Red Wharf Bay; venue where the first Land Rover Defender was drawn. Not in a design studio but on the beach, presumably with a stick or a discarded flip flop. Admittedly not the most challenging of shapes but a suitably inhospitable landscape to start an icon’s journey.
Move ahead 67 years and production of the two millionth Land Rover Discovery is being remembered by a bespoke model. The Defender will be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and will be auctioned at the end of the year for charity. This is separate to the limited edition Land Rover Defender models launched earlier this year, commemorating the car’s final year of production.
Clues about the Defender’s milestone are small but meaningful. A map of Red Wharf Bay engraved into the front fender and a 2 000 000 badge at the rear. Leather seats have their own unique graphics and a aluminium plaque carries the names of all those who built the first car. Even the plate, S90 HUE matches the model code of early pre-production models.
A replacement for the Land Rover Defender is mooted for 2018.
