Do the dead live longer? The rebirth of the Land Rover

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Created on August 8, 2016

Text:

Werner Bartholai

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Jaguar Land Rover

Bruno von Rotz

Daniel Reinhard

Jaguar Land Rover

Bruno von Rotz

Land Rover Defender - with more lights - at the Geneva Motor Show 2015

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Land Rover Defender - still looks almost like it did at the beginning - at the Geneva Motor Show 2015

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Land Rover Defender (1975) - in the Museo nazionale dell`automobile di Torino

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Land Rover Defender (2006) - on the road to modern times

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Officially, the last hour of the Land Rover Defender has long since struck. And according to official comments from Jaguar Land Rover headquarters, nothing is going to change.

Land Rover Defender (2006) - on the road to modern times

But British businessman Jim Ratcliffe won't give up on the idea of reviving the Land Rover Defender, even against the opposition of Jaguar-Land Rover if necessary.

Feasibility study underway

A feasibility study is currently being carried out into what it would mean to revive the Defender under a new name and probably with new engines. A new factory would be built in the north of the UK at a cost of around £250 million. The new "Defender" would cost about the same as the deceased model and would be marketed mainly to Africa and the USA as well as, of course, in the UK.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the project. Financing should not be a problem, as Ratcliffe owns a successful chemical company.