As if the traditional Land Rover wasn't archaic enough, a pensioner has swapped the old diesel engine for a coal burner and steam power

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This is a five-decade-old series Land Rover that has been converted to run on steam. That’s right, it swaps the regular engine for a steam-puffing, chimney-clad, coal-fired burner. At a cost of £24,000, the deep irony of the build isn’t lost on us. The car that became the Defender, itself a vehicle that EU law has deemed archaic and no longer fit to meet emissions rules, has been adapted to run directly on the external combustion of coal to fire a steam engine; a technology that peaked in the 1800s. For that reason alone it’s bloody wonderful.

The external crankshaft, traditional steam engine nose and the fabulously old-fashioned choice of name (Mildred) are more reasons why we love it. Pensioner Frank Rothwell, from Oldham in the English North West, spent over 400 hours on the astonishing project; 200 building the steam engine from scratch and another 200 integrating it into the car.