That Car Show Dec 19, 2025

Land Rover Defender's Sam Allen

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Car

Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender is a tough car designed for driving on rough roads and in the wilderness. People love it because it can handle tough conditions and is great for adventures.

Concept

Dakar rally

The Dakar Rally is a tough race that takes place in deserts and rough areas. It challenges drivers and their vehicles to see who can finish the course first.

Brand

Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is a company that makes fancy cars. Jaguar is known for fast cars, while Land Rover makes tough, off-road vehicles.

Car

Jaguar Ipace

The Jaguar I-Pace is a fully electric SUV made by Jaguar. It offers a luxurious ride and uses no gasoline, relying entirely on electricity for power.

Term

The terrain response system helps drivers choose the best settings for their vehicle depending on the type of ground they are driving on, like mud or snow. It makes driving easier and safer in tough conditions.

Term

tow assist technologies

Tow assist technologies are tools in cars that help you when you're pulling something heavy, like a trailer. They can guide you and make it easier to park or drive with the load.

Car

Land Rover

Land Rover is a brand that makes tough, luxury vehicles designed for off-road driving. They're known for being able to handle rough terrains well.

Car

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car known for its unique shape and powerful performance. It's a car that many people recognize and admire.

Car

Land Rover Range Rover

The Range Rover is a fancy SUV that can go off-road but also feels very comfortable inside. It's known for being stylish and has a reputation for being a high-end vehicle.

Term

soft top

A soft top is a type of car roof that you can fold down or take off. It's usually made of fabric and allows you to drive with the roof open, like a convertible.

Concept

aftermarket

Aftermarket means parts or accessories that are made by other companies, not the car maker. They can be used to improve or change how a car works or looks.

Car

Land Rover Defender 90

The Land Rover Defender 90 is a smaller version of the Defender, which is a tough and capable SUV. It's popular for off-roading and has a unique style.

Term

V8 engine

A V8 engine is a type of engine that has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. It's known for producing a lot of power, which is why many powerful cars use it.

Car

Land Rover Defender 130

The Land Rover Defender 130 is a big family car that can fit more people and has extra seats in the back. It's popular for its comfort and space.

Car

Jeep Wrangler

Car

Ford Bronco

The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV that people love for going off-road and having fun outdoors. It's recently made a comeback and is known for its cool, vintage look.

Car

Land Rover Defender 110

The Land Rover Defender 110 is a bigger version of the Defender, which means it has more room inside. This makes it better for families or anyone needing to carry more stuff.

Term

steely wheels

Steely wheels are made of steel and are usually heavier than other types of wheels. They are often found on cheaper cars and are known for being tough and easy to replace.

Term

limited edition

Limited edition cars are special versions made in small numbers. They often look different or have extra features compared to regular cars, making them more desirable for collectors.

Concept

Defender trophy competition

The Defender trophy competition is a contest where people use Land Rover Defenders to compete in off-road challenges. It's a way to show how tough and capable these vehicles are in difficult environments.

Car

Audi Rs6S

The Audi RS6 is a fast and luxurious car that is designed for high performance. It combines comfort with powerful features, making it a favorite among car lovers.

Car

Acura Nsxs

The Acura NSX is a sporty car that is very fast and has a special hybrid engine. It's designed to be both exciting to drive and practical for everyday use.

Car

Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is a luxury SUV that looks tough and can handle rough terrains. It's known for its unique square shape and powerful performance, making it a favorite for people who want both style and capability.

Car

Toyota GX

The Toyota GX is a luxury SUV that can also go off-road. It’s known for being reliable and comfortable for families.

Concept

Le Mans

Le Mans is a famous car race that lasts for 24 hours. Cars race around a track, and it's known for testing how fast and reliable they are over a long period.

Term

drifting

Drifting is when a driver makes a car slide sideways while still controlling it. It's a popular technique in racing and shows off driving skills.

Car

Land Rover Discovery

The Land Rover Discovery is a roomy SUV that can handle rough roads while also being comfortable for families. It's known for having lots of space inside and modern features.

Car

Land Rover Discovery 2

The Land Rover Discovery 2 is a type of SUV that is great for driving off-road. It was made between 1998 and 2004 and is known for being spacious and capable in tough terrains.

Term

hill descent control

Hill descent control helps you drive down steep hills safely. It uses the brakes to keep the car from going too fast, so you don't have to worry about controlling the speed yourself.

Company

Artemis Cars

Artemis Cars makes parts and accessories that people can add to their cars. This can include things that make the car look different or perform better.

Term

upfitting

Upfitting means changing a vehicle to make it better for certain tasks. For example, you might add special tools or features to a truck so it can do more jobs.

Car

Land Rover Series I

The Land Rover Series I is an old model of a tough off-road vehicle that people used for adventures and driving in rough areas. It was made starting in 1948 and is famous for its strong build.

Car

Ford Expeditions

The Ford Expedition is a big SUV that can fit a lot of people and stuff, making it great for family trips. It's built to be strong and can pull heavy things like trailers.

LIVE

Fender owners, they're typically very interesting people

who've done things in their lives

that are mechanically or problem solving

or expedition wise or,

but the thing is they're not selfish about it,

they share it with you.

So you bring a few defender customers together

and you have this community,

you could say, you know, you put five defender owners

on an island, they're gonna survive fine.

They'll be just fine.

I love it.

That differs, I think, from other products

that I've worked on where you have,

yeah, different mindsets, different skill sets,

different personalities.

I think I am now working with the greatest

owner's customer group that I've ever been involved with.

Today on that car show, we've got Land Rover's Sam Allen.

Sam's the brand director for the defender here in America

where he leads the strategic vision and execution

of one of the world's most iconic automotive brands.

We talk about the defender's heritage,

its role in the American market

and Sam's personal journey with the brand.

Also, the defender's design evolution,

its community impact through initiatives

like the Defender Service Awards

and the unique experiences offered

by the Defender Experience Centers.

Sam shares his insights into the defender's appeal,

his adventurous spirit and future plans

including participation in the Dakar rally.

Sam's a good dude with a real passion for defenders

and everything they touch.

If you didn't already want a defender

going into this episode, you will by the end of it.

If you're new to that car show,

please give us a follow on your podcast platform of choice.

And if you like what you hear,

please tell your enthusiast friends.

Every follow makes a difference.

It's Land Rover's Sam Allen and it's That Car Show.

Welcome back to That Car Show.

I'm Lindsay and I'm here with Ryan.

And today we have a really cool guest

that I'm so excited to chat with.

We have Sam Allen from Jaguar Land Rover.

And Sam is actually the brand director

for the US for Defender.

And that's a vehicle that is very near and dear to

both Ryan's and my hearts and Dan,

who is here in spirit.

So I'm really excited to chat with Sam.

We got to meet just a few weeks ago in person

at the most recent destination defender

in Temecula, California and had some really fun moments,

but it was very busy.

So I'm really excited to get this undivided time with Sam

and have Ryan and Sam get to know each other

and obviously share Sam with our audience.

So I'll do a little bit of Sam's background.

And then maybe Sam, you can tell us in your own words

because you are the expert on your experience.

So Sam has been with Jaguar Land Rover

in a variety of roles for many years.

And he drives initiatives with the goal

of further strengthening defenders position

as what I think Ryan and I would very much agree with

the ultimate symbol of capability and modern luxury

in the American market.

Indeed.

Sam currently oversees brand strategy,

experiential marketing and partnerships

that connect defender with the passionate communities

of enthusiasts who love these vehicles.

And his work celebrates defenders heritage

while inspiring new generations of drivers.

And obviously that car show team is part of that group.

Under his leadership,

defender has expanded its presence

into metropolitan growth areas.

And he has led the curation of unique lifestyle events

that blend music, culture and off-road adventure.

And in his free time, Sam is an advocate

for outdoor adventure and authentic connections.

And that reflects the spirit of the vehicle

that he represents.

So welcome Sam, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you, Lindsay.

What an introduction that makes me sound very important.

I would only add to that

for those that are hearing my voice for the first time

is that yes, you can guess,

I'm not from Tennessee or New York originally.

I've actually been living in the USA for two years now.

And I'm unashamedly to say that I've been working

at Jaguar Land Rover or its previous iterations

for 37 years now.

Wow.

That's amazing.

I'm glad you did the math.

I knew you would know off the top of your head.

Yeah, I get reminded every now and again

by people that I work with that I was becoming part

of the furniture in the West Midlands in Gaiden.

So it's time to move to a new country.

Time to shake things up a little bit, right?

I know, well, and I appreciate the commitment

to authenticity with the British accent.

Obviously, with the British brand.

Absolutely, and I applied for this role.

I had, as you say, I've had a number of roles

in product, vehicle testing,

moved into a commercial role about 12 years ago,

developed through the ranks,

using my engineering background to help the transition

when we moved first for Jaguar I-Pace

into the electric cars,

but also into technology innovations.

So I oversaw the introduction of a number of research projects

that brought some fantastic technologies

to the Land Rover brands,

some things that I'm really proud of,

like adapting the terrain response systems

to the automated versions,

enabling the car to automatically know

when you're at a destination to low and to raise,

doing some of the tow assist technologies.

So that was a great period of development,

which I think helped me transition

into the Defender world in the US.

But my personal authenticity with regards to Defender

is I love travel.

I've traveled, oh, I don't know how many continents,

but Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, America.

Awesome.

It's probably simpler to list the ones

that you haven't visited.

Exactly, yeah, I've been to the Arctic

if you count arch-progressing facilities,

but I've never been to the North or South Pole yet.

Let's make it an expedition one day, hey?

Yes.

We can be the official podcast team

of the Arctic Expedition for Defenders.

Yeah, that's...

Did you grow up with Defenders?

Was Land Rover part of your family as a kid?

So, yeah, a couple of family relatives have had Defenders.

My direct family never did,

but me and my father,

we used to restore cars when I was a kid, you know.

I used to sit in the corner with a dummy engine

so that I didn't mess up the one he was really...

The one that needed to run.

Yeah, so, again, I'm unashamedly

third generation of automotive industry.

Wow.

So, yeah, it's in the blood,

and Defenders, obviously, if you live in the UK,

I grew up in Oxfordshire,

where the old Defenders were very common

amongst friends, family, farmers,

and now the new Defenders are equally as popular,

I would say, you know, in the Cotswolds,

and the well-heeled farmers now have the new Defenders.

There's a lineage there.

Yeah.

I love it.

Well, that's something that, you know,

I've gotten to know Jeff Ehuden on your team also,

and that's something he always talks about too,

is that, you know, I think a lot of us see them

in sort of the more urban environments these days,

at least in the States, you know,

doing the school run and that kind of thing,

but there is so much heritage and lineage,

and, you know, the Green Oval still means something,

and, like, you were talking about all the technology

and engineering, and it's all still there

in this very luxurious package now,

which I think is the best of both worlds.

I mean, you mentioned talking about heritage in the past.

We don't kind of lean into it as a necessity,

but we do rely on it as a heritage.

We're proud of it, you know.

Right.

There was a scary stat once I read that something,

you know, like in the 1970s,

I mean, you know, 70% of the population,

the first car they saw was a Land Rover.

I mean, we talk about other brands going off-road.

Well, there were no roads when we were going there,

so it was all off-road.

You know, we kind of built a map, if you like.

Well, it's an icon, like so few cars are, right,

like the Porsche 911, right?

It's an icon, you know, you know it when you see one, right?

How does your customer in the United States differ

from the ones back home?

That's, yeah, this is, it's really interesting

because people that have a knowledge of defenders currently

are almost enthusiasts, ambassadors, they're knowledgeable.

We have to remember that Defender or early Land Rovers

came here and were sold through, you know, random stores,

almost grocery stores on shop corners.

They were, you know, they were deals to be with businesses

that would sell the series Land Rovers.

We didn't actually have a presence in New York,

and I think it's the 90s.

I think the Range Rover came in the late 70s,

and Land Rover Defender itself didn't start selling here

until 1993, until 1997, or 1999,

but we sold six and a half thousand original defenders

in the US, NSPEC defenders, first year being only the Defender 110

and then the subsequent years being the 90s

and the cabrios you see with the roll cages.

And the customers here, I mean those original 90s cars

are like cherished possessions almost,

and they're becoming valuable assets actually,

as our new brand grows, the appeal of the old cars

and people are starting to learn more about them,

and I would say, you know, we had a 20 year gap

between the old defenders and the new defenders launching,

so we're still a fairly new or small brand,

even though we had a part of history,

and we're going from strength to strength,

but yeah, there's definitely a job to be done

on my side from awareness in many parts of the country.

There is an absolute job to be done for the misplaced belief

that all Land Rovers are unreliable and break down,

and you know, if you see oil in it, it's good,

because if it's leaking it must have oil in it.

All of these stories are totally irrelevant to today's

quality of standard of the new Defender,

and that's, I'm not sure if you know,

but we're entering the Dakar Rally.

That's specifically, you know, we're putting ourselves on the line

against other manufacturers in the stock class.

I think they have a 50% attrition rate,

and we're putting our money where our mouth is,

Defender, Octa, and we're there to win it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's go back to those 94 and 95,

I think they were Defender 90s, because when those came out,

I wanted nothing more than one of those,

and I think they were only about $40,000 at the time.

I could be wrong, and it's amazing to me how they've increased,

increased, increased, but they were just such wonderful,

wonderful vehicles, but you mentioned too, the Cabrio,

the, you know, the soft top.

Will you ever bring the soft top Defender back?

I know there have been some aftermarket outfits, but...

So they're currently of new Defenders.

We actually offered a drag top, a rag top.

I didn't know that.

No, exactly.

And not many people do.

It did not prove to be a popular option.

Interesting.

Now, the convertible styling is obviously very desirable.

It definitely suits the 90, and again,

the 90 is not the most popular version of the Defender in the US.

It amazes me.

For me, it's a big car.

For the US, it's a fairly small car.

I love the Defender 90, especially the V8.

It's incredible.

Yes, that's the one I want.

Done and done.

Would I like to see a convertible version of it in the future?

We'd never shut the door on any of the options, right?

I think we'd agree it would be a cool thing to do.

Yeah, absolutely.

So we talked a little bit about the differences between, you know,

the customers in the States and the UK,

and it sounds like, you know, folks in the UK

maybe put theirs to use in different ways

than the typical person in the States does.

With the Modern Defender, I would actually say

that the Modern Defender in the US

probably gets used off-road more than it does in the UK.

I think it's split.

Interesting.

I love the attitude to the outdoors and the adventure

that I meet with Defender customers here.

You know, people would drive them thousands of miles

often, you know, across off-road.

You have vast areas of off-roading.

I went to Colorado with the Optimedia Drive,

and we off-roaded for five or six hours, you know.

And that was, we touched a tiny, I think we went,

yeah, from Grand Junction over towards Moab.

Oh, fantastic.

If I drive that far off, you know, in any direction

from where I live in the UK, I'd fall in the sea.

I know, right? Isn't that amazing?

Well, I want to be on the next tour in Colorado

because, you know, that's a fantastic part of the state.

There is so much, and I do see so many defenders,

new defenders here in Colorado, which got me thinking,

where are your big markets in the States?

Because I do see a lot here.

I assume, I don't know, West Coast is another big market,

but where are you selling the most defenders?

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Obviously, and I think you could canvass

most premium luxury brands.

The major metros we sell a lot of.

New York, Miami, LA,

Austin, Dallas.

But we do sell significant numbers

up in Salt Lake.

Specific areas of Miami.

I'm getting my geography right now.

Like Charleston, Charlotte.

The biggest numbers are probably

in the biggest metros.

But the biggest differences

versus normal car sales

are in very specific areas like

the Pacific Northwest

or Denver and all the way down.

And I love to see,

I mean the scenery here and the diversity of

geography is mind-blowing to me.

You've got 50 countries, not 50 states,

but it's all in one country.

Yeah, it's very much like that.

I was just reminded of that

a couple weeks ago when I drove

900 miles to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving

and back.

I've lived my whole life doing those trips

but you do that in Europe.

Your point, you're in the sea

or three countries.

I actually took a photograph

driving from where I live in New York

to my partner's

parents' house in Detroit.

And we kind of left New York

into New Jersey, going to Pennsylvania.

And then the sat nav said something like

546 miles to the next junction.

To my next turn.

I don't see anything in my life.

Those directions are always so funny.

It definitely gives you pause

where you're like, I'm sorry,

700 miles before I do anything else?

I'm going to need gas

before I get to that junction.

Can we go back real quick?

The breakdown of defender models currently.

What is the breakdown in the states?

I imagine it's the 110,

that's the most popular.

Yeah, so obviously we offer the 90,

the 110 and the 130.

The 110 is

significantly

more popular

with regards to volume

but it's really interesting if you dive into

demographics, gender,

life stage.

And as you'd expect,

we've got a portfolio of vehicles

to meet a portfolio of needs.

So Defender 130,

America is by far the largest market

for Defender 130.

And it's by far the highest

female ownership.

And people are using it

as a third row, seven, eight seat

family car.

It's a nice, comfortable,

safe, a short place to be.

What's strange,

or I found,

I thought it was strange because it didn't

stack with the typical Euro mindset of

the Defender 90 as the cheapest

entry price.

Then the 110 and the 130.

So you would normally think that the age demographic

of those cars

would be in line with

the cheapest cars, the youngest people,

more expensive cars.

It's the opposite. It flips.

So 110 is in the middle but 90 is actually owned

by a slightly older

and a slightly wealthier population.

And the 130.

And then when you dive even further

into why is there,

it's because most of the Defender 90 customers,

other than the avid design

aficionados that want that silhouette,

the use cases

seem to be a later life

toy for

couples.

And the

cross shop is incredible. You would think a cross shop

would be a Wrangler or a Bronco.

But 9-11 is up there.

Interesting.

So it's people who are saying, I've got to a

certain station life.

I want a toy or I want

an adventure vehicle or I want to project

this outdoors

or actually, you know, I'm going to go

be active.

It's really interesting.

Really interesting.

And I think it's being active but it's also doing it

at a different pace. As a Porsche owner

I know that the capabilities of that car

on the street are very, very high and to really have fun

you have to push it in this kind of thing.

And then I get in something like the Defender

and I take it off-road and I'm like, this is a different

kind of fun.

I'm relaxed.

It makes more

sense than maybe it seems, you know, on the

surface, right?

And actually, the Defender 9, I mean, I've had

a couple of Defender 90s both in the UK

and here.

It's huge in the back.

It's not the easiest ingress and egress.

I'm not sure I would want to put baby seats and everything

into the back of a 90. I would get a 110.

Sure, sure.

But actually, carting for a couple with occasional

rear seats, the rear seats are enormous.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I got to drive, I've driven

a few of the new Defenders, but on a couple of

occasions I've done them at press events where I've got

the competition there, right?

And sometimes they're not even Land Rover.

And I always find myself coming back to the Defender

because it's just, it's so maneuverable

off-road.

It's narrow in a way that some of its competition

isn't.

They're comfortable.

But personally, I like the Heritage

Editions. I like, is it the county that you did

with the steel wheels and the white top?

Will you be doing more of those?

Because that's the one that's got my eye.

Have you seen, did you see the beach break?

I don't know that I have.

The beach break. Check out the beach break.

That was my first

delve into trying to make an American

version of a Defender.

And it's very, my inspiration

was from the county.

So we share that

mindset. I love

the old vintage steely wheels.

I do too.

And this year's trophy car,

they're just starting to arrive.

We're doing the trophy competition.

We're reinvigorating the trophy competition.

And we have a limited edition one in San

Glow Yellow,

one in Keswick Green.

And they both have now the steely wheels,

but in black.

Camel is the word that cannot be said, right?

Well, Camel

trophy was

a legendary part

of Land Rover's history.

now we're reinvigorating

the Defender trophy competition,

which is being held

multiple nations

having qualifying events

for a global finals next year

in Africa. It's all leaning

into Defender's

capability,

but it's also about the individuals

taking part and coming together as a team,

doing conservation work.

I'm really excited to see the trophy

come back. It's an important part.

It's the link again between heritage

and future.

How do you walk that line

of the future and the past

because you do have a different, I think,

clientele and you can't upset

them, but you have to stay competitive.

So what are the traits that

you sort of identify as

traits that will

always be baked into a Defender,

right?

Because a Defender feels like a Defender,

whether it's an old one or whether it's a new one,

it's got its own vibe.

So I have to say, I think the

design of the modern

modern, the current

iteration of Defender is

exceptional.

It's immediately

identifiable of having the lineage

even though

there isn't a single carryover component,

right? Is that

a good thing or a bad thing? It was a good thing

because one was designed

or evolved from 1948

and then one was designed and evolved from

2018 released in

2020. So you would be,

I think, shocked if you found shared

componentry between the two.

But what's really clever

is the silhouette.

If you were to park one with the sun

right behind it, one next to the old one,

it's never been anything

other than a Defender.

The DNA is very eminent.

Correct.

You know, the alpine lights,

the waistline,

the tread plates on the bonnet,

they're just things that

the overhand, you know,

front and rear over, it's just, everything

is just there. They did a perfect job

of reinventing

the Defender.

But everybody

was a little bit

cautious because it was less

utilitarian. But the world,

all of the cars are, yes, less utilitarian.

There isn't a car today, I don't think,

with manual windy windows and doesn't have sat nav

and so every single

car in every single

segment has evolved. That's just part

of human

evolution, mechanical

evolution, computer evolution.

The world has moved on.

There was possibly

some

negativity

from, you know,

owners on the sidelines of it's

more expensive or it's, yeah,

a house is more expensive these days, too.

Well, that's for sure.

A cup of coffee is more expensive.

But one of the interesting things about

old Defender customers,

new Defender customers,

and I put them into a category

that's quite flattering, I think.

I think they share

this element of being an expert

and let me break

that down for you a little bit.

Yeah, do tell. It's not often been said

out loud, but

Defender owners, whenever you meet them

at Destination Defender,

owners clubs or

a retailer or, you know, just

out in general,

they're typically very

interesting people who've done

things in their lives

that are mechanically

or problem solving or

expedition wise or

but the thing is

they're not selfish about it.

They share it with you.

So you bring a few Defender customers together

and you have this community,

you put five Defender owners on an island

and they're going to survive fine.

They'll be just fine.

And that differs, I think,

from other products that I've worked on

where you have

different mindsets,

different skill sets, different personalities.

I think

I am now working with the greatest

owner's

customer group

that I've ever been involved in.

The market researchers, they've all got clever ideas,

they've all got solutions to things,

making recommendations

and typically

they've found something

in their life that they've become

an expert at.

It's a common trait amongst Defender owners.

That's really interesting.

Yeah, I've never heard anyone

representing any brand say that

about their client base. That is really an interesting trait.

I know, I love that description

and what a flattering

sort of inclusive approach of just like

hey, we're all here because we love these cars

and we have this

common approach to life

and I love the idea that they're

go-getters and

passionate too. When you think about it, if you're becoming

an expert on something, it's because you love it

and so that carries over

into vehicles

on how you live your life.

You persevere.

They're

pioneers.

We come

another analogy. You're driving a car

through the forest

and you come across a stream.

I won't name

any other brands because it would be disrespectful

but some manufacturers

get to this point where they have drivers and owners

get to this point and they say, oh, there's a river.

We'd better drive down,

drive up, turn around.

The Defender customer says, how deep is it?

How deep is it?

Can we go through it? Can we push

forwards and then, oh, okay,

we'll only go far enough

until we can definitely

make the passage and

they just see this will

to push past boundaries

and to go further.

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Who do you think your closest competitor

is then? Is it the G-Wagon?

Like, I mean, you know, if you were

out there shopping.

I think you have to split it out

so Defender Okta,

Mercedes G-Wagon.

Mm-hmm.

Definitely.

Yeah. Because when you look

at competitors, you're typically looking

at affordability

as well as attributes.

You can't just say,

I've got a ride height and a width and a power.

Therefore, this is my competitor.

You know, people that are

shopping always have a budget,

whether that be for shoes,

jeans,

a house, a car.

So I think during our

or throughout

our portfolio of vehicles,

the competitor set changes

depending on whether it's a Defender 90, a 110,

a 130,

an Okta.

And that will change

when we have strategies to make new

derivatives or new revisions

to the product.

What I think we share

with a lot of the people is the mindset

rather than

the attribute of the vehicle.

I think there are adventurous

people that want to do

activities that have a budget

and

the same mindset of wanting

to have adventure to portray

toughness,

durability,

the go-getters with the roof tents and the

ladders and the gear carriers,

the tires. The mindset

between a Wrangler,

a Bronco, a GX

and a Defender are probably

fairly similar.

But the purchase decision comes down to

affordability,

levels of tolerance to

refinement and,

you know,

getting to your off-road and off-road.

What do you value the most? Are you going to put it on a

trailer and go to Moab?

Or do you want to drive them up and drive back as well?

So the competitor set,

I think the mindset is what unifies

the actual competitive

choice comes down to

use case and affordability.

And this is something I always remark on

about Defenders.

And I compare it to a track car

that someone is able to drive to the track,

drive on the track and drive home

and I feel like Defender is that

in the off-road

because you can drive it to

the trailhead

in comfort with all the, you know,

bells and whistles that you want

and then have an amazing time on the trail

and then drive it home, like you said.

And that, I think it comes down to

kind of quality of life, I would imagine

plays into it as like, how do you want to be able to use it?

How do you want it to tie into your life?

Yeah.

And I think when you mentioned the

Okta, which is something I got to experience

for the first time, I had seen them

but I got to actually experience it

off-road at Destination Defender

in the fall just a few weeks ago.

And I would love to talk more about those.

And I am so jealous.

They are just amazing.

I mean, I told Jeff and

did you go with Davey Jones?

I did go with Davey Jones,

who is my new favorite driving

coach or vehicle host, you know,

all the things.

And I could not stop smiling.

I mean, it is

the contrast,

the experience between what you're seeing,

what the trail looks like and it was,

like we said, it was very rainy and muddy

so it was a true test of

the vehicle's capabilities.

You know, and Jeff

walked me through the engineering team

and kind of the thinking behind it

and everything that went into creating

the Okta at the Destination

Defender in Malibu a couple of years ago.

So, Sam, I would love to have you share

more about that too for people that aren't

familiar with kind of the history of that

vehicle being created.

But just what you're seeing in the terrain

and then the actual physical

experience being in the vehicle

is such a contrast because you're so

comfortable and you're

chewing up these trails

and it's, like, it's amazing

and you just keep smiling.

So, Sam, your thoughts.

Can I say that I am very jealous

of you as well because we met

at Destination Defender in Temecula.

I was having quite a busy weekend

and I didn't actually

get a chance to go with Davey Jones

in the Okta. I did go on the off-road

course, but not

with Davey in the Okta.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the spare time

to do that and...

Well, if you're going to do an Okta experience,

why not do it with a 24-hour

Lamont Jaguar race winner, right?

Right now. Well, and I got to go

to Lamont in June

and so it was like this, it was such a

full-circle callback moment for me personally

and then, you know,

to have that be the first Okta experience.

He's such an honest guide.

So what does

Okta mean for Defender

or why was it developed?

every

successful brand has a halo product,

right? We needed

to have a halo product

to be the North Star, if you like,

the ultimate Defender.

As we're moving, you know, we've evolved

from classic Defender

to modern Defender.

No secret, modern luxury and tough luxury

is our North Star.

So we wanted to build a car

that was

everything

that Defender is, refined,

capable, powerful, durable,

reliable,

provides confidence

and then just turn that notch

up and up and see where we could go.

So the

suspension system, the 60 suspension system,

that's...

We're not the first car to use that technology

but we're the first car to use that technology

and off-road with huge

articulation.

You know, I think it's on McLarens and things like that

for track cars and performance but

Okta is the first time it's been used

to have, to increase articulation.

And if you were in the car

you said, Lindsay, that you see the terrain

in front of you

and it looks

like you're going to have some crash

and some bang.

It looks like you're mechanically going to damage

the car by hitting some of

and then glide across it like you're

almost in a hovercraft.

It's crazy.

I remember my mechanical brain

the first time I went on a test track

with the test engineers in a prototype

at Gaydon, same thing.

They built a track that was almost

like a rally stage.

They had deep ruts in it that you weren't

following like you would normally in a

Defender. You were going at 45 degrees

to them and you were drifting

through them.

And my mechanical brain

was blintzing

at what's this going to do to the car

and you just

passed by it.

It was phenomenal.

And not to mention it's pretty quick too.

Yes.

The acceleration, the ride,

the capability, the whole, I mean

it's the whole package, like no question.

I got out of it and I'm like well I need one of those

obviously.

When we went to

Grand Junction

as part of the tour

the media drive, they said we're going to go

we're going to do some wading

across the Colorado River

to a Brit.

Colorado River, you kidding me.

And I thought we would

we'll drop into

a place where it's maybe

20 meters wide

and we'll come out.

We drove into the river

and then we turned

and drove downstream

for a considerable distance

before we then exited

somewhere else down the bank.

That was an incredible experience for me.

That's amazing.

Actually video, being drone

recording you driving

through the Colorado River, not just across it

but through it, down it.

Well these events

are so integral to the brand

and I think in a way that's unique.

I know Jeep does their thing

and Toyota has a fence but Land Rover

really takes

the driving part of it seriously

in a way that I think other OEMs don't.

I remember many, many years ago when

Discovery 2 was new, my parents bought one

and the first thing we did was we went on

Land Rover's sponsored driving day

and from that point on we just felt so much more capable

behind the wheel like nothing could stop us

and even though that was years ago

that stuck with me. I remember that day vividly

and I just

talked to you a little bit about the importance of that

because I think Land Rover is unique

in that way.

We have a number of fixed site

Land Rover Experience Centers.

Every customer that buys

a Defender

gets a voucher that they can

redeem at the Land Rover Experience Center

or the Defender Experience Centers

as they're more commonly known now.

We have one in Vermont,

we have one in Asheville

and we have one in Carmel.

Carmel, that's where I got to go.

California

and there you are.

Visitors

can just turn up and pay to use one of the cars

or clients can bring their own car

and the whole purpose of those

is to actually show

what Defenders can do at their limit

and

the modern Defender

unless you're a trained

enthusiast off-road driver

your brain

would tell you to back out before the car's

capability is reached

and so taking people into these

environments to

actually see

what a 45 degree slope feels like

what a 40 degree side

angle feels like

what trusting the hill descent control

feature feels like

yes

that makes

driving to the store in the snow

feel

extremely confident

it makes

rain irrelevant

the purpose of these centers

and the experiences and all of the trips

that we do and all of the off-road that we do

at Destination Defender

is about

demonstrating that

if you're a regular car

driver and you think you're adventurous

because you drive onto a grass field

for your kids soccer

training or

if you've got a bit of land and you use it

you can turn it up

a number of notches before

the car's even going to start sweating

let alone get worried

so we

we do with

I'm sure you're aware of

the initiative we do called Defender Service Awards

yes

where we give away

six cars a year

to worthy causes

non-profit organizations

one of the greatest days

of my year

is when we do the handover and we take

the new recipients of these vehicles off-road

and we show them the technology

and we show them the capabilities

and some of these people

they're search and rescue teams

or they're animal rescue teams

they're not novices

to going off-road

and they're just blown away

once you show them how to use

the technologies, how to

change the setup of the car

because a lot of them have been struggling

with regular two-wheel drives

and you know

we had this group

that were animal rescues

in Canada and they covered

an area of thousands of kilometers

and driving in the winter in Canada

you could imagine it's

was it Yamnuska I think it was

that sounds very far north

right and they get stuck

they had two-wheel drive sedans

and they're going to rescue animals

from like 10 hours away

12 hours away

and they're getting stuck in two-wheel drive sedans

in Snowdrift and there's pictures of the

volunteers sleeping in their cars

on their weight

and now they've got a defender

they're sending us images of

they're sitting there with a heated seat on

they're listening to the music

and the dogs are on the

you know in the cages in the back

it's life changing for them

what's the process for nominations

and how does that work

to get into so every year we open up

Defender Service Awards

on our website

and anybody can

nominate any

non-profit organization

so they don't have to nominate themselves

you know somebody can say ah

I'm thinking of this animal

shouting down the road or I'm thinking of this

um veterans

outreach you know anybody can

can supply their name

to us we contact them

and say oh you've

you've been nominated or we understand that you're interested

tell us

why you need a new defender and make a video

about you and your team

and how a new defender would

improve or help you to

further the services that you do

in your community

okay

we had

I think this year we had over

3000 applicants

really?

now this is where

from there you think we can't give away

3000 cars

well you could Sam

well I don't think we could

I don't think we could

one day

we split them into six categories

veterans outreach, animal welfare

outdoor accessibility

search and rescue

community services

and then we

have a sixth category

which is the honorees category

of people that made it to the finals in previous

events they get automatically

put back into the system for

a second chance and actually at destination

defender this year

one of the finalists that had reapplied

every year for the last five years

actually what?

really?

so perseverance you see it

but

so yeah

we narrow down we have an agency that we give

criteria to

what are we looking for?

they narrow it down

to about 20

charities in each category

okay

and then the senior leadership team

here in

Marijuana Jersey

split between each of their teams

we have a category each we watch

20 application videos

and we narrow that down to

10 I believe it is

and then those 10 from each category

go on to the website on to our

Jaguar Land Rover North America website

and the public vote

okay so it's not us

it's not us choosing

and the efforts

that the charities put in to promoting

their charity

spreading the word

in their local areas

obviously gets them more votes

yeah

and one of the

the winners of the winners that's great

and the runners up great

one of the things that I love is that

even people that don't make it

to be in the finals or don't win

write to me and say

participating in this

helped our organization grow

you made us

go out and canvass more attention

you made us step up the gear

a bit we got more recognition

other people may have donated more

funds to them because they

are more aware

so even

for the winners it's incredible

for second place we give them

a cash

a cash remuneration to help them with

their cause even if they didn't win the car

not bad yeah

but the overwhelming thing is that it's actually

highlighting

the good that so many of these charities

do all of the time week in week out

across the country

and they grow their own

footprint and impact

just by participating in what

we sponsor so

it's not just us

we have a number of

sponsors that donate

to each category's winning funds

heart and science

is one of them Disney

as an organization is another

outside Pelican

EI3

and S&P Global

six category sponsors and then we have

an overall two

event and presentation

sponsors that's Chase Bank

and Artemis Cars

which are

a company that make

accessories and kits

and modifications a bit like

you would see on Overfinch or Ranger

over

so without their kind generosity

this would not happen

because Artemis helps outfit the defenders

that go to the organizations is that correct

not for the Defender Service Awards

Cars but Artemis do

supply so Artemis

are one of our presentation

About this episode

Sam Allen, the brand director for the Land Rover Defender in the U.S., shares insights into the Defender's heritage, design evolution, and community impact. He discusses the unique culture among Defender owners, who are often adventurous and problem-solvers. The episode covers the Defender's role in the American market, the importance of experiential marketing through Defender Experience Centers, and initiatives like the Defender Service Awards. Sam also reveals exciting future plans, including participation in the Dakar rally, showcasing the Defender's capabilities and reliability.

aftermarket Artemis Cars Dakar Rally Defender trophy competition drifting hill descent control Jaguar Land Rover Le Mans limited edition soft top

Acura NSX Audi RS6 Avant Ford Bronco Ford Expedition Jaguar I-PACE Jeep Wrangler Land Rover Defender Land Rover Discovery Land Rover Range Rover Land Rover Series Porsche 911

Original notes

Sam Allen is the Brand Director for Defender here in America, where he leads the strategic vision and execution of one of the world’s most iconic automotive brands. We talk about the Defender's heritage, its role in the American market and Sam's personal journey with the brand. Also… the Defender's design evolution, its community impact through initiatives like the Defender Service Awards, and the unique experiences offered by the Defender Experience Centers. Sam shares his insights into the Defender's appeal, its adventurous spirit, and future plans, including participation in the Dakar rally. Sam’s a good dude, with a real passion for Defenders and everything they touch. If you didn’t already want a Defender going into this episode, you will by the end of it. It’s Land Rover Defender’s Sam Allen. And it’s That Car Show.

Please be sure to rate, review and subscribe to That Car Show on your platform of choice.

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