December 2015: There's a New Classic in Town!

So... it's sadly official. The production of the Iconic Defender is drawing to a close, ending in December 2015. For that matter, the last order for a new Defender was taken back in July.

The Defender has always been a "Classic". Evolving from the "go-anywhere", rugged capability of the Series  Land Rover; it has become a world renowned, highly capable, off-road and on the road, modernized version of a Series; a purpose built car, shy on comfort, but high on versatility and strength.

The shame of it is, the discontinuance of the Defender was solely to meet market demands and increase corporate profits. Tata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, will be introducing a new "Defender", but it will be more of a cross between a Range Rover Evoque and Kia; (yep... just another SUV), something needed for struggling through traffic in the city, complete with a full entertainment system and complicated electronics. The philosophy of "keep it simple and keep it on the road" has been lost in the transition to Tata.

On the positive side, Land Rovers are known for their longevity. Considering nearly 75% of Defenders ever built are still on the road, means they will be around for a while; which is great because around here we are known for saying "When we grow up, we're gonna drive a Defender!"

For those of you that are interested, we have a few copies of "The Complete History of a Land Rover Icon - Defender", check out the merch section of the store for more info.