So versatile is the Defender that Land Rover’s designers weren’t able to define a single identity for a special model that represented its character, so they made three instead: the Autobiography, Heritage and Adventure editions.

Autobiography 

The most exclusive is the Autobiography, which sports duo-tone paintwork, Windsor leather upholstery and a boost in power from 122HP to 150HP, among numerous other interior and exterior flourishes. Available only in a ‘90’ bodystyle, it will cost £61,845 and be limited to just 80 examples in the UK.

Heritage

Next up – and by far the Classic Driver office favourite – is the classy Heritage edition, which takes its design cues from the earliest Land Rovers. Wearing Grasmere Green paintwork with a contrasting Alaska White roof, it has a heritage grille and HUE 166 graphics, referencing the numberplate of the first pre-production Landie, nicknamed ‘Huey’. Priced at £27,800, production will be limited to 400 in the UK.

Adventure

The Adventure edition boasts additional under-body protection and rugged Goodyear tyres, along with unique decals and a leather-trimmed cabin for exploring in style. Also included is a roof rack, snorkel and rear-access ladder; it’s available in both ‘90’ and 110’ bodystyles, with the former given the same power upgrade as the Autobiography. Limited to 600 examples in the UK, it’ll cost £43,495 and be available with Corris Grey, Yulong White or Phoenix Orange paintwork. 

Also marked by a 1km ‘sand drawing’ using six Land Rovers on the same beach that Maurice Wilks first sketched the iconic shape 68 years ago, 2015 will be the final year of Defender production in the UK. However, unconfirmed reports suggest it could live on in countries with lower production costs and less strict emissions laws, much like the VW Type 2 did in Brazil until recently.

Photos/Video: Land Rover