Billionaire To Resurrect Classic Land Rover Defender?

When you’re in the elite club of iconic machines in the motoring world, it gets that much more difficult to stand out. The Land Rover Defender, however, is a nameplate that has stood the test of time and continues to be among the most sought after collectibles. It looks like one of the car’s deep-pocketed fans is looking to do more and the classic Defender may be revived.

Jim Ratcliffe, a billionaire who earned his riches through a chemical company he founded, plans to build the Defender the old way. It isn’t known if he plans to buy the Defender name or parts of the production line, but all we know is, the purists are salivating as they read this report. How this potential deal goes through depends on what agreement Ratcliffe reaches with senior executives at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), which is owned by Tata.

The last ever Land Rover Defender produced was rolled out of JLR's Solihull plant in the UK, on January 25, 2016. While it is believed that Land Rover will introduce a successor to the Defender in 2018, the new model will have to comply with increasingly stringent emission and safety norms. This, of course, will mean that it won’t have the minimalist design of the original.

While it will receive new, more powerful and more efficient engines, it is also expected to be built in 5 body styles. The range may include 2 two-door models, a longer wheelbase four-door, along with two and four-door pickups. In all likelihood, it will be based on the British automaker’s aluminium intensive architecture.

Source: Times UK