Land Rover Defender production extends in to 2016

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It’s been revealed that the Land Rover Defender will not end production in the UK in 2015, but that the Defender will continue in to 2016 to fulfil orders.

The Land Rover Defender is the car that made Land Rover what it is, and has been in production in the UK since 1948. But the Defender can no longer meet upcoming emissions and safety standards so was due to end production this year. But it seems that is not the case.

The Birmingham Post – JLR’s ‘local’ newspaper – is reporting that a glut of orders for the Defender, as buyers rush to snap up the model before it goes out of production, mean the Landie could still be being built at Lode Lane as late as April 2016.

Land Rover are still only running a single shift system for Defender production despite a 29 per cent jump in orders in 2015, with big demand for the Defender coming from mainland Europe, but they have increased production per shift from 84 to 125 cars.

At some point, Land Rover will have to stop taking orders for the Defender and bring down the curtain in the UK, although it does seem likely JLR will continue making the Defender in regions that aren’t subject to the same emissions and safety requirements as Europe in the future.

But at this rate, the proper Defender could last until an all new Defender arrives.