Thread: Defender's future

Hi All

What is the online equivalent of a placard waving mob at the Solihull factory gate?

( Ban Defender doom gloom!!! )

The Defender needs to evolve, keeping its strengths, but catching up to and surpassing today's needs.

The name Defender may die, but I sure that Land Rover will be filling the needs of its customers, with a better vehicle.

Cheers Arthur

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
His look was most forlorn,
Outside the caryard, ere business began,
One frosty Sunday morn.


The ‘fender faithful stood aside,
Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and parts, and Landy Pride,
As it had done for years.


"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke;
"Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,
For never since the firm near went broke
Has future been so bad."


"It's mad, all right," said young O'Neil,
With which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel
And stared at where his series was parked.


And so around the chorus ran
"They’re keepin' them, no doubt?"
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If they stop making them, we’re out!"


"The jobs need done; ye'll have your work
Through drought, through fire, through rain;
From Africa to way out Back-o'-Bourke
They're singin' the defender refrain.


"The shining symbol of the marque," he said,
"First here in ’49 we did spy."
The congregation scratched its head,
And gazed around the sky.


"There won't be a class, in any case,
Enough to please an ass;
There's not a Rover to take its place
If this terrible cut comes to pass."


"If news don't come this month," said Dan,
And cleared his throat to speak -
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If news don't come this week."


A heavy silence seemed to steal
On all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel,
And stared at the carpark.


"We need a series style, we do,"
O'Neil observed at last;
But Croke "maintained" we needed defenders too
To put the danger past.


"If we don't have real defenders, man,
Of this I have no doubt,
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."


In slow sweet time down came the news;
And all the afternoon
With square flat sides and flat window-panes
The defenders climbed through dunes.


And through the night it travelled long,
And supplied the far flung shelves
On call for rescue duties, strong
A legend in themselves.


It drives and works all day long,
A-singing at its work,
Till every heart sings their praises strong
Even way out to Back-o'-Bourke.


In every land, a landy ran,
From deep depths to overtop;
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If Defender production stops."


And they announced, in God's good time;
And that the defender would stay bold
A mantle o'er the worlds it climbs
Its worth its weight in gold.


And days went by on diesel fair,
With production-hopes immense,
And smiling eyes beheld the body square
As it passed by along the fence.


And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lass and lud
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
Went four wheel driving just cruising through the mud!


And round the church in clothes genteel
Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
Stared at his example of the marque.


"There is one thing for sure, me man,
Be an exodus, without a doubt;
if they change Defender," said Hanrahan
And they’ll be rooned, Before the year is out."


(apologies to John O'Brien)

Land Rover has decided to discontinue the Defender as it has proven impossible to build 1 watertight Defender...

Originally Posted by alexturner

Land Rover has decided to discontinue the Defender as it has proven impossible to build 1 watertight Defender...

its called a self drainage system that works

If it looks like this I'm glad they're stopping it; this had been hit with the ugly stick - hard! I'd rather my old Def or at worst walk. It looks more like a Lada Niva on a double caff, decaf, with soy milk and a twist of lemon or whatever that crap is that the yuppies with carrots up their $%#!& like to order for their morning "tea or at best watered dowon steroids.

If they do decide to stop the Defender I reckon that'd be a good time for those of us who love them to get together and start our own marque. Let's follow the Harley Davidson lead, although with a slightly different twist. I've said this before on this forum, we could all throw in some dough (I'd have to borrow all of it ) and start building our own Defenders ( I mean it's not like its out of our technological reach is it; most of us have backyards and sheds/garages and some basic tools so we already outperform our mates at Solihull (cos it rains there most of the time). We could produce a world class vehicle that is is quiet, DOESN'T leak, is galvanised, has all the underbody protection, bullbars, spare wheel carriers, rear storage, diff lockers, etc as standard and surely we could do it cheaper than the Poms are already doing. From what I've read the Yanks love the Defender, we'd just have to incorporate airbags and we'd have a huge market. I've got some ideas what would reduce weight, exceed pollution problems, traction control and underbody clearance issues. Heck, we could even get Richard Branson to sponsor us to save the "British" brand from extinction; whadya think?????? Am I mad???

Didge, I think that car is terrible!

As you were so vague though Im unsure of your opinion on it!!

cheers!

I have a relo who works for Landrover and he has heard that TATA may take assembly to India in it's current state (or even retro it?). He also told me about a few new models coming soon but I have been sworn to secrecy (and they're not Defenders so I don't really care).

Originally Posted by Cliffy

I have a relo who works for Landrover and he has heard that TATA may take assembly to India in it's current state (or even retro it?). He also told me about a few new models coming soon but I have been sworn to secrecy (and they're not Defenders so I don't really care).

when I was in east timor in 2000 the Un were using 1998 hi roof disco auto diesels... these were replaced with TATAs, in a country with huge humidity they had NO DEMISTER!, every one had a 1/8" gap in the weld joining top of drivers side rear wheel arch ...

therefore you could tell, when they were nowhere near the car who had been driving as they had a mud spatter across right rear shoulder and back!

We broke 4 before they gave us a disco back (in 3 weeks!) and we were actually trying NOT to break them!. (AS AN ASIDE OUR DISCO HAD NO RADIO AND NO SPEAKERS AND THE UN AND POLICE EMBLEMS AND SIGNAGE HAD BEEN PAINTED OUT AND THE INDON. ARMY HAD MARKED THEM AND ADDED BITS LIKE RED CROSS MARKNGS ON SOME! THERE WERE TAKEN BACK FROM WEST TIMOR AFTER BEING 'STOLEN' BY THE MILITIA AND ALLEGEDLY GIVEN TO THE INDON ARMY WHO DIDNT QUESTION THEIR HISTORY!! BUT GAVE THEM BACK WHEN THE AUS/NZ MIL MADE THE REQUEST..) The side mirrors were largely lost in delivery from one end of E/T (where they had been flown in on an antinov) to dili, mirrors shaking and falling off in the journey on the perfectly adequate sealed road!! also had a great habit of a drivers side (i think it was) engine mount snapping away without notice or work (didnt happen to us but lots of others)..

Yep, summing it up.... My tata experience was as much fun as licking razor blades...(for those who arent sure...thats bad!)

I truely honestly pray they dont submit the great car to that quality!