Special Defender marks 75 years of Land Rover

LAND ROVER is marking the 75th anniversary of the company with specially equipped Defender 75th Limited Editions priced from $152,077 plus on-road costs for the short wheelbase 90 P400, and $156,157 plus on-road costs for the long wheelbase 110 P400.

Just 75 examples will be available in Australia, 25 of which will be the 90 and the remaining 50 to be the 110, with deliveries expected in April 2023.

Both variants have an exclusive exterior design theme with specific detailing and, in a nod to the very first Land Rover vehicle, are finished in iconic Grasmere Green paint with complementing wheels and interior finishes.

Land Rover came about after severe labour shortages and the general need for a utilitarian vehicle in the UK just after World War II.

British car-maker Rover embarked on creating a simple-to-manufacture, multi-purpose vehicle with four-wheel drive capability that could fulfil a number of roles in post-war Britain.

It led to the formation of the Land-Rover company in 1948 when the Series I vehicle was introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show. 

The design for the original ‘Landy’ was started in 1947 by Maurice Wilks who was then chief designer at Rover. He saw the need for a utility 4x4 while working at his farm in Newborough, Anglesey, developing the vehicle in conjunction with his brother Spencer who was the managing director of Rover.

Said to have been inspired by WWII Jeep vehicles and the prototype, later nicknamed ’Centre Steer’, was built on a Jeep chassis and axles.

The hues of green colour on early models was dictated by military surplus supplies of aircraft cockpit paint, so those early vehicles only came in various shades of light green. Land-Rover became Land Rover Limited in 1978, losing the hyphen. 

Grasmere Green is introduced to the Defender line-up for the first time on the 75th Limited Edition and is, for now, exclusive to this commemorative model.

Also in Grasmere Green are its 20-inch alloy wheels with matching centre caps. Further ensuring recognition are specially designed 75 Years graphics, Ceres Silver bumpers and privacy glass. 

Similar treatment has been applied to the interior, with the dashboard beam finished in brushed Grasmere Green powder coat and laser-etched detailing on its end caps.

The seats are in a colour called Resist Ebony, with the ‘hockey stick’ on the centre console featuring Robustec material – said to be the toughest fabric available on a Defender. 

Defender lifecycle chief engineer Stuart Frith said: “Since revealing the new Defender, customers around the globe have fallen in love with it and demand remains extremely strong. This new Limited Edition captures the spirit of the past 75 years, with its colour and detailing, and fuses it with innovative, configurable terrain response, software over the air updates and unrivalled all-terrain capability.”

The Limited Edition is based on the high-specification HSE, with comprehensive standard equipment. 

Technology fitted includes a 3D surround camera, configurable terrain response, Meridian premium sound system, Matrix LED front lighting, 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system, head-up display and wireless device charger.

All 75th Limited Edition models feature a sliding panoramic roof, 14-way driver and passenger electric memory seats with heating, a heated steering wheel and three-zone climate control. The vehicle is also equipped as standard with a tow bar.

All Australian delivered 75th Limited Edition Defenders use the straight six cylinder P400 3.0L straight-six 294kW Ingenium mild-hybrid petrol engine. 

Land Rover says: “The uniqueness of the Limited Edition ensures its place as a highly collectible Defender, it is revealed alongside a new range of Land Rover lifestyle goods celebrating this historic moment.”

The ‘Lifestyle Collection’ shares the Grasmere Green colour theme of the vehicle and features a comprehensive range of goods including a minimalist watch featuring two straps, a functional backpack and clothing with 75 Years graphics and detail.

The latest Defender has won more than 50 global awards since introduction two years ago, scoring a  five star ANCAP safety rating along the way.