Seriously, This Is Your Very Last Chance To Buy A New Land Rover Defender

Jul. 20, 2015 7:15 AM ET by Jay Traugott / 13 Comments

Assuming you don't live in the US.

It'll soon be time to say goodbye to the iconic Land Rover Defender. It hasn't been sold in the US for years but in other countries, such as its UK homeland, it's remained a solid seller. So why is it being dropped? It's been deemed as no longer fuel efficient and won't meet new safety standards. But neither issue is putting a damper on sales. Quite the opposite, in fact. Although Defender production was supposed to end by the end of January 2016, The Motor Report and the Birmingham Post are claiming otherwise.

A company source hinted production may now continue until the end of February 2016, possibly even into the end of April. The reason? Outright demand. Defender devotees are so anxious to get their hands on one of the last new ones rolling off the production line at Land Rover's Solihull facility. Could this trend hint at a possible Defender comeback? A change of heart from Land Rover? No, sad to say. An all-new, 21st-century Defender is rumored to be in the works, but the Defender that we know will officially be retired after nearly 68 years of production in the near future. That retirement has only been slightly delayed.