Land Rover Defender

This article is about the 1983–2016 Land Rover Defender (L315, L316). For the 2020 Land Rover Defender (L663), see Land Rover Defender (L663).

Land Rover Defender
2015 Land Rover Defender 90 (Australia)
Overview
Manufacturer
Also calledLand Rover 90, Ninety, 110, One Ten, One Two Seven (1983–90)
Production
  • 1983–2016
    2020–present
  • Over 2 million Series/Defenders built since 1948[1]
AssemblyUnited Kingdom: Solihull
CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits:[2]
Australia: Moorebank
Brazil: São Paulo
South Africa: Blackheath, Rosslyn, Silverton
Pakistan: Karachi
Turkey: Istanbul, Arifiye
Malaysia: Shah Alam, Kulim
Jordan: Ma'an
Kenya: Nairobi
Thailand
Zimbabwe
Body and chassis
ClassSmall offroader (90)
Medium sized offroader (110 & 130)
LayoutFront engine, four-wheel drive
Chronology
PredecessorLand Rover Series III
SuccessorLand Rover Defender (L663)

The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover One Two Seven in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pickup trucks. They consistently have four-wheel drive, and were developed in the 1980s from the original Land Rover series which was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in April 1948. Following the 1989 introduction of the Land Rover Discovery, the term 'Land Rover' became the name of a broader marque, and no longer worked as the name of a specific model; thus in 1990 Land Rover renamed them as Defender 90 and Defender 110 and Defender 130 respectively.

The vehicle, a British equivalent of the Second World War derived (Willys) Jeep, gained a worldwide reputation for ruggedness and versatility. Using a steel ladder chassis and an aluminium alloy bodywork, the Land Rover originally used detuned versions of Rover engines.

Though the Defender was not a new generation design, it incorporated significant changes, compared to the series Land Rovers, such as adopting coil springs front and rear. Coil springs offered both better ride quality and improved axle articulation. The addition of a centre differential to the transfer case gave the Defender permanent four-wheel-drive capability. Both changes were derived from the original Range Rover, and the interiors were also modernised. Whilst the engines were carried over from the Series III, a new series of modern and more powerful engines was progressively introduced.

Even when ignoring the series Land Rovers and perhaps ongoing licence products, the 90/110 and Defender models' 33-year production run were ranked as the sixteenth longest single-generation car in history in 2020.[3]

In 2020, Jaguar Land Rover introduced an all new generation of Land Rover Defender Land Rover Defender (L663) switching from body on chassis to integrated bodywork and from live, rigid axles to all around independent suspension. The Land Rover came with a 4 door version called the Defender 110, and a 2 door version called the Defender 90. The new Defenders come with v8 engines.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference LRmedia1506 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Taylor, James (2013). Land Rover Defender, 90 and 110 Range. Crowood Press. pp. 15–17. ISBN 978-1-84797-453-2.
  3. ^ Survivors The world’s longest-living cars – Autocar