When the original Land Rover Defender finally went out of production at the beginning of 2016, the company announced a very ambitious project - Land Rover Reborn, which would search the globe for dilapidated Series One models from the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
Though the model has a huge fanbase, the company decided that demand would be low, perhaps 25 clients a year, but the demand has been off the scale and not just for the finished models, but for just a glimpse of the restoration process itself.
For example, when the final Defender was pieced together and rolled off the Solihull, Birmingham production line in January, 10,000 people turned up to say "goodbye."
So, as part of a new Reborn Tour and Driving Experience, off-roading fans will be able to visit the Solihull facility, which has now been converted into a special restoration workshop and museum in honour of the original Land Rover and watch as classic Defenders are resurrected precisely to the 1948 manual, including the use of period techniques and materials.
As part of its new ‘Reborn Tour,' which will now allow guests to visit its newly created facility and watch the coming together of these classics, visitors will also get the chance to put a Land Rover through its paces. With instruction from an expert they will be able to take a classic Defender on Land Rover's testing tracks.
Those that want to take things further still, can use the visit as the first step in purchasing a ‘reborn' Land Rover. With help from experts they can select a base model in need of restoration, select a period correct external and internal finish and then return on a regular basis to watch the restoration take shape.
