Enter the workhorse Defender it was always meant to be.

[FiF]

JLR issuing 170 new Defenders around the world to organisations such as Red Cross to help with their effort in this global crisis.

Probably going to be other vehicles from the range too, remains to be seen.

Publicity stunt or just the right thing to do? The right thing in my opinion.

It it puts Defender right in the frame away from a trendy Chelsea tractor image to worldwide workhorse.

What is needed right after the first lot of favourable reviews from media etc.

I think and hope they're on a winner with this. Fingers crossed.

[300bhp/ton]

Publicity stunt for sure. Not saying people won't value the help. But there was nothing stopping JLR doing this kind of thing last year or the year before that. But nope, it took a crisis and high profile publicity opportunity for them to act.

And of course, is it was solely about doing the right thing, they wouldn't capitalising on it by advertising they were doing it.

Not knocking them though. I'm sure pretty much any other company would do the same. And I'm sure some are....

[Bodo]

I guess those new red cross defenders will be used to shuttle kids to school while their mum is in quarantine.

[CornishRob]

300bhp/ton said:

Publicity stunt for sure. Not saying people won't value the help. But there was nothing stopping JLR doing this kind of thing last year or the year before that. But nope, it took a crisis and high profile publicity opportunity for them to act.

And of course, is it was solely about doing the right thing, they wouldn't capitalising on it by advertising they were doing it.

Not knocking them though. I'm sure pretty much any other company would do the same. And I'm sure some are....

That could be said for every single person who has volunteered to help the NHS, spoken to a neighbour for the first time after living next to them for 5 years etc etc. I also think LR have been giving vehicles to to charities & organisations for a long time.

I think people genuinely want to help where they can at the moment and LR are no different. What can they offer? Vehicles obviously, and they are now making PPE for NHS staff.

I don’t have a problem with them advertising it. Good on all the big companies helping. I expect people will be more likely to place their money with the companies who have helped vs the ones who haven’t.

[CambsBill]

CornishRob said:

I also think LR have been giving vehicles to to charities & organisations for a long time.

Jaguar have for ten years at least - the first two production XJ's were donated to the NSPCC, one of which was auctioned at a London dinner and the other offered as a fundraising competition prize.

[300bhp/ton]

CambsBill said:

CornishRob said:

I also think LR have been giving vehicles to to charities & organisations for a long time.

Jaguar have for ten years at least - the first two production XJ's were donated to the NSPCC, one of which was auctioned at a London dinner and the other offered as a fundraising competition prize.

It's still marketing lead though.

Not saying it is a bad thing, but the publicly is always worth it. And giving a few cars away is probably cheaper than some other advertising campaigns.

[595Heaven]

The cars that have been loaned out are in the main press fleet cars that would otherwise be sat in the compound gathering dust and cobwebs.

We work with the Red Cross all over the world and have done for decades, so it’s great they can be of some use in their work.