INEOS Grenadier: The 4x4 That Was Born in a Pub

Born in a Pub. Built to Prove a Point. This Is the INEOS Grenadier.

Some of the best ideas start over a pint. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of the chemicals giant INEOS, approached Jaguar Land Rover to buy the tooling when the original Defender ceased production after 67 years — they declined. So he did the only logical thing: he decided to build one himself.

The Pub That Started It All

Yes, the pub story is real. One evening in The Grenadier pub on the cobbled streets of Belgravia, London, Ratcliffe hatched a plan to build the spiritual successor to the classic 4x4. The legendary sketch on a £5 note still hangs pinned to the pub's ceiling today — a reminder that this vehicle didn't start in a boardroom. When INEOS later asked the 4x4 community to name the new vehicle, 6,000 people replied — and they all said the answer was right under their nose: The Grenadier, after the pub where it all began. 

From Sketch to Steel

INEOS partnered with BMW for engines and Austrian specialists Magna Steyr for engineering, putting the prototypes through 1.1 million miles of testing. The factory? A world-class production facility originally built by Mercedes-Benz, upgraded with custom tooling and a dedicated 4x4 assembly process. Not bad for a car dreamed up over a beer.

How Is It Selling?

Better than most expected. In just one year, with only 18 sales points, INEOS sold more than 8,000 Grenadiers in North America alone. Since production began, more than 35,000 customers across over 50 countries are now driving their Grenadiers. After delivering around 8,000 Grenadiers in the US in 2024 — itself a 40%+ growth year — INEOS is now targeting close to 50% further growth in 2025. For a brand-new carmaker with zero heritage, that's a serious statement.

Freak's Take

I genuinely love that this exists. Ratcliffe's whole attitude — "you won't build me one? Fine, I'll do it myself" — is exactly the kind of stubbornness the car world needs more of. And by most accounts, the Grenadier is a proper machine: capable, honest, no-nonsense. But if you ask me to choose? I'm still taking the old Defender. Leaky windows, temperamental electrics, and all. Some things you don't explain — you just feel them.

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