Bear Grylls Helped Build the 2 Millionth Land Rover Defender

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell

 

 

Survivalist and daredevil adventurer, Bear Grylls, knows a thing or two about roughing it in the wild. So too does Land Rover. The off-road brand has been exploring the most remote regions of the world in its Series and Defender 4×4 models for nearly seven decades. 

And after those 67 years of production, Land Rover has achieved a remarkable feat – its two millionth Series/Defender model, which has been nicknamed ‘Defender 2,000,000.’ Bear Grylls was on hand, among a number of other notable Land Rover devotees, to help assemble Defender 2,000,000. And they all had kind words on offer for the hardy old 4x4s.

 

The special edition Land Rover will officially unveil later this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it sports a number of details that separate it from the rest. A map of Red Wharf Bay – the spot where the original Land Rover Series I design was drawn in sand – comes engraved into one of the aluminum body panels, and complements a ‘no. 2,000,000’ badge which affixes to the SUV’s rear. The Defender’s wheels, fenders, roof, door hinges, grille and mirrors are dressed in Santorini Black paint, and inside the map and ‘no. 2,000,000’ graphics are mirrored in the seats and headrests.

“The Land Rover Defender has been there for me more times than I care to remember,” mentions Grylls. “They are so often the unsung heroes of our TV shows, working hard in the toughest conditions to get crew in and out of exceptionally challenging terrains.”

Like the special Defender? You’re in luck, you can own it. The two millionth Defender will be auctioned off on December 16, 2015 by the Bonhams auction house with proceeds benefitting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Born Free Foundation. Auction chairman Robert Brooks admits there’s likely to be “spirited bidding.”

______________________________________