This is a new old Land Rover Defender

Defender production may well have ceased in January, but there’s still a way to get your hands on a brand new one. Well, sort of.

See, Land Rover’s ‘Classic’ department has bought itself 25 Series One chassis'. The plan is to restore them all to original 1948 spec, using genuine Land Rover bits, and sell them for undoubtedly colossal sums of money.

Potential owners can pick from the list of available oldies and track the progress of the restoration, which will take place in a special workshop on the site of the old Defender factory in Solihull.

The so-called ‘Reborn’ initiative is set to launch at the Techno-Classica classic car show in Essen, where these rather lovely cars will be auctioned off this weekend, and where Merc’ is displaying many of its most gorgeous convertibles.

We quite want one and suspect you probably do too, but getting your hands on what is likely to rank among the most collectible Defenders isn’t going to be an easy task…