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The first INEOS Grenadier prototype is on display at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, London, over this weekend of 4 to 6 September, playing a supporting role to INEOS Automotive’s collection of legendary off-road vehicles.
INEOS Automotive’s Concours display will feature a number of historic 4x4s, most notably the first ever production Land-Rover (registration JUE 477), a full and sympathetic restoration of which has recently been completed. Also being shown are a fully restored Toyota FJ40 (1980), a Willys Jeep (1944) that was used by the US Navy in WWII, and a classic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (1988).
“At the outset of the Grenadier project, we brought some of the great 4x4s of the past into the studio to look closely at what made them so enduring,” said Toby Ecuyer, Head of Design at INEOS Automotive. “And now, it’s fantastic to see Grenadier in the company of these legends. You can see common design traits and proportions, and certainly the same clarity of purpose. I think the Grenadier sits very naturally among these 4×4 icons, and if others agree, then we’ve achieved our design objective.”
“We received some great feedback following our recent reveal of the new Grenadier, and this is now the first time we’re showing the vehicle at a public event in the UK,” said Dirk Heilmann, CEO at INEOS Automotive. “It’s very fitting that the vehicle is being showcased alongside a collection of off-road icons. They have served as the inspiration for the Grenadier project and represent the uncompromising go-anywhere spirit that the new vehicle will deliver for customers around the world. We look forward to assessing the reaction of the show’s many visitors.”
Prototype testing of the Grenadier is now fully underway, with the aim of accumulating 1.8 million kilometres on- and off-road over the coming year. Sales are planned to start in markets worldwide from the end of 2021.
The Concours of Elegance is one of the world’s most celebrated showpiece events for classic and vintage cars. The Concours returns to Hampton Court Palace in London for the fourth consecutive year in 2020, after being staged in previous years at Windsor Castle, St James’s Palace in London and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse (Edinburgh).
As well as bringing together a selection of 60 of the rarest cars from around the world to compete in the Concours, hundreds of other fine motor cars will be displayed by car clubs in a bid to win The Club Trophy.
INEOS Grenadier
In 2017, INEOS Chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a car enthusiast and experienced adventurer, identified a gap in the market for a stripped back, utilitarian, hard-working 4×4 engineered for modern day compliance and reliability. INEOS Automotive Limited was formed and a senior team of automotive professionals assembled to bring the vision to reality.
Combining rugged British spirit with German engineering rigour, the Grenadier will be a truly uncompromising 4×4 built from the ground up. Engineered to overcome all conditions, it will provide best-in-class off-road capability, durability and reliability to those who depend on a vehicle as a working tool, wherever they are in the world.
On the engineering front, we are now in the series development phase, supported by our engineering partner Magna Steyr, with prototype testing under way. The INEOS Grenadier will go into production in late 2021.
INEOS Automotive is a subsidiary of INEOS Group (www.ineos.com), a leading manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. It employs 23,000 people across 34 businesses, with a production network spanning 183 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries. From paints to plastics, textiles to technology, medicines to mobile phones, materials manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life. In 2019, INEOS had sales of circa $61bn.
