When Land Rover ambassadors and high-profile Defender fans were asked to visit the Solihull factory, plans were dreamt up for the Defender 2,000,000, also known as Edition 2 Million.
The one-of-a-kind off-roader was designed by the company’s Special Vehicle Operations team and became coveted enough to fetch US $598,440 at a Bonham’s auction last month, becoming the most expensive Landy ever made.
“The Defender really is part of British automotive history and for me it stands for that no nonsense practicality, that rugged reliability,” said adventurer Bear Grylls, a Land Rover ambassador who was featured in the carmaker’s video (below).
The bespoke Defender 90 Station Wagon features a unique ‘no 2,000,000’ badge mark and, according to AFPRelaxnews, features a number of unique, bespoke details, including a map of Red Wharf Bay engraved into the aluminium fender – the beach is where the sketch for the very first Land Rover was drawn with a stick.
In the car’s interior, the image is embroidered on the black leather seats and a dashboard plaque commemorates the car’s credentials. Funds from the sale will donated to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation, which are Land Rover-supported charities.
Robert Brooks, Bonhams Chairman, said: “It’s a great privilege for Bonhams to have been selected by Land Rover to offer this historically significant, one-of-a-kind Defender at auction. Following spirited bidding, the gavel finally fell to a delighted bidder on the telephone, achieving an excellent six-figure sum for two wonderful charitable causes.”
Once production ceases in January, Land Rover is expected to announce a replacement for the Defender. Production of the model now known as the Defender began in 1983 as the Land Rover 110, named to reflect the 110-inch (2,800 mm) wheelbase – it became known as the Defender in 1990, following the launch of the Discovery. The vehicle was developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948.