THE UNDEAD: Defender SVX, 60th anniversary special

The Landie that would not die

Some cars just will not die, the 911 is one example, the other is the Land Rover Defender. Sixty years after the first one rolled off the assembly line, the rugged off-roader is still mucking about in the countryside.

What better way to celebrate than to give the creature that would not die a thorough makeover and bring it up to date with the new millennium and call it the SVX.

At a glance it is clear that Land Rover thinks wind tunnels are unholy so they religiously kept their sacred Defender from the evil sculpting powers of the device and kept it as simple as a corrugated carton on wheels.

Some say that is part of the charm of the Defender and Land Rover agrees.

The interior has been given a thorough makeover but everything was done without affecting the structural bits of the car in any way so that the dashboard now looks 21^st century but are quite unable to provide modern ergonomics.

Actually it looks like the designers were given a tube of glue and free access to the parts bin so they just took what they liked and stuck it on the dashboard.

Everything is still upright and tractor-like, that is to say it looks like the cabin of a modern tractor that has been fitted with bucket seats.

Tough guys all over the world are drooling, finally Britain has come up with something almost as ridiculous as the Hummer.

It even comes with metal decals and black commemorative stickers. Oooohhhhh, fantastic or what.

Just to drive home the celebratory message, they glued large silver painted plastic surrounds for the front headlamp and indicator combination and the plastic surgery, is completed by a chunky silver coloured grille. Have you ever seen anything more delightful? It makes Michael Jackson’s plastic surgeon look like a Michaelangelo.

Production will start later in the year. The first car was donated the British Red Cross so they can auction it and raise funds.