Thread: All discussions relating to the Defenders end of production

No such thing as an interim vehicle when there's nothing confirmed as coming after it. ...my advice, dont hold your breath. Whatever / IF something comes next it won't be a Defender, but something more like a Ford Ranger I'd suggest. ...which will make your sold 'interim' vehicle even more valuable.

Land Rover should have looked (and competed)at how mercedes made a comeback into the commercial ute(government market). They hit the ADF contract hard and won it, that gave mercedes a stepping stone into other government utilities. Vic CFA have ordered heaps of 4x4 and 6x6 fire units, (300 units?) and I know of other government rural fire agencies doing the same, as there is no other vehicle on the market other than the Iveco that can carry every thing required on a fire ground. I enquirer about buying a G wagen commercial ute but it's a minimum order of 20. Landrover have dropped the ball big time and should have been more proactive in developing and adapting the current defenders for these applications. I'm running 5 defender Utes at the moment but have a dmax and an amarok in the mix as a test because I can't buy defenders any more, and can't justify the stupid prices of any second hand ones..

Originally Posted by Summiitt

Land Rover should have looked (and competed)at how mercedes made a comeback into the commercial ute(government market). They hit the ADF contract hard and won it, that gave mercedes a stepping stone into other government utilities. Vic CFA have ordered heaps of 4x4 and 6x6 fire units, (300 units?) and I know of other government rural fire agencies doing the same, as there is no other vehicle on the market other than the Iveco that can carry every thing required on a fire ground. I enquirer about buying a G wagen commercial ute but it's a minimum order of 20. Landrover have dropped the ball big time and should have been more proactive in developing and adapting the current defenders for these applications. I'm running 5 defender Utes at the moment but have a dmax and an amarok in the mix as a test because I can't buy defenders any more, and can't justify the stupid prices of any second hand ones..

Maybe we could do an AULRO group buy - 20 is not that many?

Originally Posted by Summiitt

Land Rover should have looked (and competed)at how mercedes made a comeback into the commercial ute(government market). They hit the ADF contract hard and won it, that gave mercedes a stepping stone into other government utilities. Vic CFA have ordered heaps of 4x4 and 6x6 fire units, (300 units?) and I know of other government rural fire agencies doing the same, as there is no other vehicle on the market other than the Iveco that can carry every thing required on a fire ground. I enquirer about buying a G wagen commercial ute but it's a minimum order of 20. Landrover have dropped the ball big time and should have been more proactive in developing and adapting the current defenders for these applications. I'm running 5 defender Utes at the moment but have a dmax and an amarok in the mix as a test because I can't buy defenders any more, and can't justify the stupid prices of any second hand ones..

Do some more research!

The ADF wanted a "one supplier provides all" and LR have no big fleet (Mogs, Trucks etc)..

LR therefore had no chance.

Agreed, starting price of $85k cab chassis which I thought was ok, given the price of the competition..

Originally Posted by Summiitt

Land Rover should have looked (and competed)at how mercedes made a comeback into the commercial ute(government market). They hit the ADF contract hard and won it, that gave mercedes a stepping stone into other government utilities. Vic CFA have ordered heaps of 4x4 and 6x6 fire units, (300 units?) and I know of other government rural fire agencies doing the same, as there is no other vehicle on the market other than the Iveco that can carry every thing required on a fire ground. I enquirer about buying a G wagen commercial ute but it's a minimum order of 20. Landrover have dropped the ball big time and should have been more proactive in developing and adapting the current defenders for these applications. I'm running 5 defender Utes at the moment but have a dmax and an amarok in the mix as a test because I can't buy defenders any more, and can't justify the stupid prices of any second hand ones..

Great post Summitt. Totally agree. They had a choice but squandered it over decades. And they still have a choice, but they're squandering it on nostalgic nonsense and inaction.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Do some more research!

The ADF wanted a "one supplier provides all" and LR have no big fleet (Mogs, Trucks etc)..

LR therefore had no chance.

Tombie, landrover was in the box seat to push the defender regardless of winning another ADF contract, they should have had the gear and knowledge to enter in non ADF contracts, they weren't interested in progressing the defender..very simple

Originally Posted by Summiitt

Tombie, landrover was in the box seat to push the defender regardless of winning another ADF contract, they should have had the gear and knowledge to enter in non ADF contracts, they weren't interested in progressing the defender..very simple

And why would they?

Mine fleet not interested
Commercial fleet not interested
Logging fleet not interested

It's an ergonomically wrong vehicle, it's got no chance of meeting ANCAP 4 let alone 5/6.
It had no provision for airbags due to design restrictions and tooling to change would be nigh on impossible.

You don't progress a 50+ year design, you put it to pasture and look for the next thing..

**** me - the rose coloured glasses in here are amazing.

I love my Land Rovers, but I haven't read such a ridiculous amount of BS in my life.
The Defender is a Dinosaur in a digital age, much like it seems several in these threads.

The Defender was the MOST expensive vehicle LR produced, has the lowest sales figures, and EU (a real market) pressure and laws said its time was up...

So whether you ****ing like it or not, it was doomed.

People who only look at Aussie markets have no idea how insignificant we really are...