Icelandic Defender

An Icelandic classic: the Land Rover Defender. In a country defined by rugged mountains, geothermal valleys and lava fields, this handsome adventure-mobile is a necessity to traverse the wild rivers and volcanic terrain. The wilderness of the Icelandic Highlands is out of this world—in some places resembling the lunar surface. In fact, since the days of the Apollo missions it has served as a training ground for NASA astronauts preparing to land on the moon. Road warriors here need a vehicle that stands the test of time. The Defender allows drivers to tackle the most challenging conditions and make the most of their escapades. After visiting a remote crater lake in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve—part of the central highlands of Iceland—photographer Chris Henry was navigating a vintage Land Rover Defender through a desolate volcanic landscape without a trace of vegetation. He stopped and ran about 50 feet off the path to capture this shot. “There was a beauty to the simplicity of the landscape, and it highlighted the absolute dream machine that helped us get there,” he says. This image embodies the spirit of adventure, freedom and timeless design, evoking nostalgia for epic off-road journeys into the unknown.