Land Rover unveils new 1980s classic style 4x4 but there's one big catch
Land Rover has launched a beast of a car that retro fans will love - but the brand-spanking new model comes with one significant drawback.
Paying tribute to a legendary design from the 1980s, celebrated for its extraordinary off-road performance in some of the world 's toughest environments, Land Rover has unveiled a new Defender Trophy Edition. It is an homage to the Camel Trophy vehicles from 40 years ago, complete with matching accessories and a retro livery.
The Camel Trophy itself began in 1980, originally featuring three German teams driving Jeeps across the Amazon Basin. Described as 'neither a race nor a rally' by Iain Chapman, the event's director for over a decade, the Camel Trophy was an off-roading expedition where participating teams tested their 4x4 driving and mechanical skills, endurance, courage, stamina, perseverance and resilience against some of the most challenging natural conditions on the planet.
After the inaugural event, organisers partnered with Land Rover and secured primary sponsorship from tobacco company Camel, giving the event its iconic name. Over the next twenty years, the competition took place in challenging locations such as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Madagascar, Samoa, Siberia, Malaysia, and many other demanding terrains.
Throughout the event's history, a wide range of Land Rover vehicles participated — Range Rover, Land Rover Series III, Land Rover 90, Land Rover 110, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery and Freelander. All of which were painted in the distinctive 'Sandglow' yellow associated with the Camel brand.
This signature colour is one of two livery options available for the new Defender Trophy Edition, which will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13. However, there is a significant catch with this luxury retro revival model — the price.
The new Trophy Edition is offered exclusively as the mid-size, five-door Defender 110, featuring unique 20-inch alloy wheels and a choice between the aforementioned Deep Sandglow Yellow — evoking the Camel Trophy heritage — or Keswick Green. Both versions include the option of a contrasting black bonnet, wheel arches, roof and black leather interior.
For those seeking even more authenticity, Land Rover offers a Trophy Edition accessory pack for £4,995. This features a roof rack, retractable roof ladder (for easier access to roof-mounted gear), air-intake snorkel (for water crossings) and classic-style mud flaps, as well as gloss black side panniers providing 'extra space for muddy, wet or sandy items'you would rather not store in the boot.
Land Rover said the Trophy Edition, which omits the Camel name for advertising reasons, is a celebration of the brand's 'rich history of adventure challenges', noting that the classic yellow vehicles are 'synonymous with Defenders used on international Trophy-style events'. The price for the Trophy Edition starts at £89,810, a notable increase over the £62,795 base for a standard Defender 110.
While the Trophy Edition's price is steep, it is only half the cost of a similar commemorative model produced by Land Rover Classic in 2021. That limited run included just 25 examples of the old Defender, each inspired by the Camel Trophy and featuring period-correct liveries and modifications.
Despite a price tag of £195,000 per car, the Works V8 Trophy line sold out in just three days, prompting Land Rover to build another 25 units to meet demand. And it's worth noting — many of the original competition Land Rovers from Camel Trophy events, which ran from 1981 to 2000, are still on the road today and going strong.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Huge car dealership is shutting down site forever in ‘strategic restructure' – as exact date of closure revealed
A MAJOR dealership is set to close one of its stores. The permanent closure is part of a strategic regional restructure. 3 3 Stratstone Land Rover is set to close its Slough showroom on August 31. After the closure, motorists will need to travel to Reading for their nearest store. Other alternatives include Tonbridge, Mayfair, Tottenham and Milton Keynes. Customers were informed of the closure via email. The motor company said its central client care team will handle vehicle finance, workshop bookings and servicing. The email was subsequently shared across social media, although their website is yet to be updated. It reads: "As a valued client of Stratstone Land Rover Slough, we are writing to inform you that as part of a strategic regional restructure, we have taken the decision to permanently close our Slough showroom on 31 August 2025. "I understand this closure may raise questions about vehicle finance workshop bookings and servicing so I'd like to assure you that Stratstone is committed to supporting you throughout your ownership experience, and I encourage you to contact our central care client team if we can help in any way." The store provided a range of services to customers. This included the sale of new and used cars, servicing, MOTs and tyre replacements. 5 things you should never say to a car dealer… a slip of the tongue could cost you hundreds Reviews of the site averaged 3.1 stars from 649 Google reviews. Some reviewers complained of faulty cars being purchased with difficulty getting it repaired. One wrote: "As you can see by the ratings, this dealership is one to avoid." However, others were more positive as one wrote: "Had a great experience purchasing my new car." Last month, Jaguar Land Rover announced its plans to delay the launch of its electric vehicles. It claimed it was to "allow more time for demand". Deliveries of the Range Rover electric were due to begin in late 2025 but this has now been delayed until next year. It still maintained it would sell electric versions for all its brands by 2030. Prior to this, it said it would axe up to 500 jobs in the UK, largely in managerial roles. It was partially caused by concerns around increased tariffs.
Time Out Dubai
2 days ago
- Time Out Dubai
Dubai Police adds Audi RS7 to its extensive luxury patrol fleet
Dubai Police has added another supercar to its already impressive fleet of luxury vehicles. Joining the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and the Lamborghini Urus Performante in patrolling Dubai streets will be the Audi RS7 Performance. The top-of-the-line German car will be added to Dubai Police's tourist patrol fleet, which focuses on improving the experience and safety of visitors to the emirate. Boasting an acceleration of 0 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, 630 horsepower and 850 Nm of torque, the vehicle will strengthen the police's presence at key tourist destinations across the city. The new car was unveiled at a ceremony at the Museum of the Future on Thursday August 14. In a Dubai Police press release, the striking design, advanced technology and its promise to turn heads were all highlighted as advantages to the introduction of the Audi RS7 Performance to the fleet. @DubaiPoliceHQ has added the new Audi RS7 Performance to its renowned fleet of luxury patrol vehicles, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing security and safety, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and continually upgrading its world-class tourist patrol fleet. #PolicePatrols… — Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) August 14, 2025 A Tesla Cybertruck is also part of the Dubai Police fleet (Credit:Dubai Police) Major General Eid Muhammad Thani, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, explained that integrating high-performance sports cars supports the force's goal of strengthening the police presence in key tourist destinations and helps ensure that all Dubai Police vehicles remain state-of-the-art. Representatives of Al Nabooda Automobiles, a partner of Dubai Police, and Major General Rashid Al Falasi, Director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue, were also present at the Museum of the Future ceremony. K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, said: 'Our partnership with Dubai Police, particularly the Tourism Police Department, is built on ambition and mutual trust. 'With the addition of the Audi RS7 to the fleet, we are proud to support a vision that prioritises high performance and excellence. Together, we are redefining what is possible in mobility and public engagement.' Other luxury car brands included in Dubai Police's luxury fleet include Bentley, Mercedes, Maserati, Aston Martin and Cadillac. You might also like: UAE public holidays: Every long weekend to look forward to in 2025 The dates to know 22 pictures that show how much Dubai has changed from the 1950s to today Take a look at these unrecognisable photos of the city 112 best things to do in Dubai in 2025 Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Mick Schumacher edges closer to Cadillac F1 deal but not the one he wants most
Cadillac are in the process of recruiting drivers for their maiden Formula 1 season in 2026 with Mick Schumacher one of those who has held talks with the American outfit Mick Schumacher is edging closer to a Formula 1 return – but not in a race seat. The 26-year-old son of seven-time World champion Michael is desperate to revive his F1 career which ended in 2022 after two seasons with minnows Haas. He spent time as reserve at Mercedes after that but has since left F1 altogether to race with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship [WEC]. Schumacher has three podiums to his name so far and hopes to use it as a springboard back onto the F1 grid. The German has held discussions with Cadillac, who will form F1's 11th team next year, about a potential deal. And it is understood that those talks have progressed, though at this stage it is unlikely that he will be given one of the two race seats on offer for 2026. Instead, Schumacher is the front-runner to be named as Cadillac's first reserve driver, as reported by The Race. He would prefer a race seat, but a reserve role is still believed to appeal to Schumacher who wants to get his foot back in the door of the F1 paddock. Experienced F1 race-winners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are understood to be Cadillac's preferred choices for their race seats. They are each in advanced talks while some reports claim the latter, who has spent this year away from F1 having been axed by Red Bull last December, is close to agreeing a deal. Both, however, have also held talks with bottom-feeders Alpine who are considering their 2026 options for a partner to Pierre Gasly. Franco Colapinto has yet to score a single point since replacing Jack Doohan in May, who also did not manage a top 10 finish. Schumacher, the 2020 Formula 2 champion, raced 43 times for Haas but finished in the top 10 just twice. He also suffered several large and expensive crashes which were a financial headache for F1's smallest team and that, ultimately, led to then-team boss Guenther Steiner dropping him at the end of 2022. The consensus is that he has done fairly well since making the switch to WEC, including a 10th-placed finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Schumacher looks increasingly likely to leave Alpine at the end of this season and could switch to Cadillac's Team Jota, one of the top teams in WEC, replacing 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button. Whether or not the German does land a place with Cadillac's F1 project remains to be seen. But former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has made clear his belief that the new team would be making a mistake if they pick the German for one of their race seats. The 1997 title winner said: "Mick Schumacher had a hard time when he was at Haas. He has not an experienced driver either. There is no reason to go for him."
