Land Rover Classic has revealed its first heritage themed special edition Defender - the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition.
The special edition car celebrates both Spencer Wilks - one of the founders of Land Rover - as well as the Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the Land Rover name was born.
The Heritage Grey of the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition is inspired by the Mid Grey paint of Wilks' original vehicle The Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition is thus finished in Heritage Grey, a colour choice informed by the Mid Grey paint of Wilks' original vehicle. This exterior colour comes with a contrast roof and heavy-duty steel wheels finished in Limestone, while its wheelarches are finished in Heritage Grey for a refined look.
In the cabin, nods to the Isle of Islay on the special edition car include the use of a specially chosen tweed that is crafted by the Islay Woollen Mill. This material appears on the shoulder area of the seats, sections of the door cards and the lid of the central armrest.
This tweed comes in colours that are additionally said to represent the landscape of the Isle of Islay, with blue used to represent the sea and the sky of the region, purple to reference the local heather, and a subtle yellow chosen to reference the peaty grassy landscape.
The special edition cars also come with a tray that features oak from the whisky barrels of Kilchoman distillery Land Rover Windsor Ebony leather is used, meanwhile, to cover the seats, side trim, doors, roof lining and dashboard.
The Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition also gets a plaque that sits beside the gearlever which details how the Land Rover name came to be, when the estate gamekeeper, Ian Duncan, is reported to have exclaimed to Wilks - who was testing a heavily modified Rover that would become the Series I on Islay's Laggan Estate - that it must be the new 'Land' Rover he was driving.
In the central stowage space of the special edition car sits another bespoke detail that links it to the Isle of Islay. Here, a removable tray sits, complete with a unique 110mm wooden disc made from a specific piece of oak from the whisky barrels of the islands' award-winning Kilchoman distillery. This pieces also displays the authentic stencilled lettering of the whisky barrel, making every vehicle one-of-a-kind.
The Works V8 Islay Edition will be limited to 30 examples, all Station Wagons, with 17 available as a 90 short wheelbase and 13 available as a seven-seat 110 version. They will all be powered by a 399bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
The special edition car celebrates both Spencer Wilks - one of the founders of Land Rover - as well as the Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the Land Rover name was born.
In the cabin, nods to the Isle of Islay on the special edition car include the use of a specially chosen tweed that is crafted by the Islay Woollen Mill. This material appears on the shoulder area of the seats, sections of the door cards and the lid of the central armrest.
This tweed comes in colours that are additionally said to represent the landscape of the Isle of Islay, with blue used to represent the sea and the sky of the region, purple to reference the local heather, and a subtle yellow chosen to reference the peaty grassy landscape.
The Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition also gets a plaque that sits beside the gearlever which details how the Land Rover name came to be, when the estate gamekeeper, Ian Duncan, is reported to have exclaimed to Wilks - who was testing a heavily modified Rover that would become the Series I on Islay's Laggan Estate - that it must be the new 'Land' Rover he was driving.
In the central stowage space of the special edition car sits another bespoke detail that links it to the Isle of Islay. Here, a removable tray sits, complete with a unique 110mm wooden disc made from a specific piece of oak from the whisky barrels of the islands' award-winning Kilchoman distillery. This pieces also displays the authentic stencilled lettering of the whisky barrel, making every vehicle one-of-a-kind.
The Works V8 Islay Edition will be limited to 30 examples, all Station Wagons, with 17 available as a 90 short wheelbase and 13 available as a seven-seat 110 version. They will all be powered by a 399bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
