The Land Rover Defender is making a temporary comeback of sorts, as the manufacturer’s Classic division will restore 25 of the original Series 1 models.
Authentically-built Defenders
Each of the 25 Series 1 models of the iconic Defender will be restored to their original 1948 factory specification at the Land Rover plant in Solihull. No modern day equipment related to safety or emissions will be installed.
The donor vehicles being used for Land Rover’s ‘Reborn’ initiative have been sourced from different parts of the world. Therefore, some of the models will be sold in right-hand drive and others in left-hand drive.
Besides this, the only other difference with each restored Series 1 Defender will be their exterior colour. Customers will have the choice of having their restored Defender finished in one of five period finishes – Light Green, Bronze Green, RAF Blue, Dove Grey and Poppy Red.
Earlier this year, Land Rover finally ended production of the Defender after 68 consecutive years of production. These freshly restored Series 1 Defenders, however, give a small number of enthusiasts a fresh opportunity to own an authentic example of the classic off-roader.
The news that Land Rover will restore original Defender models comes just a couple of weeks after Jaguar made a similar sort of announcement. Jaguar will build nine replicas of its legendary XKSS sports car – a road-going version of the Le Mans-winning D-Type originally built back in 1957.
