The Defender is a 4x4 model from Land Rover, built to emulate the style of the original Series Land Rovers.
Series models and Defenders are confused due to their similar styling, although the differences are large. The principal differences between Defenders and Series models are that Defenders are coil-sprung whereas Series models are leaf-sprung, and also that Defenders are permanently four wheel drive with a locking central differential, whereas the Series vehicles have selectable two or four wheel drive.
Defenders entered production in 1983, and came in two wheelbases, 90 in and 110 in. The 130 in wheelbase model was introduced later.
Series I
Land Rover entered production in 1948, with the introduction of the Series I, which came in 80 in, 86 in, 88 in, 107 in and 109 in models. It was originally designed for farm and light industrial use, and had a steel box-section chassis, and an aluminium body. Series I production stopped in 1958.
Chassis and vehicle number locations
There does appear to be conflicting information on the location of the number on the chassis, and numbers often cannot be found due to age and corrosion.
Series I (80 in):
The chassis number is stamped on the top of the left hand engine bearer bracket. The vehicle number (the same as the number as on the bracket) is situated on the bulkhead inside the vehicle. Engine, gearbox, and front and rear axle numbers should be related to the chassis numbers,but these are often some or many digits later - due to spares and supplies for other vehicles being made and numbered at the same time.
Series I (86 in) and (107 in):
These numbers are situated on the transfer box instruction plate on the bulkhead inside the vehicle, and are also stamped on the left hand rear spring shackle bracket.
Series I (88 in) and (109 in):
Numbers are on the transfer box instruction plate, and are also on the righthand front spring shackle bracket.
Series II
The successor to the incredibly successful Series I was the Series II, which saw a production run from 1958 to 1961. It came in 88 in and 109 in wheelbases. This was the first Land Rover to adopt a relatively modern shape, and used a well-known 2.25 L petrol engine.
Series IIA
The Series IIA is, by far, the most ubiquitous and hardy series model constructed. It was produced between 1961 and 1971. There were some minor cosmetic changes from the II, and the 2.25 L diesel engine was introduced. Also the 2.6 L 6 cylinder engine was introduced for use in the long wheel base models. This engine was notoriously difficult to maintain, and was soon replaced by the 3.5 L Rover V8 engine.
Series III
Little changed cosmetically between the IIA and the Series III. However the headlamps were moved to the wings, and the traditional metal grille was replaced with a plastic one. During its production run from 1971 until 1985, the 1,000,000th Land Rover rolled off the production line in 1976. This was the first model to feature synchromesh on all four gears. The instrument cluster, which was previously centrally located, was moved to the driver's side.
Defender
The Defender moniker was adopted in the early 1990s as a measure to distinguish the utility Land Rover model from the Discovery and Range Rover, which were moving rapidly up-market - especially in the US. Production of what is now referred to as the Defender actually began in 1983 as the Land Rover 110 - a simple name which refers to the length of the wheelbase. 90 and 127 inch models soon followed.
Outwardly, there is little to distinguish the post-1983 vehicles from the Series Rovers which had been in production since the late 1940s. A mild facelift of revised grille styling and fender flares are the most noticeable changes. Defender was, however, a complete modernization of the old Series platform. Spefically:
- Defender used coil springs on all four wheels, whereas series trucks had leaf springs. This change allowed for greater axle travel and increased off-road ability.
- Series Rovers were not full-time four wheel drive - you had to engage a lever on the tunnel to select four wheel drive mode. Defender incorporated a full-time four wheel drive transfer gearbox with a lockable center differential.
- Newer technology engines were incorporated from the beginning of production.
Land Rover Defender vehicles have been used extensively by many of the world's militaries, including the US in some limited capacity. The Defender is very much an anachronism in today's vehicle marketplace. It is still largely hand assembled, and unlike most modern cars and trucks, all the major body panels and sub-assemblies simply bolt together. A defender can literally be broken down to its chassis with simple hand tools - there is no unibody structure. This is actually an advantage when used extensive for off road travel - unibody vehicles can weaken at over time, but there are no such stress points on a Defender. Ironically this feature which originally allowed Land Rover vehicles to be crated as components and shipped for assembly anywhere in the world has become a liability because of the high cost of labor in the UK, where the vehicles are primarily manufactured today.
Other models
Other models included the forward control model 101 in, the lightweight, and various specialised vehicles.
Replacement
Replacing the Defender with a new model is expensive as it needs to have outstanding off-road performance, and be suitable for many different uses. The motoring press now believe that the Defender will be replaced in 2007 with a new version based on the Discovery model.
