Sunday Times Bestseller
As quintessentially British as a plate of fish and chips or a British
Bulldog, the boxy, utilitarian Land Rover Defender has become an iconic
part of what it is to be British.
It is said that for more than half the world's population, the first car
they ever saw was a Land Rover Defender. It mirrors many of our national
traits, stiff upper-lipped and slightly eccentric. The car has remained
relatively unchanged for nearly seven decades and has spawned an
industry that includes dozens of publications, car shows, clubs,
associations and even model car collectors who dedicate their lives to
the Land Rover.
To understand this national love affair, Ben has travelled the length of
the British Isles in a Defender, spending time with fellow Land Rover
enthusiasts: from visiting Colonel Blashford-Snell, who crossed the
jungles of the Darien Gap, to patrolling the streets of Belfast with the
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Ben has met folk who have
converted their beloved Defenders into everything from hearses and
coffee shops to works of art and fire trucks. He has travelled from the
Red Wharf in Anglesey, Wales onto the Western Isles of Scotland and
Islay, the island used as a testing ground by Spencer Wilks in 1947 to
put several of the early Series Land Rover prototypes through their
paces.
After 67 years and 2 million vehicles the Land Rover Defender has ceased
production, and this book is a fitting tribute to this most British
institution which has stood as a beacon of durability and Britishness
across the world. Every Land Rover has its own unique story to tell.
This is the story of the world's favourite car.
