2006 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 County (Hard Top)

“ A nice example of the indestructible little legend. A reluctant sale, due to ill health. ”
High spec. including roof windows , electric side windows, sound proofing, chequer plate, extra bumpers front and rear, side steps and a new heavy-duty clutch.

Background
Introduced in 1983 and only modestly revised over the years, the Land Rover Defender has rightly earned its place as one of the most influential vehicles of the 21st century. Able to trace its lineage back to the very first post-war Land Rover - and not a lot of squinting is necessary to bridge the seventy-year gap ‘twixt old and new - the Defender might not be the last word in civility but by heck it’s a survivor.

With its permanent four-wheel-drive system, lockable centre differential, live axles and long-travel coil suspension, the Defender is as good off the beaten track as it is appalling on it. But no-one cares, because it has levers sprouting out of the floor, a big, bluff front, and only gets better with age; like a certain type of man, the Defender doesn’t age, it matures, and any hard-won patina it gains simply adds to the legend.

Available from the factory as a pickup, van or station wagon, there are a vast array of companies out there who will turn yours into a motorhome, campervan, mobile crane, tray-back off-roader, or recovery truck. In fact, if you can imagine it, then someone will have built it. 

And the latter-day prettification and domestication of what was once a strictly utilitarian truck means that there are plenty of folk out there who can turn yours into the off-road equivalent of a Singer Porsche; tuned engines, gearbox swaps, Bentley-esque interiors, concours-quality resprays, and a full suite of fitted walnut cabinetry for your weapons and booze are just the start; if you can imagine it, it will be on a spec sheet somewhere.

Overview
The Defender has been in the seller’s care since November 2006 – and given it was only put on the DVLA’s records two months earlier as a pre-registered vehicle, he is, to all intents and purposes, its only owner.

Finished in Tonga Green to County specification, it also benefits from Alpine windows and electric windows in addition to black leather seats, front and rear bumper protection, new side steps, a Mantec spare wheel carrier, LED headlamps, and supplementary soundproofing.

JE Engineering also carried out a Stage 2 tune in June 2007, while Ashcroft Transmissions changed the final gearing ratio in December 2016; taken together, these modifications ensure the Defender is much more efficient than a standard example, especially at motorway speeds. 

Well-maintained by either a main dealer or an independent specialist, the clear run of MoT passes since its first in 2009 suggests the Defender’s reputation for poor reliability may have more to do with the way some of them are maintained than any inherent weaknesses.

Always garaged, never driven off-road, and only used occasionally to tow a small trailer, this is one of the finest Defenders to have passed through our hands: Straightforward and not at all flashy, it’s a solid and reliable example of a breed that can sometimes be neither. 

Estimate: £15,000 - £20,000

View Current Bid Price HERE