Foers Engineering Ltd, who produce the rugged Ibex off-roader, was founded by John Foer in 1975, and he came up with the Ibex concept after realising there was a need for an off-road vehicle that could bridge the gap between a Land Rover Defender and an ATV. Built in an unassuming industrial estate in the steel town of Rotherham, Foers Engineering’s Ibex is essentially a Defender that’s been on the protein pills.

The first prototype was built for a Scottish hill farmer in 1988 and is still in use today. In fact, all Ibexes built to date are still running, apart from one stolen vehicle that was never recovered.

David Foer, John's son, took on the business after leaving his job as a vehicle developer for engineering firm Ricardo and the current F8 model, the fourth generation of the vehicle, is his own design. David does much of the construction work himself, helped by a band of specialist freelance engineers and fabricators.

The F8 is available in a number of body styles, chassis lengths and powerplant options. Buyers have three options for buying an Ibex – a complete vehicle with brand-new components, a complete vehicle with new chassis and used engine and running gear, or a monocoque kit.