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DEFENDER 90 AUTOMATIC DEBUTS AT 1996 NEW YORK AUTO SHOW
Record breaking sales streak continues
New York (4/3/96) -- Land Rover North America, Inc. today announced Defender 90 will return to North America and, for the first time, be equipped with an automatic transmission. The vehicle will return as a 1997 model with a larger, 182 hp, 4.0 liter V-8 engine. Company officials told reporters at the New York Auto Show that the Defender 90 automatic will have permanent four-wheel drive, four-wheel disc breaks and a newly designed center console that includes integrated cup holders and a lockable cubby box. A soft top version on the automatic Defender 90 will be available in the spring of 1997. Final pricing has not been set, but the station wagon will be priced at approximately $34,000.
"The Defender 90 will return to the United States for the 1997 model year in response to dealer and consumer demands," said Roger J. Ball, vice president, Product Marketing, Land Rover North America, Inc. "When Defender 90 production ended at the completion of the 1995 model year, we hoped we could find a way to bring it back since it symbolizes so much that is Land Rover. We are gratified by the requests we had to continue it."
The production of Defender 90 for North America was suspended for the 1996 model year pending certification of the new engine/transmission combination.
The company has also announced a limited edition Discovery called the XD. Painted in eye-catching AA yellow , the special Discovery will be equipped for heavy duty off-road use including skid plates, BF Goodrich All-Terrain 225 tires, and a wrap around brush bar with Land Rover driving lights.
Ball also announced a new Camel Trophy-style competition for U.S. Land Rover dealers called "Trek 96." Using the specially outfitted Discovery XD's, participants will have the opportunity to test their off-road driving skills against one another, as well as their personal stamina and resourcefulness. An additional 250 of these vehicles will be available in early 1997 with a target price of $36,000.
Land Rover also announced record sales for March and the completion of the best first quarter in company history. 1,764 vehicles were sold in March, making the twenty-fourth consecutive month-over-month increase. Company officials credited the thirty-one Land Rover Centres with helping to create this record sales pace which totaled 5,618 for the year, 51.1 percent ahead of the same period in 1995. The Centres alone accounted for 42 percent of sales out of the 97 U.S. dealerships. There will be a total of approximately 70 Land Rover Centres by the year end, company officials said.
The remarkable sales growth has led Land Rover to begin construction on a new $10 million national headquarters complex in Lanham, Maryland. A 60,000 square foot building will be joined by a companion facility for Land Rover University, the training and development arm of Land Rover North America. Both sites will feature their own off-road demonstration tracks designed by John Cummings, who was responsible for landscape composition at EuroDisney.
SALES SUMMARY MARCH '96 MARCH '95 YTD '96 YTD '95 1,764(+1.3%) 1,741 5,618(+51.1%) 3,719 Range Rover 1587 563 1,828 1,168 Defender 90 257 114 372 255 Discovery 1,120 1,064 3,418 2,296
1Includes 4.6 HSE, 4.0 SE and '95 County Classic
21995 model
This consolidated monthly U.S. sales total for the companies was 9,998 units (BMW: 8,234; Land Rover: 1,764) Consolidated year-to-date totaled 26,850 (BMW: 21,232; Land Rover: 5,618)
Land Rover North America, Inc. is a member of the Rover Group of Companies, importing vehicles manufactured by Land Rover, Solihull, England. The Rover Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW, AG.
NOTE: Land Rover vehicles are not subject to the 10% luxury tax as they are classified multi-purpose passenger vehicles with a gross weight rating in excess of 6000 lbs.
LR9625
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04/03/96