All Terrain - The Versatility of the Land Rover Defender
Not many vehicles in the history of cars can say they have the capabilities to be used both to heard sheep on a farm in the middle of the Welsh Valleys, and also carry troops into the line of fire in warzones across the world.
The Land Rover Defender first rolled off the production line back in 1948, in a Britain still recovering from the Second World War. After launch it was soon adopted by the British Military as a hardened all terrain vehicle. Much like similar American counterparts, there were certain elements of it that allowed it to work across a variety of different terrain with little difficulty. Some versions were fitting with the recognisable scuba feature that would suck out any excess water from the engine compartment when travelling through deep water. Following on from the initial shapes of the Series I, II & III, the ‘110’ was a longer wheel-based model that could fit more people within the passenger bay. Both models have acted as design foundation for a variety of different types of vehicle, whether that be Military Ambulance, flat-bed trucks, emergency vehicles, and even cranes.
Land Rover has always been one of the first brands that springs to mind when you think about production in the UK, and is by far one of the most ‘quintessentially British’ vehicles. I’m so used to seeing them within the UK it’s often odd coming across them in Paris or Japan like I have previously. Production of them was held within the UK for 68 years, with the factory line of the 90/110 at Solihull finally closing in 2016 and, production moving to Slovakia for the latest rendition of the Defender.
The Defender, amongst the rest of the Land Rover franchise has always been a household favourite of the Royal Family. You can find various archival photos of many of the royals in different Defender Models, and it was such a significant feature of the family, that one was specially produced to act as Prince Phillip’s hearse upon his passing in 2021.
My real fascination by them began a couple of years back when visiting the South-West over the summer. Every time I’d journey back I’d notice a huge influx of them everywhere with being so close to the countryside, so figured the next time I came back I’d make it my mission to shoot as many as possible, capturing all the different variations. I felt as though you saw more of a selection of Defenders than you do it’s younger sibling, the Discovery. It’s almost become a bit of a sixth sense being able to spot them from a mile off now, so I’ve amassed hundreds of images of them over the course of around 4 years. I’ve somehow turned into an automotive trainspotter, and i cant even drive.
Each one I’d see would have its own personality due to each users preferences. Some would keep them sleek and well painted to use on the streets as leisure vehicles, while others would be rigged up to be used on farms and were covered in scars from hardened usage over the years. Ive even seen one that looked as though it had partaken in the famous Dakar rally.
We’re currently in the process of compiling every image into a photobook due to be published in the upcoming months, so keep an eye out to see how that unravels.
