EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION
4x4 Magazine Australia|November 2019
WITH THE ALL-NEW DEFENDER FINALLY REVEALED, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT HOW IT GOT TO THIS POINT.
DEAN MELLOR
EVOLUTION TO REVOLUTION

IT’S NO SECRET that the last of the old-school Land Rover Defenders to roll off the production line in 2016 was remarkably similar in design and concept to the original Land Rover launched in 1948. Other than the obvious styling similarities, both had a basic separate chassis with a steel bulkhead, mostly aluminium body panels and live-axle suspension, albeit with leaf springs early on and coils in the later County and Defender years.

Later-model Defenders had advanced turbo-diesel engines, but, other than that, development over 68 years moved at a slow pace, until the recent launch of the all-new model at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new Defender is undoubtedly a technological tour de force, but how did a company like Land Rover, with such a large range of modern 4x4s – Discovery, Range Rover, RR Velar and RR Evoque – manage to let the Defender simply plod along for so long? And then allow the nameplate to be absent from the market for nearly four years?

BUILDING BLOCKS

WE ALL know the old Defender can trace its roots back to the original Land Rover that was unveiled at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1948. This was developed into the Land Rover Series I, which immediately found immense sales success thanks to its unequalled versatility. In fact, the Land Rover went on to become a British manufacturing success story that far exceeded initial expectations. In the first year of production, a total of 3048 Land Rovers were made, then 8000 in 1949 and 16,000 in 1950.

To cut a long story short, the Series I was replaced by the Series II in 1958, followed by the Series IIA in 1961 and the Series III in 1971, and by 1976, one million Land Rovers had been produced; many of those in overseas plants including Australia, which was the first country outside of England to manufacture Land Rovers.

この記事は 4x4 Magazine Australia の November 2019 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は 4x4 Magazine Australia の November 2019 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

4X4 MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAのその他の記事すべて表示
CORRUGATIONS.SAND, AND SPINIFEX
4x4 Magazine Australia

CORRUGATIONS.SAND, AND SPINIFEX

WHEN TALKING LEGENDARY TRACKS, THE CANNING STOCK ROUTE HAS THE TITLE OF LONGEST HISTORICAL STOCK ROUTE IN THE WORLD, BUT TACKLING ITS 1850KM IN A 1970S LAND ROVER MAKES FOR ONE INTERESTING DRIVE FOR THE TV CREW FROM SERIOUSLY SERIES. YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF BY VIEWING ROAD TO RUIN

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
PURE WATER
4x4 Magazine Australia

PURE WATER

THE GUZZLE H2O STREAM IS THE IDEAL WATER PURIFICATION SOLUTION FOR PROVIDING A RELIABLE SOURCE OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER OFF THE GRID

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
DOES IT GET ANY TOUGHER FOR THE AT52S?
4x4 Magazine Australia

DOES IT GET ANY TOUGHER FOR THE AT52S?

HAVING TACKLED SOME OF THE ROUGHEST TRACKS IN THE COUNTRY, THESE ALL-TERRAINS HAVE PASSED THE TEST

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
TOP 5 4X4 SPOTS IN SA
4x4 Magazine Australia

TOP 5 4X4 SPOTS IN SA

HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST 4X4 DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

time-read
10+ 分  |
November 2024
PLUGGING IN
4x4 Magazine Australia

PLUGGING IN

GWM IS STUDYING THE VIABILITY OF PLUG-IN HYBRID VERSIONS OF ITS POPULAR 4X4S FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET. WE GOT A CHANCE TO SAMPLE THEM ON TRACK

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
TOP TANK
4x4 Magazine Australia

TOP TANK

WE HAVE COME AWAY IMPRESSED AFTER A WEEK IN GWM’S TANK 500 HYBRID 4X4.

time-read
6 分  |
November 2024
HARD EARNED
4x4 Magazine Australia

HARD EARNED

HARD WORK AND THE RIGHT ADVICE HAVE HELPED JAMES ATKINSON BUILD THE PATROL OF HIS DREAMS

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
DYNAMIC DEBUT
4x4 Magazine Australia

DYNAMIC DEBUT

OUR FIRST TASTE OF THE LC250 COMES IN THE FORM OF THE LEXUS GX550 OVERTRAIL, AND THIS LUXURY 4X4 WAGON IMPRESSES BOTH ON THE ROAD AND OFF IT

time-read
5 分  |
November 2024
BLACK GROWLER
4x4 Magazine Australia

BLACK GROWLER

IF YOU’RE GOING TO SWAP FROM A DOUBLE-CAB UTE TO A 4X4 WAGON, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE. BRUCE HAS DONE JUST THAT AND EQUIPPED HIS GR SPORT 300 WITH THE BEST GEAR ON THE MARKET

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024
2025 NISSAN PATROL MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT
4x4 Magazine Australia

2025 NISSAN PATROL MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT

CURTAINS DROP ON SEVENTH-GENERATION PATROL BUT NOT HERE UNTIL 2026

time-read
4 分  |
November 2024