It was the end of the road for the 'Defender' 4x4 utility vehicle made by Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) as the luxury carmaker halted production of the iconic model at its UK plant today.
The last model of the famous 4x4 off-roader rolled off the production line at JLR's Solihull plant in the West Midlands with a celebratory event for 700 current and former employees.
Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, described the vehicle as the "origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances".
"There will always be a special place in our hearts for Defender, among all our employees, but this is not the end. We have a glorious past to champion, and a wonderful future to look forward to," he said.
The Defender celebration at Solihull saw more than 25 unique vehicles from Land Rover's history come together in a procession around the plant, featuring the final current Defender vehicle which came off the line.
The model was launched 68 years ago and was named 'Defender' in the 1990s, being driven by British troops in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Its famous owners include Queen Elizabeth II and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the model became a movie star when it featured heavily in the 1966 film 'Born Free' and with James Bond in 'Skyfall'.
Nick Rogers, group engineering director at JLR, said: "It's a true motoring icon and is much loved around the world.
The world has changed dramatically in the last 68 years, but this vehicle has remained a constant � something no other vehicle can claim".
More than 2 million Series Land Rovers and Defenders have been built at the Solihull plant since 1948.
"What began as simply a line drawing in the sand has gone on to become one of the world's most iconic 4x4s, earning the accolade of being the most versatile vehicle on the planet, capable of taking owners to the places other vehicles couldn't reach," JLR said.
Land Rover also plans to launch an online "Defender Journeys" platform, which will allow the legendary model to live-on in a digital environment.
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