A PASSION FOR DEFENDER

I’ve loved the Land Rover Defender ever since I drove a bright yellow Defender 90 soft‑top as my company car back in the ’90s, writes Kim McCullough, Brand Vice President, Land Rover North America.  Even Andy Goss, President, Jaguar Land Rover North America, has a 2005 Land Rover Defender 90 in his garage back in the U.K.

So, like thousands of passionate Defender enthusiasts here in the U.S., we are ecstatic that our company has announced that it intends to build an all‑new and thoroughly modern Land Rover Defender for 2015. Although no decision has been made to bring the new generation Defender to North America, we will show the Land Rover DC100 concept vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13. 

The DC100 concept vehicle is exactly that: a true concept. As Gerry McGovern, our Design Director says, DC100 marks the beginning of a four‑year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21^st Century.

The debut at the Frankfurt Show kicks off our efforts to get feedback from media, consumers and enthusiasts, not only on DC100 but how, in general, they think a Defender 2015 should look, and the features it should offer. One thing that’s non‑negotiable is off‑road capability. Defender has always been Land Rover’s most rugged, most capable, most authentic model and that will not change.

For the serious adventurer, Defender is still the vehicle of choice for tackling everything from the jungles of South America, the plains of the Serengeti, to the Australian Outback. Every modern‑day Defender has the character and capability of that very first pioneering Land Rover we introduced in 1948.

Here in the U.S., we offered the previous‑generation Defender 90 and 110 models from 1993 to 1997. Tougher emissions and safety requirements ended U.S. sales in ’97. Yet as a measure of the passion for these rugged, go‑anywhere 4x4s, our best year for U.S. Defender sales was 1997 when we sold 2,500 vehicles.

What’s remarkable is how well those last model‑year Defenders have retained their value. Go online and look it up and while you're logged‑on, please spend time at Land Rover's USA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/landroverusa ) and here on www.interactivelandrover.com to see more images of Defender vehicles in general and the exciting DC100 concept. This is a long journey, and our Defender enthusiasts play an important role in shaping a relevant Defender for the future.