If you’re a regular reader of these pages, you would have seen a report about a British billionaire planning to put the Land Rover Defender back into production.
And you would also have read Jaguar Land Rover’s vehement denial of such plans.
Now, in the latest development of this story, reports out of the United Kingdom suggest that the tycoon in question – a certain Jim Ratcliffe – in fact plans to build what would effectively be a replica that “captures the essence of the Defender”.
Ineos, the chemical company run by Ratcliffe, said the plans involve building a new vehicle in the spirit of the off-roader, rather than coming to an agreement with the British automaker on extending the Defender’s life.
In fact, Ineos director Tom Crotty told Auto Express that Ratcliffe wants to “start pretty well from scratch”, with the company already having commissioned a feasibility study on building the all-new model.
“We’re not in a position where we can use [Land Rover] brands or badges, but [Ineos] wants a car that captures the essence of the Defender,” Crotty told Auto Express.
“Conversations with [Jaguar Land Rover] confirm they are very committed to the Defender. However, it will not be the niche vehicle it once was. We want to build something that has the look and capability of a Defender, but with improved reliability,” he added.
If the project is indeed deemed feasible, Crotty said production of the replica would start within two or three years, with pricing in line with the recently axed off-roader.
