One of the automotive wonders – the Land Rover Defender is one of the immortal vehicles known to man and despite rumours after rumours that the company intends on killing the Defender, it was probably a very difficult vehicle to kill, hence after 67 years the car is still with us today. However, it seems this time round, Land Rover has discovered a method of assassination and confirms that they will bid farewell to the Defender today.
After selling over 2 million examples since the first one rolled out of the production line in 1948, the Defender has been around for so long that it is one of the cars that has been taken for granted. It was a car that could take anything it its way, just like a tank (although it can’t shoot missiles) and was used by almost every industry over its 67 year lifespan.
A spokesperson told Automotive News Europe that – “The Defender will go out of production by the middle of the decade due to legislative reasons,” and yes! A replacement is in the works. However, there is a high possibility that we would not see the replacement Defender until at least 2019 due to weak business and lack in volume. A couple of years back, Land Rover did release a concept dubbed as the DC100 which looked like a future iteration of the Defender – however that idea has been scrapped as it was deemed too heavy and the company intends on creating the new replacement on a lighter, more expensive aluminium platform.
The Defender is the company’s oldest model, tracing back to the Series 1 Land Rover. It is sad to see the Defender go – however Land Rover is assured on their decision and the brand will continue selling the Range Rover series.
