A one-of-a-kind Land Rover Defender sold for a record £400,000 at a charity auction at Bonhams.

Believed to be the most valuable production Land Rover ever sold at auction, the two-millionth example of the iconic Series Land Rover and Defender models made at Solihull since 1948 was sold to a bidder from Qatar. The vehicle was built in May by an all-star cast of brand ambassadors and people from Land Rover's history.

All proceeds from the sale will go to Land Rover's humanitarian and conservation partners – the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which will use the donation to help communities in South-East Nepal to improve how they tackle natural disasters, and the Born Free Foundation which plans to use the funds to support the Project Lion Rover wildlife conservation initiative in Meru National Park, Kenya.

John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations which oversaw the build of the car, said: '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.'

The speical vehicle, built as part of a year of celebrations for the much-loved 4x4 which will cease manufacturing in Solihull in January, features an engraved map of Red Wharf Bay, where the design for the original Land Rover was first drawn in the sand, and No 2,000,000 badge and logos. An aluminium plaque, signed by everyone who helped assemble the vehicle is fitted to the driver's seat. Special S90 HUE registration plates provide a fitting tribute to the first ever pre-production Land Rover, registration HUE 166.