Whitley, West Midlands - Land Rover has breathed fresh life into its iconic Defender - a favourite of Queen Elizabeth.
On Wednesday it confirmed that it would create a new version of the 4x4 and also said the existing model would continue to roll off the production line - but that neither model would be made in Britain.
There had been rumours that a factory would be created in Coventry, possibly to build the revamped Defender.
Manufacture of the current version of the all-terrain vehicle, first made in 1948 and one of the first vehicles owned by the Queen after she came to the throne in 1952, is due to end in December 2015 after a series of special editions roll off the production line. But it is understood that the new model will be built abroad.
‘FOR SALE OUTSIDE EUROPE’
A spokesman for Land Rover said: “We will create a new version of the Defender but no decision has been made on where it will be built or when.”
On the future of the existing model, the spokesman added: ‘We are investigating the possibility of maintaining production of the current Defender at an overseas production facility for sale outside Europe, after we cease building in the UK.”
This could mean it being built at Land Rover’s factories in Brazil or China.
The Queen has always owned a Defender and three-quarters of the two million built since launch are still in regular use. A prototype of the new generation 4x4 was unveiled in 2011, and Wednesday’s announcement brings it a step closer.
Daily Mail