The beginning of the end

lightning said:

I wonder how many Defenders will still be on the road in 100 years time.
There's no reason why at least 50% of total production will still be running. One thing's for sure, there will never be another vehicle like it.
By then we'll have run out of fossil fuels. But l am sure there will be a solution for that minor setback to Defender ownership.

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Surely they can all run on biofuel.

Might be SVA, IVA is altogether different!
Actually with all the aftermarket parts available I guess it would be possible for brand new Defenders to be built as long as they can pass an SVA, much like kit cars do!
Mark

Wimblowdriver said:

My prediction; JLR will sell the rights and manufacturing plant to TATA or some other Indian company, ...............................

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Errrrr.......TATA already own all of Jaguar Land Rover......... Cheers, A

lightning said:

I wonder how many Defenders will still be on the road in 100 years time.
There's no reason why at least 50% of total production will still be running. One thing's for sure, there will never be another vehicle like it.
By then we'll have run out of fossil fuels. But l am sure there will be a solution for that minor setback to Defender ownership.

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I don't think we will run out, I think we will get to a point that our dependency drops significantly due to electric or some other new magic and diesel and petrol etc. will still be available from fuel suppliers or similar. Like coal, it is still readily available but not common or the main source of heat for the majority, I think on my street I am the only person who uses it and even then I still have a gas boiler so not 100% dependent on it.

However if that was the case, Biodiesel would do or fit a petrol and go ethanol or something. I think we will always have flammable oil based products.

Moving along.

Discokids said:

Ah well, Aaron's great great grandson will be in his garage, irritating his neighbours, building a hover-fender using the innards of an ex-council/green peace water emiting, zero-emission, solar-powered bin lorry or summat. And putting pics of it on here for the world to see

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Haha, made me laugh, should I take that as a compliment And one of me is more than enough for anyone to put up with

Nice pic, just painted, still on the body jig and ready to be transported over to the assembly factory (if my memory is correct.)
Do you know when the photo was taken?

potus said:

Nice pic, just painted, still on the body jig and ready to be transported over to the assembly factory (if my memory is correct.)
Do you know when the photo was taken?

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Yesterday apparently, just forgot to upload it.
2 minutes and I'll stick another up.

I can't help but feel sad at the end of Defender production.
Sure, it's outdated and on paper a museum piece with no place in modern motoring, and the rolling computer that is the modern car/4x4.
End of an era.

I feel sad for many reasons, in an ideal world the Defender could have gone on as it was, and it could have been computerised and updated if sadly that is what the world wants, I feel sad that such an iconic British vehicle is no longer being made and that we have lost another part of the pathetic car industry we now have, a vehicle which is like no other and lest we forget all of those who will lose their jobs tomorrow - some who already will have completed their stage for the last time. As the last vehicle rolls through each production stage the assemblers and painters and technicians will stand there with no bulkhead coming into to be built up next or another axle assembly to be bolted to a chassis. It must be one of the hardest feelings, a true feeling of redundancy.

The impact is far and wide too, Albion who make the transfer boxes and axles have laid off a lot of staff, that had an impact on the fabrication company who made the assembly line jigs, lifting heads and transport crates, the people who made the seats and carpet and all sorts...

Sad. I just feel proud that I have mine sitting right outside the window and tomorrow she will be come one of a now diminishing number; I always wanted to buy her a brand new sister, and unless I win the lottery over the next week or so I doubt that will ever happen.

Think the majority of staff get to move to another production area, not sure there are many redundancies at all, which is good.

Empty line..

One of the last vehicles where function over form decided how it looked - and it ended up being a design classic. Very sad. All we're left with is bits of plastic stuck on a unfixable monocoque.
It makes me more determined to keep my old '85 going for as long as possible.

Just noticed the front mud flaps with the old logo in one of the photos - very nice. I wonder if they are available as spares?

zeaphod said:

Just noticed the front mud flaps with the old logo in one of the photos - very nice. I wonder if they are available as spares?

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Ah yes, I hadn't noticed that, nice little touch.

The end..

That's one special landy there. I bet there's been a few tears in the factory.

One of the guys in work said "surely they have a replacement waiting in the wings?" Err no. That would have been too sensible.

zeaphod said:

One of the guys in work said "surely they have a replacement waiting in the wings?" Err no. That would have been too sensible.

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Yeah they should have! That line should be re-tooled over the next few months and the new Defenders start rolling, ridiculous there will be a gap. Looking forward to seeing what we will get, I am under no illusion I will be interested or it will be what we want, but I stand by to be pleasantly surprised!