Defender 2,000,000 to be sold at charity auction

The two-millionth Land Rover Defender built will go under the hammer later this year in a bid to raise money for charity.

Built to mark the end of 67 years of Series Land Rover and Defender production, the vehicle will be auctioned by Bonhams on Wednesday, 16 December.

With a bespoke design and an all-star cast of special guests helping to complete the momentous build, ‘Defender 2,000,000’ has been created to be a fitting tribute to almost seven decades of Land Rover production in the Solihull plant, UK.

Bonhams will unveil the vehicle at Goodwood Festival of Speed, being held 25-28 June. After completing a schedule of public appearances throughout the rest of the year, ‘Defender 2,000,000’ will be auctioned at a charity event.

All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners – the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation.

Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said that the Series Land Rover and in turn Defender has been the transport of choice for explorers, charity organisations, farmers and even royalty.

Speth said, ‘Throughout history it has helped pioneers to reach the unreachable. What started life as an agricultural workhorse has transcended the automotive world to become a worldwide design icon.’

He added, ‘The auction of this milestone vehicle is an opportunity to own a piece of Land Rover’s history, as Defender enters its final phase of manufacturing in Solihull.

During May 2015, a team of life-long Defender fans were invited to join the Solihull production line in May to help build this one-of-a-kind vehicle, including adventurer Bear Grylls,

Commenting while on the production line, Grylls said, ‘The Land Rover Defender has been there for me more times than I care to remember.’

Representatives from the IFRC and Born Free also made the journey to Solihull to fit their part to the vehicle, including actress and founder of the Born Free Foundation Virginia McKenna OBE.

The ‘Defender 2,000,000’ vehicle features a plethora of distinctive finishing touches. A map of Red Wharf Bay – where the design for the original Land Rover was first drawn in the sand – is engraved into the aluminium fender, which contrasts with the exterior Indus Silver satin paint.

A unique ‘no 2,000,000’ badge sits on the rear of the vehicle, which is mirrored on the interior console. The design is finished with Santorini Black wheels and wheel arches, roof, door hinges, grille and mirror caps.

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 plinth.

On the front and rear, S90 HUE registration plates – a reference to the first ever pre-production Land Rover, registration ‘HUE 166’ – complete this one-of-a-kind Land Rover Defender.

Production of the original Land Rover Series I began at the famous Lode Lane facility in 1947 ahead of its launch at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30 April 1948. Since then two million examples of the Series I, II III and Defender have been produced at Solihull.