The Land Rover Defender – it’s been around so long, its name should not even use capitals any more – it is what it is, a land rover defender, which has been moving itself over land and defending countries for decades now.
Sure it may have evolved considerably from its Series I predecessor of 1948, but it’s shape is instantly recognizable. Now, in the wake of a modern replacement, the Defender as we all know it, is being given another home, on the peaceful island of Sri Lanka, just off the southern tip of India.
According to a report from Sri Lanka’s Daily News, production is set to start this year and the new facility will benefit from all of the accumulated technical know-how, as UK experts will be keeping a close eye on the operation. The Defender will be built by local company SML Frontier Automotive (Pvt) Ltd, which is jointly owned by Sathosa Motors and Sheran Fernando.
“Preliminary work of the project has already been completed and the project is expected to commence shortly. The proposed project would make Land Rover vehicles available and affordable to a wider spectrum of the market,” said Access Engineering and SML Frontier Automotive ( Pvt) Ltd Chairman Sumal Perera.
The report did not say if and to which other countries the Defender will be exported.
The statements provided also suggested an emphasis on the ‘after sales’ side of things and some of the initial investment will also go towards the opening of a “state-of-the-art workshop,” which will open its doors soon. Details of which models and what configurations will be made at the future plant have not emerged, but we are looking and we will keep you up to date.
By Andrei Nedelea
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