The UAE’s love affair with the Land Rover Defender

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Khalifa Al Ghafli from Umm Al Quwain can confirm that. He was 14 when, in the 1950s, he got behind the wheel of his father’s Land Rover, beginning an obsession with the vehicle that has resulted in a collection of more than 190 models – all painstakingly restored. “In 2004, my friend brought over a model from Britain, the same my father owned, and I bought it from him,” he said. “And I simply continued buying.”

His collection eventually grew so large that the ruler of Umm Al Quwain, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, offered him a tract of land, which has now become home to a permanent exhibition – as well as a magnet for other enthusiasts from around the world. Over New Year, for instance, Canadian explorer Ray Hyland paid him a visit in his 1954 Land Rover during his attempt to drive from Cambridge, England, to Singapore – recreating a journey first made by students in 1955. “It was an honour to meet him,” said Ray. “And they carried out some much needed maintenance on the truck and even donated some parts.”

The passion, though, is more than simply nostalgia. Off-road enthusiast Zaid Siwady bought his 2012 Land Rover Defender in May, 2015, replacing his Toyota FJ Cruiser. He recently started an Instagram account – @projectoverlandy – to chart his adventures in his favourite vehicle, attracting more than 5,000 followers in a little over two months.

“When compared to other vehicles, the best word I can think of to describe it is ‘pure’. It was born as a sketch in the sand and rushed into production to serve a purpose and it’s one it has been serving for nearly seven decades,” he says. “It’s the most straight-to-the-point vehicle ever conceived, no useless computerised electronics, no curvy fibreglass spoilers, no complex aerodynamics – simply all out torque and sheer durability.”

For Zaid, who ventures out into the deserts and mountains of the UAE and Oman most weekends, it is the ideal mode of transport to explore remote wadis and dry riverbeds. “It doesn’t go fast, it lacks most of the basic comforts you are used to in a vehicle, but you completely trust it to take you anywhere you want to go. Even when it leaks or breaks, you can pop up the hood or slide down under it and fix the problem with basic mechanic’s tools – unlike all the new high-tech cars that need to be connected to a computer and reprogrammed.”

The real comfort, he says, is in knowing that everything that has made the Defender so popular over the last 70 years will keep them on the road for another 70. The end of the line for the Defender isn’t remotely the end of the line for all the Defenders out there.

“They’ll be around for generations,” adds Adam McEwan. “They are brash and rough but will never let you down. It’s because of this they have become synonymous with adventure and mysterious and exotic destinations. Who doesn’t find that appealing?”