A one-of-a-kind Land Rover Defender – thought to be the most valuable production Land Rover ever sold at an auction – was transacted for a record £400,000 (approximately RM2.6 million) at a prestigious charity auction at Bonhams a few days ago, the proceeds of which to be donated to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners.
The unique vehicle, the two-millionth of the iconic Series Land Rover and Defender models manufactured at Land Rover’s Solihull plant since 1948, was sold to a bidder from Qatar. The vehicle was built by an all-star cast of brand ambassadors and people from Land Rover’s history including Bear Grylls, Virginia McKenna and Stephen and Nick Wilks, sons of the founders of Land Rover.
The Defender, built as part of a year of celebrations for the legendary 4×4 which will cease production in January 2016, boasts a host of bespoke features including an engraved map of Red Wharf Bay – where the design for the original Land Rover was first drawn in the sand, and a unique ‘no. 2,000,000’ badge. Inside, the leather seats also feature the ‘Red Wharf Bay’ graphic and ‘no. 2,000,000’ logos have been stitched on the headrests. A bespoke aluminium plaque, signed by everyone who helped to assemble the vehicle is fitted to the driver’s seat. Special S90 HUE registration plates provide a fitting tribute to the first ever pre-production Land Rover, registration ‘HUE 166’.
You can still own a slice of the Defender history
If you’re fast enough with the cheque book, Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia (JLRM) is currently offering a Land Rover Defender Limited Edition as a tribute to the iconic 4X4 that will no longer be in production after the end of 2015.
The limited edition vehicle is based on the Land Rover Defender Double Cab pick-up, but enhanced with 13 exclusive items – a special kick plate set, roof rack, intake snorkel, side protection runners, A-frame protection bar and kit installation, a set of four spotlights, rear step bumper assembly, 9.5cti electric winch, winch accessories kit, bumper mounting, off-road tyres and a special Santorini Black eye-catching paint job on the body and rims.
The Defender Limited Edition is customised to order from any Sime Darby AutoConneXion or SISMA Auto dealerships, and priced at RM153,888.00. You’ll need to shell out RM65,388.00 for the accessories package (labour charge and GST inclusive), which can also be acquired separately by existing Defender owners at this promotional price till 31st December 2015.