” A king reigns, and then he dies. It’s inevitable…” So said a character in Prometheus. The character was making an allegory about her father, but the inference was about species as well. And here, I present the last hurrah on a certain kind of species. This is the LAND ROVER DEFENDER Xtech. This defender has never made it to America – though still built on a frame that used to. That old Defender, with the Buick dervived push rod engine was a go anywhere workhorse that was course, rugged and lacked creature comforts. It also lacked an airbag, right around the time the U.S. government decided all cars sold on these shores needed one. And to fit the advanced safety system in something like this just didn’t make business sence. So here we see the last of the species – all dolled up to make its final farewell before Rover brings a new Defender into the world – one keeping more in line with the corporate step. It will be sad to see this go – a stalwart of the jungles, a gazelle of the deserts and world wide symbol of the frontier. Here in America we all said goodbye a long time ago, but it was nice to know that they were out there, doing the job that other couldn’t, be it on the farm, in the military or on safari. And still, when I look at this, I think it needs a tire on the hood. I had a matchbox with one like that, and that is just how I see them. The new Defender will be different in size and scope, and it will be rugged more more refined. This is an automotive relic, and will be missed. ….Its inevitable.
The Vehiclist
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