Land Rover: Final Defender 90 Heritage signs off 68-year production run in style

The last version of the car was designed to emulate as closely as possible the original car’s looks and spec

The Land Rover Defender will be sorely missed

The Defender is dead; long live the Defender. Land Rover’s legendary 4x4 is no more, but what an action-packed life it led since its arrival in 1948.

It was only right that the passing of the world’s most revered off-roader should be marked in style – which it was, with the production of this final model, number 2,016,933.

The last Defender 90 Heritage was designed to emulate as closely as possible the original car’s looks and spec. It rolled off the line on 29 January, and will be preserved in the Land Rover Heritage Collection.

The final car has an up-to-date 2.2-litre diesel

As with the first-ever model, it’s a right-hand-drive soft-top, and wears Grasmere Green paint. It even features 1948-style hood cleats and under-body support struts, while the numberplate is a further nod to the original ‘Huey’.

The last Defender 90 Heritage emulated the original car’s looks and spec

Under the bonnet is a rather more up-to-date 2.2-litre diesel, originally sourced from the Ford Transit and used in Defenders since 2012. Cream leather trim gives the cabin a touch of luxury.

So that’s it then. Thanks Defender, it’s been a blast. You’ll be sorely missed.