A Land Rover Defender, number 2 million, has sold for £400,000 ($596,540) at Bonhams.

The lot starred in a dedicated auction to raise funds for the charities Born Free and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Land Rover will stop making the Defender in January 2016

This year Land Rover is winding down production of its hugely popular Defender series. The vehicle is capable of operating in some of the world's most extreme environments, from the Arctic to inner city London.  

This specimen was produced especially for the auction. Numerous celebrities and Land Rover fans, including celebrity wildman Bear Grylls, were invited to attach a component to the car.

Born Free founder Virginia McKenna said: "Despite seriously lacking mechanical skills, I was given the great privilege of attaching the number plates to this very special Defender.

"Land Rover has been in our lives since 1964, when my husband Bill and I went to Kenya to film 'Born Free'.

"Each day we went out in our vehicle with George Adamson and a lion; out on to the plains for our early morning walk."

The car is engraved with a map of Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey, where designer Maurice Wilks first drew the Land Rover's classic shape in the sand.

John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations, comments: "Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to turn a milestone Land Rover into a true collector's car.

"With the expert help of my SVO team and a handful of willing Land Rover ambassadors, we created something unique and very special. Tonight's sale will go down as part of our history."

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