The desire to create a vehicle that will tackle any terrain has made Land Rover famous around the world. Add to that an indomitable spirit of adventure and constant insistence on outstanding innovation, and the arrival of the family of vehicles we know today is understandable.
Land Rover's history is long and illustrious; it all began in 1948 with the vehicle known simply as Land Rover. Since then, every Land Rover and Range Rover has been engineered and designed to answer the same brief: create a powerful 4x4 that combines a sense of comfort with true off-road capabilities - to enable drivers and enthusiasts to fulfil their sense of adventure.
This year, Land Rover celebrates 60 years of that innovation.
No other vehicle can claim such a remarkable heritage as the Defender.
And no other vehicle can claim its position as the most respected, most recognised, definitive 4x4. Defender is Land Rover's toughest, most capable vehicle. Making its debut in 1948, it was designed with brilliant simplicity for unrivalled strength and legendary ability. Since then over 1.8 million Defenders have been built, with an estimated 75 per cent of them still going strong. Defender is the product of controlled evolution and maintains the principles that made it revolutionary 60 years ago. Today with an all-new powertrain, a distinctive re-profiled bonnet and a new interior, including new seats, air-conditioning and improve airgonomics, Defender is better than ever.
The Defender is the world's most versatile off-road vehicle, capable of traversing extremes of terrain and surviving the most hostile environments. Its robust suspension allows extreme wheel articulation, enabling it to cross rocks and deep ruts with equal ease. Surefooted and unstoppable, it's become a byword for tough, four-wheel drive dependability.
The history (1954 - 2006)
Series I Station Wagon (1954-1958)
• 1954 Long wheel-base 107" available.
• First diesel engine introduced.
Series II Station Wagon (1958-1961)
• 1958 Slide windows enlarged.
• Sills introduced to obscure exhaust and powertrain.
• Fuel filler cap moved from beneath driver's seat to behind driver's door (RHD).
Series II Station Wagon (1961-1972)
• 1966 Electrical indicators become standard.
• 1968 Headlamps moved from radiator grille to wings.
Series III Station Wagon (1972-1984)
• 1972 Air intake on wing for heater added.
• 1981 Improved seating introduced on County models.
90 Station Wagon (1984-1990)
• 1984 Leaf springs upgraded to coil springs.
• One-Piece windscreen introduced.
• Wind-up front windows replace sliding windows.
• Polyurethane wheel arches introduced to accommodate wider track.
Defender (1990-2008)
• 1998-Td5 engine introduced.
• Fuel tank and filler repositioned to rear.
• Bonnet stowage of wheel outlawed.
New Defender
• New 2.4 litre diesel engine, producing 360Nm of torque.
• New six-speed transmission.
• New facia and seating.
• New heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
Land Rover's history is long and illustrious; it all began in 1948 with the vehicle known simply as Land Rover. Since then, every Land Rover and Range Rover has been engineered and designed to answer the same brief: create a powerful 4x4 that combines a sense of comfort with true off-road capabilities - to enable drivers and enthusiasts to fulfil their sense of adventure.
This year, Land Rover celebrates 60 years of that innovation.
No other vehicle can claim such a remarkable heritage as the Defender.
And no other vehicle can claim its position as the most respected, most recognised, definitive 4x4. Defender is Land Rover's toughest, most capable vehicle. Making its debut in 1948, it was designed with brilliant simplicity for unrivalled strength and legendary ability. Since then over 1.8 million Defenders have been built, with an estimated 75 per cent of them still going strong. Defender is the product of controlled evolution and maintains the principles that made it revolutionary 60 years ago. Today with an all-new powertrain, a distinctive re-profiled bonnet and a new interior, including new seats, air-conditioning and improve airgonomics, Defender is better than ever.
The Defender is the world's most versatile off-road vehicle, capable of traversing extremes of terrain and surviving the most hostile environments. Its robust suspension allows extreme wheel articulation, enabling it to cross rocks and deep ruts with equal ease. Surefooted and unstoppable, it's become a byword for tough, four-wheel drive dependability.
The history (1954 - 2006)
Series I Station Wagon (1954-1958)
• 1954 Long wheel-base 107" available.
• First diesel engine introduced.
Series II Station Wagon (1958-1961)
• 1958 Slide windows enlarged.
• Sills introduced to obscure exhaust and powertrain.
• Fuel filler cap moved from beneath driver's seat to behind driver's door (RHD).
Series II Station Wagon (1961-1972)
• 1966 Electrical indicators become standard.
• 1968 Headlamps moved from radiator grille to wings.
Series III Station Wagon (1972-1984)
• 1972 Air intake on wing for heater added.
• 1981 Improved seating introduced on County models.
90 Station Wagon (1984-1990)
• 1984 Leaf springs upgraded to coil springs.
• One-Piece windscreen introduced.
• Wind-up front windows replace sliding windows.
• Polyurethane wheel arches introduced to accommodate wider track.
Defender (1990-2008)
• 1998-Td5 engine introduced.
• Fuel tank and filler repositioned to rear.
• Bonnet stowage of wheel outlawed.
New Defender
• New 2.4 litre diesel engine, producing 360Nm of torque.
• New six-speed transmission.
• New facia and seating.
• New heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.