From Land Rover Monthly, June 2013;

" Although the veteran Defenders days are numbered in the UK, it is about to get a new lease of life in Sri Lanka, where a local company has announced plans to build a plant to assemble the vehicles

They will be built by SML Frontier Automotive, a subsidiary of Sathosa Motors. Sri Lanka's Daily news reported that production is expected to commence late this year. The company will be investing US $1 million to build the plant on land near Hambantota Port, into which the completely knocked- down [ CKD] parts would arrive from the UK. Sansosa Motors, the Parent firm, already has the agency for Japan's Isuzu brand.

Although the current Defender is due to be phased out in 2015 in Europe & North America to meet stringent emissions & safety laws, the new move raises the question of whether the 30 year old workhorse will continue being produced in the third World for years to come. " Bob