Overview
The Land Rover Defender is a British four-wheel-drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948. In October 2013 Land Rover announced that production would end in December 2015, after a continuous run of 67 years. In 1992, Land Rover claimed that 70% of all the vehicles they had built were still in use.
History and fame
Working to the constraints of rationed metal, paint and fuel, Rover built the first prototype Land Rover in 1947. It used a Jeep chassis and a Rover P3 engine, all of which was encased in hand-built aluminium panels.Known as the Series I, it was the first incarnation of the silhouette we’ve come to know and love over the last seven decades.
Complete with Power Take-Offs and four-wheel drive, the first production Land Rover hit the mud in 1948, and it was a winner from the off.
As the years went on, newer engines were built and installed, chassis and safety were improved, interior became more modern.
The humble Land Rover has also become a bit of a famous old thing over the years, starring numerous films and TV series.
They’ve also served royalty, and they’re the go-to vehicle for military powers the world over.
Defender was the usual inhabitant of the Camel Trophy. For those of you who don’t know, the Camel Trophy started in 1980 and it is the epitome of 4x4 abuse, covering hundreds of miles through some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain.
Final editions - a great way to say goodbye
With regular production of the current-generation Defender set to come to a close by year-end, Land Rover is declaring 2015 the Year of the Defender. The celebration will include a trio of Defender special editions: the ultimate Autobiography Edition, the reminiscent Heritage Edition and the ruggedized Adventure Edition.
Autobiography Edition - the most desirable Defender ever built
The Autobiography Edition is the flagship of the trio. In fact, Land Rover refers to it as "the most desirable Defender ever built." Defender Autobiography gets a slew of luxury and performance upgrades. That starts with a power bump from 120 to 148 hp (torque 360 to 400 Nm) and continues through the 16-in gloss black sawtooth alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear MT/R tires and duo-tone paintwork. The Autobiography builds on the Adventure spec, with a metal fuel filler cap, side steps and black body details. Inside you’ll find Land Rover’s Full Windsor Leather interior embossed with the Autobiography logo, as well as aluminium trim, unique carpet mats and spun metal discs in the cup holder slots.
Specifications:
Layout - F/4WD; Engine - Diesel, 4-cylinder, 16 valve; Aspiration - Turbo; Displacement - 2198 cc; Max. power - 148 hp; Max. torque - 400 Nm; Transmission - 6 speed manual; Weight - 1887 kg.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_Defender
http://www.landrover.com/above-and-beyond/celebrate-defender/index.html
http://www.gizmag.com/land-rover-2015-defender-special-editions/35675/
http://www.gocompare.com/covered/2013/10/a-short-history-of-the-land-rover-defender/
Appearance in films and TV series (many many titles):
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Land-Rover&model=Defender&modelMatch=1&modelInclModel=on
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Alright, Defender is in my Top-10-cars-to-be-in-the-game, that's for sure. A symbol, a legend, an era.
I've always been fascinated with the cars that were in production for decades, and this is one of the the greatest examples.
And if I could choose the one modification or version to be included (along with the Series I), that would be 2015 Autobiography Edition. The pinnacle of evolution, the final and the ultimate version. Nevertheless, I would be more than happy with any of this awesome final editions - Autobiography, Heritage or Adventure.
