Original Land Rover Defender Silhouette lives on: Land Rover grants Bowler a licence to use iconic shape 05.11.2020: Licence agreement paves the way for Bowler to develop high-performance road-going vehicles using the classic Defender 110 Station Wagon shape Land Rover has given Bowler Motors, part of its Special Vehicle Operations division, permission to use

Licence agreement paves the way for Bowler to develop high-performance road-going vehicles using the classic Defender 110 Station Wagon shape

    Land Rover has given Bowler Motors, part of its Special Vehicle Operations division, permission to use the original Defender shape for high-performance vehicles


    New road-going station wagon will share the unmistakable silhouette of the classic Defender 110 and be the first Bowler co-developed with Special Vehicle Operations engineering expertise


    Project codenamed ‘CSP 575’ will combine Bowler’s own rally-proven CSP high-strength steel chassis with Land Rover’s potent 575PS 5.0-litre Supercharged V8, four sports seats, a roll cage and some comfort features such as air conditioning



    First renders give a glimpse of the planned station wagon, available in limited numbers from 2021, initially in UK and EU, with an indicative UK price of £200,000


    Order books will open next year. To find out more about Bowler’s latest road vehicle and its rally raid competition models, see www.bowlermotors.com



Land Rover has given Bowler permission to produce vehicles using the classic Defender shape in the next phase of development for the UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars and rally raid vehicles.



The new agreement paves the way for Bowler to develop a new family of high-performance models, beginning with a project codenamed ‘CSP 575’ – a new road-going vehicle with Bowler’s own rally-proven CSP high-strength steel chassis, aluminium alloy Defender 110 Station Wagon body panels and Land Rover’s 575PS Supercharged V8. This project will supplement the ongoing motorsport developments that are the foundation of Bowler’s past, present and future plans.



Initial renders of the planned 4x4 provide a glimpse of the rally-derived model, which will be the first new Bowler since 2016. Full details will be revealed early next year, but the competition-inspired off-roader promises to combine potent performance and motorsport-honed durability in a classic Defender 110 Station Wagon shape capable of accommodating four passengers.



Founded in 1985, Bowler pioneered the production of dedicated off-road competition cars in the UK. Jaguar Land Rover acquired Bowler at the end of 2019 and its expert team has been developing a number of exciting projects as part of Special Vehicle Operations.



Bowler customers are already benefitting from this relationship as Land Rover SV engineers are helping develop Bowler vehicles and using their engineering expertise to test Bowler products at Special Vehicle Operations’ world-class facilities.



Land Rover’s decision to issue Bowler with a licence agreement to build vehicles using the classic Defender shape is a natural progression of this relationship and the new station wagon project represents a unique undertaking – integrating the technology, components and engineering excellence underpinning Land Rover’s SV products with Bowler’s motorsport expertise and experience.



Michael van der Sande, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, said: “We’re excited to announce the first major project since our acquisition of Bowler. The ‘CSP 575’ will combine Supercharged V8 performance and four-seat practicality with Bowler’s rally raid-proven CSP platform, broadening the appeal of the brand. This high-performance road-going model will sit alongside Bowler’s evolving range of rally raid models, which continue to enjoy success in the world’s toughest motorsport events.”



The new model will be manufactured in very small quantities at Bowler’s headquarters in Derbyshire, UK, by the same talented engineers and technicians producing its competition 4x4s. With global appeal but targeted at customers in the UK, select European and overseas markets, indicative pricing for the new model is around £200,000 in the UK.



Calum McKechnie, General Manager, Bowler Motors, said: “The Bowler name has stood for innovation for 35 years. The licence agreement to produce vehicles with the classic Defender shape gives us a unique opportunity. We’re excited to combine our motorsport experience with the expertise available from Special Vehicle Operations to produce a thrilling competition-inspired Defender 110 Station Wagon for the road.”



For more details or to enquire about the new Bowler ‘CSP 575’ station wagon project, please see www.bowlermotors.com





Kim Palmer- photos LandRover