New edition is inspired by ‘UKE 80’, the Land Rover gifted to Winston Churchill for his 80th birthday in 1954
JLR has recreated the Land Rover Series 1 that was gifted to Winston Churchill for a new special edition – but now with a 400bhp 5.0-litre V8 and a price of nearly £300,000.
Named the Classic Defender V8 Churchill Edition, it's the latest creation from the British company's Works Bespoke arm and is limited to just 10 examples.Â
They can be specified in either the 90 (hard-top or soft-top) or 110 bodystyle of the Defender produced between 2012 and 2016.
Costs, including VAT, start at £279,000 for the 90 and rise to £295,200 for the 110. The soft-top 90, priced at £291,000, features a bespoke canvas hood.
The original car, registered ‘UKE 80’, was gifted to Churchill in celebration of his 80th birthday in 1954.
It was restored after being acquired by a Swiss buyer in 2013 and has since been on display at the Emil Frey Classics Museum in Safenwil, Switzerland.
In the search for faithful recreation, members of the Works Bespoke team travelled to the museum to take samples and “fully immerse themselves in its period detailsâ€, said JLR, to ensure “every aspect of the Churchill Edition lives up to its inspirationâ€.
As such, the limited-run cars will be coloured with the same Bronze Green as the original and the seats and interior trim clad with near-identical Bridge of Weir semi-aniline leather in Bottle Green.
The exterior paint – a classic Land Rover heritage colour – is also used on the 16in heavy-duty steel wheels and covers the centre console.
Also featured are a galvanized front bumper, a metal mesh grille, a ‘UKE 80’ decal on the front wings and bespoke badging on the rear.
Alongside lashings of leather, the cabin features a unique clock design on the dashboard with a blue face and red stripe, inspired by Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill champagne.
All 10 cars will be powered by JLR’s naturally aspirated 5.0-litre ‘AJ’ petrol V8, sending 400bhp and 380lb ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic gearbox supplied by ZF.
The Churchill Edition is the latest recreation from JLR’s Defender Bespoke Works, following the Islay, Trophy and Trophy II.
