The 2,000,000th Land Rover Defender goes on display before being auctioned off for charity.

• Bespoke Land Rover Defender 2,000,000 on public display for Series Land Rover and Defender heritage exhibition at Bonhams London on 15 and 16 December
• Exhibition to precede prestigious charity auction of the Defender 2,000,000 on 16 December
• All proceeds from the sale to be donated in their entirety to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Born Free Foundation

A two-day Series Land Rover and Defender heritage exhibition will be on display at Bonhams London from 15-16 December ahead of the prestigious charity auction of the Defender 2,000,000. The exhibition will celebrate 67 years of UK production and chart the Defender’s journey to becoming a global automotive icon.

Prospective bidders and the general public are invited to preview the Defender 2,000,000 throughout the specially curated exhibition, which celebrates almost seven decades of Land Rover production at the Solihull manufacturing facility in the UK.

With a ‘hall of fame’ depicting the Land Rover playing a supporting role to Hollywood heroes such as Steve McQueen and Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond 007 and Sir Winston Churchill and British nobility including Her Majesty The Queen, the exhibition will illustrate the journey of an icon that has travelled the world, playing a key role in expeditions and touching the lives of countless millions through Land Rover’s longstanding humanitarian and conservation work with partners such as the British Red Cross and the Born Free Foundation.

Visitors will be encouraged to share their Defender stories and journeys with a wall dedicated to capturing the moment that Land Rover made an impact on their lives. 

Roger Crathorne will be on hand to talk to visitors during the exhibition. Roger is known simply as ‘Mr Land Rover’ to Royalty, VIP customers and global explorers worldwide. With more than 50 years’ service with Land Rover, Roger’s vast knowledge of the company, experience of driving the product in the world’s most inhospitable regions and passion for the brand is invaluable.    

Roger Crathorne comments: “The Series Land Rover and Defender have played a huge role in the lives of people all over the world for almost 70 years and to be able to offer it a fitting send off as it nears the end of production is an honour for me. Through the creation of the exhibition we have really got under the skin of just what has made Defender such a loved vehicle.  We hope that the exhibition really brings to life the richness of the vehicle’s heritage and why it has had such longevity.”

The exhibition will precede a prestigious charity auction where collectors and Defender fans will be given the opportunity to own the Defender 2,000,000, a unique piece of Land Rover history. Reflecting Defender’s heritage, all proceeds will be donated in their entirety to Land Rover’s humanitarian and conservation partners – the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation.

The Defender 2,000,000 is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that was assembled over ten days earlier this year by 33 Land Rover brand ambassadors and enthusiasts including adventurer Bear Grylls and British entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Representatives from the IFRC and Born Free also made the journey to Solihull to fit their part to the vehicle, including actress and founder of the Born Free Foundation Virginia McKenna OBE.

Interested visitors and bidders can drop into the exhibition at Bonhams on New Bond Street, London free of charge any time from 09:00hrs to 17:00hrs on Tuesday 15 December and from  09:00hrs on Wednesday 16 December with the auction starting at 18:00hrs.

USA - GM's Lansing Delta Township plant builds its 2,000,000th vehicle.

White Frost Tricoat Buick Enclave is milestone large crossover

A 2016 Buick Enclave, painted in White Frost Tricoat, rolled off the production line at General Motors’ Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant today, the 2 millionth vehicle produced at the automaker’s newest assembly plant in North America.

"This milestone directly reflects the dedication and hard work that our employees put into these crossovers every day,” said Mike Trevorrow, Lansing regional plant manager. “This team has established a strong foundation since opening to enable us to produce our 2 millionth vehicle in nine years, which is quite an accomplishment.”

Opened in 2006, Lansing Delta Township Assembly blends best practices and the newest technology in one facility. It was the first automotive manufacturing facility in the world to be a Gold Certified Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Since starting production, Lansing Delta Township has manufactured the Saturn Outlook, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Acadia Denali and Buick Enclave. A white Outlook was the first vehicle produced on May 24, 2006.

The plant currently employs approximately 3,200 employees on three shifts.

GM has announced more than $580 million in investments for Lansing Delta Township facility over the last two years, including $63 million in 2014 to expand the plant by nearly 263,000 square feet and $520 million earlier this year for tooling and equipment associated with future new vehicle programs. 

“Producing the 2 millionth vehicle would not be possible without the great people we have here,” said UAW Local 602 President Bill Reed.

While most vehicles follow somewhat of a bell curve for sales during their lifecycle, the Enclave has continued an upward trajectory after more than seven years. 

Minor dips in 2009 and 2012 reflected overall trends in the recovering auto industry, but record-setting 2014 sales represented a 39-percent increase over the Enclave’s first full year of production. As of June 2015, more than 500,000 Enclave models had been sold worldwide.   

“The Enclave led Buick’s product renaissance, redefining what consumers should expect from a full-size luxury crossover,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “It is fitting that an Enclave is the 2 millionth vehicle to roll off the line in Lansing, demonstrating continued consumer demand.”

This milestone for Lansing Delta Township is part of GM’s celebration of 500 million vehicles built globally, more than any other automaker.