Land Rover has unveiled plans for a special year of celebration to mark the final year of its long-serving Defender model.
The Midland car-maker is to launch three special editions of the legendary 4x4 as it nears the end of production.
The new models kick-off the final year for the world famous go anywhere vehicle, which can trace its origins back to 1948.
The new models were unveiled in a poignant location - the beach in Red Wharf Bay Anglesey where Maurice Wilks first sketched the original Land Rover.
Land Rover created the largest sand drawing ever produced in the UK - a Defender outline measuring 1km across, using a fleet of six Land Rovers (video below).
The image was created to serve as a tribute to the moment in 1947 when Maurice Wilks, the engineering director of Rover, drew the original Land Rover in the sand and proposed the idea to his brother Spencer, Rover’s managing director.
Maurice Wilks’ son Stephen said: “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. That was the start of it all, the conception of Land Rover.”
The Wilks family owned land on the Welsh island and Maurice wanted a versatile vehicle that could double as a light tractor and off-roader. His design was christened the ‘Land Rover’, the outline of which lives on in the Defender.
The giant piece of temporary artwork at Red Wharf Bay required a fleet of six Land Rovers, each towing a 12-foot harrow to draw the outline of the Defender in the sand.
The vehicles chosen charted the evolution of the Defender from its introduction in 1948 to the present day.
A Land Rover Series I, II and III were joined on the beach by a Ninety from the Eighties, a Defender 90 Hard Top and a Defender 110 Station Wagon.
Land Rover vehicle line director Nick Rogers said: “Passion and enthusiasm surround everything we do with Defender, and that will never change. With a history stretching back 68 years, this is a Land Rover that has thrived for decades on its unquestionable capability and iconic shape. I now have the honour of being one of the many enthusiasts at Land Rover committed to creating a fitting successor to the legendary Defender.”
The event witnessed the debut of the Defender Celebration Series - three new limited edition models which each celebrate a different element of Defender’s unique history.
The Heritage, Adventure and Autobiography Editions are all powered by Land Rover’s 2.2-litre diesel engine.
The Autobiography Edition promises more performance, luxury and comfort, thanks to its extensive equipment list and a power upgrade.
The Heritage Edition is inspired by early Land Rover models and has distinctive Grasmere Green paintwork and a contrasting white roof. It features a heritage grille and HUE 166 graphics, recalling the registration plate of the first ever pre-production Land Rover nicknamed ‘Huey’.
The Adventure Edition is aimed at Land Rover customers who embrace the Defender’s ‘go anywhere’ attitude. It comes with additional underbody protection and special Goodyear MT/R tyres to boost all-terrain capability.
Prices range from £27,800 to £61,845.
Mr Rogers added: “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 three very different interpretations of the Defender to reflect its strength and breadth of character.
“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.”
Land Rover has also revealed the Defender could live on, but not in Europe, where tough safety regulations have heralded its demise.
The company says it is 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 sale outside the EU.
* Land Rover Timeline
1947 Land Rover project approved
1948 The Land Rover is launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on April 30
1948 First Station Wagon introduced.
1949 British Army orders its first Land Rovers
1950 Freewheel 4x4 system replaced by selectable two or four-wheel-drive
1953 Long-wheelbase version introduced
1957 Diesel engine introduced
1958 Series II Land Rover unveiled with more refined styling
1959 250,000th vehicle produced
1961 Series IIA with 2.25 diesel
1966 500,000th vehicle produced
1968 Headlights move position to the front wings
1970 Best year of sales with 56,663 vehicles retailed
1971 Land Rover Series III launched; 750,000th Land Rover produced
1976 1,000,000th Land Rover built
1979 V8 engine option introduced in March
1983 Land Rover goes coil sprung with introduction of One Ten
1984 Land Rover Ninety introduced
1990 Land Rovers are re-launched and renamed Defender 90, 110 and 130 with new 2.5-litre turbo-charged direct injection diesel engine
1992 Land Rover North America is founded with a limited edition of 500 Defender 110 vehicles powered by the 3.9 litre V8 engine
1993 Land Rover North America follows up the success of the launch of the Defender 110 with the Defender 90 soft top
2007 Major Defender evolution includes addition of six-speed gearbox
2012 New 2.2-litre diesel engine replaces previous 2.4-litre unit
2013 LXV Special Edition celebrates 65 years of Land Rover
