Historical Land Rover SUV and its accessories are now part of the Icons series, with a Classic Defender set of 2,336 pieces that is going on sale on July 1st
Land Rover is celebrating its 75th anniversary and nothing seems more fitting than paying a tribute to the Defender. After all, we are talking about a direct descendant of the Series I, the off-roader which helped establish the very company. This particular tribute features 2,336 parts and a beautiful level of detail.
As the pictures show, the latest Lego set available in the market represents the classic Defender, a model sold from 1983 to 1990. The model is part of the Icons series. Its representations present a higher level of accuracy than what we would normally expect from Lego sets. Here, we are going to give it a closer look.
What is the Classic Defender?
As usual, let us start by presenting the actual vehicle. Even though Land Rover had been selling the Series I, II and III in consistent volumes, the global market was demanding more in terms of comfort. The Classic Defender appeared in 1983 with some improvements in that regard while preserving the original image.
In short, Land Rover improved its suspension, added full-time all-wheel drive and refreshed internal and external trim items. It is interesting to notice that the Classic Defender did not actually have that name. In 1983, it was named 90 and 110 (Ninety and One Ten in print ads) according to its wheelbase in inches.
Things would change after 1989, once the company released the Discovery. Land Rover became a marque rather than a product name, so the SUV became the Defender. In this iteration, the model was offered up to 2016 in those wheelbases and the “130” pickup truck. It would receive an all-new generation in 2020.
Land Rover Defender Lego Icons
If you agree that the classic Defender reached a surprising level of realism for Lego sets, there are two big reasons for that. One is belonging to the Icons series, which focuses on accuracy while the Technic aims at representing mechanisms. The other is that it is easy to use bricks to build a car that… looks like a brick.
Attention to detail appears in the cabin, with beige and black trim. The engine hides under a hood that can be opened. There are also specific items that have become essential to the Defender’s style. That is the case of its perfectly vertical rear end, small skylights on the sides, and two-tone paint with the roof in white.
There is also a full package of off-road items. Auxiliary lights, axe hammer, pickaxe, working winch and fire extinguisher plus a roof rack with jerrycans, traction boards, a jack, and a toolbox. The best part is that all those accessories are optional. You can display your new Lego set with all of them or in its purest form.
Classic Defender in 2,336 pieces
As mentioned, Lego sets of the Technic series are the ones with complex mechanisms that deserve a long time of observation. The Icons series focuses on the model per se. In this case, it focus on the vehicle that established Land Rover in the market and made it a reference when it comes to off-roaders for civil use.
This Lego set is 12.5″ long, 6″ wide, and 6″ tall without those accessories (they make it significantly taller). While it only comes in the signature sage green, the Danish toymaker states that it comes with two types of engine for you to fit under its hood. All in all, there are many combinations for you to display the set.
Now that you know all about the latest version of the classic Defender, it is time to wait. The Lego set will go on sale in early April starting by online platforms. It will cost $239.99, so that waiting period may come in handy for you to save up. Then again, if you want to check more information, take a look at its page.
Danillo Almeida has explored his passion for cars in two distinct ways. The first one is his graduation course in Mechanical Engineering, which will hopefully lead to a job position in the field. The other one is expressing his knowledge and opinions on the matter through writing. Almeida has already contributed to blogs, stores, and websites in general writing automotive content in many formats.
