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Solid Off-Roader: 1991 Land Rover Defender 200Tdi

While it might not be located in the USA, this 1991 Land Rover Defender could easily be imported if one of our US readers would like to become the next proud owner of a really clean British off-roader. Of course, for our UK readers, life is a lot less complicated in this respect. The Defender, which the owner refers to as “Land’s End,” is located in Plymouth, UK, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN has been set at $19,950, but the option is available to make an offer.

It’s hard to know where to start with the Defender because it really presents nicely. First, let’s consider the things that you can’t see. The owner provides plenty of photos of the vehicle’s underside, and it looks as solid and clean as you could ever hope to want from a vehicle like this. Not only is there no rust, but even surface corrosion is minimal. The body looks good, and while the vehicle started life painted Blue, it was refinished in Alveston Red with a White top back in 2009. This paint has survived rather well and has a great shine to it. As well as the hood-mounted spare tire carrier, there is one on the rear of the Defender, and the spare that is mounted on that has been fitted with a very neat cover. The black chequer-plate and the side-steps are very practical additions to the vehicle, as is the conversion of the headlights to LED units. The original white steel wheels appear to be in good condition and have been mounted with BF Goodrich tires.

The interior of the Land Rover has a lot of very good points, but the first thing that jumped out at me was how shoddy the installation of the Sony CD player looks. Personally, I couldn’t live with that and would be investigating options to make that look neater. Otherwise, the rest of the interior is in really nice condition. The Defender doesn’t feature third-row seating, although this could soon be addressed if required. The existing seats have received an upgrade to Outlast full-height, half-leather seats. These should certainly be both practical and comfortable, and they also look pretty nice. The aftermarket wheel also should make life comfortable on the open road, although if the Defender is not fitted with power steering, things might get a touch heavy when the going gets rough. The center seat in the front has been removed, and in its place is a very practical, lidded console. The rest of the interior looks to be in good condition, and apart from addressing the CD player issue, the next owner looks like they will have nothing to do inside the vehicle.

For Land Rover, the introduction of the 200Tdi engine in 1989 was a welcome event for potential owners. This 2,495cc turbocharged diesel engine produced 107hp and allowed the Defender to achieve some pretty reasonable speeds on the open road. The 200Tdi engine in this Defender is in good health and is backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. The vehicle has received a significant amount of recent work to its suspension and brakes, along with a thorough check and full service of the entire drive-train. It is now said to run and drive nicely, and will happily sit on the open road all day at 65-70mph. Of course, that really isn’t the Defender’s forte, but getting out into the inaccessible parts of the great outdoors is what these vehicles are all about. This is where they really shine, and it takes some pretty extreme territory to stop a Defender.

The Land Rover Defender 200Tdi was a vehicle that addressed the major shortcoming of its predecessors, which was its lack of ability on the open road. The company managed to do this without compromising its inherently strong off-road capabilities. This particular example presents extremely nicely, and would definitely be a standout wherever it went. For our US readers, even after you factor all of the import costs into the equation, it does seem to be quite competitively priced. For our UK readers, it seems to compare well to other local offerings, and is well worth a look.

Comments

  1. Terry R Melvin

    I can see me driving slowly in this Land Rover on safari on the Serengeti,,as I watch a hungry lion take down a squealing wart hog, or perhaps watch crocodiles snag wildebeests as they desperately try to cross a raging river. Yes, this Defender screams fun!

    Like 2
  2. bog

    Goodness this would REALLY stand out among all the other Land Rover products in my community ! I’m betting that zero of their owners ever take them off-roading, Horrors ! The closest they get to “dirty” would be picking up the kids after lacrosse practice. And hopefully this one makes all those lovely “dieseling” noises and smells that would remind me of the old tank park in Germany ! Loved seeing versions of these out in the sheep farms of Cornwall….

    Like 3
  3. Martin Horrocks

    I think the photos are maybe better than the vehicle. Just a feeling.

    Like 0

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