LONDON, Jan 30 — Yesterday, the final current generation Land Rover Defender ran off the production line in Solihull, Birmingham, the site where the iconic SUV was born and has been built for 68 years.

To mark the occasion, some 700 current and former Land Rover employees were invited to say goodbye to the original Land Rover and to be thanked for the role they have played in turning what was seen as a more practical alternative to a tractor into the world's first true “go-anywhere” car.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Today we celebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances.”

Jaguar Land Rover is remaining quiet on what exactly is coming to replace the Defender and when exactly the vehicle will make its debut. It looks very unlikely that a new SUV will be unveiled before 2017.

There have been suggestions the company is struggling with the task, but Nick Rogers, group engineering director at Jaguar Land Rover, is very optimistic: “Creating the Defender of tomorrow, a dream for any engineer or designer, is the next exciting chapter and we are looking forward to taking on that challenge,” he said.

What is certain is that the company believes the Defender is set to become a serious collectors' car. The Solihull facility is being converted into a dedicated center for restoring, maintaining and reselling concourse condition Land Rovers.

Tim Hannig Jaguar Land Rover Heritage director said: “Land Rover Heritage will be offering cars, services, parts and experiences for all owners and fans around the world. Our new restoration service and the sale of expertly restored Series I vehicles is just the start of making sure that classic Land Rovers are not only part of our past but part of our future.”

As for the car's two million current and former owners and its many more fans, Land Rover wants to help them preserve their memories of the off-roading icon with a digital scrapbook. Also announced yesterday, “Defender Journeys” will let users upload information, images and routes about their favorite trips in a Defender or Series Land Rover and attach them to a digital world map. — AFP-Relaxnews