16:47
Steve_W said:
What surprises me is that they've only made 2 million; I'd have thought it was more than that to be honest if they're counting from the first Series 1.
Maybe my reasoning is skewed by the number of early models that you still see plodding on.
Series ones aren't Defenders. Whilst they share some DNA (more so between the Series 3 and the Defender) there are significant differences and very little of the Series 1/2/3 can be used on a Defender. Much of a 1988 Defender is still usable on a 2015 Defender (for example body panels, suspension and some trim) and anything that won't fit directly can usually be adapted to work. Maybe my reasoning is skewed by the number of early models that you still see plodding on.
kbf1981 said:
Its brilliant. Look at my car history. The Defender is a true legend and my favourite car of the last few years.
They're not designed to be comfy or good on road - they're designed to be durable, easy to fix in the field and excellent in extreme off road situations. They're designed to spend their lives off road unlike most (even good) off roaders. Use something like a Range Rover on a farm constantly for 5 years and it'll expensivelly break. A Defender would be at home.
It's a fantastic vehicle if you want something interesting, with history, and that was truly designed for a grander purpose than nipping to the shops in comfort. It's a utility vehicle in the best sense of the word.
Agreed.They're not designed to be comfy or good on road - they're designed to be durable, easy to fix in the field and excellent in extreme off road situations. They're designed to spend their lives off road unlike most (even good) off roaders. Use something like a Range Rover on a farm constantly for 5 years and it'll expensivelly break. A Defender would be at home.
It's a fantastic vehicle if you want something interesting, with history, and that was truly designed for a grander purpose than nipping to the shops in comfort. It's a utility vehicle in the best sense of the word.
For the naysayers, just try one off-road, on a hill you can't walk up...
I love my pre-Defender 110 CSW, so instead of buying a new one at £32,000+ I rebuilt the old one for £17,000. It has now done over 80,000 miles since the rebuild and will continue until it needs the next rebuild.
I don't want another disposable vehicle. Something that becomes an economic write-off after an ECU failure is a waste of resources. I'm also fed up with vehicles that are dependent on a (useless) dealer network. Current model Land Rovers are too needy to become a suitable vehicle for my garage - heavy maintenance on a D3/D4/RRSport etc requires a big two post lift as a lot of work requires the body to be lifted off. Almost everything on a Defender can be done, (uncomfortably), on the floor.
Congratulations on the 2,000,000th, but they should be more proud of the high % still on the road; a mix of owner passion, repairability and usefulness.
I don't want another disposable vehicle. Something that becomes an economic write-off after an ECU failure is a waste of resources. I'm also fed up with vehicles that are dependent on a (useless) dealer network. Current model Land Rovers are too needy to become a suitable vehicle for my garage - heavy maintenance on a D3/D4/RRSport etc requires a big two post lift as a lot of work requires the body to be lifted off. Almost everything on a Defender can be done, (uncomfortably), on the floor.
Congratulations on the 2,000,000th, but they should be more proud of the high % still on the road; a mix of owner passion, repairability and usefulness.
I love my Defender! It's an absolutely terrible road car, of course, but that's just part of its charm. This 2,000,000th one looks quite a lot like mine, actually, but is perhaps a tad more valuable.
The £250 numberplate is pretty s
t, though. 
The £250 numberplate is pretty s
t, though. Edited by David87 on Monday 22 June 23:42
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