“ Rebuilt by Foley Specialist Vehicles on a new Marsland OEM galvanized chassis. ”
Now nicely run in and ready to be enjoyed.

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
‘WP63 DYW’ was in the previous keeper’s care for six years, during which time he commissioned marque experts Foley Specialist Vehicles to rebuild it on a new Marsland OEM galvanized chassis, which set him back more than £20,000 after it had been written off in a relatively minor accident.

He covered a carefully-driven 836 miles to bed things in before consigning it for us to sell. Our vendor bought it a year ago and hasn’t needed to do anything to it in that time other than service it and treat it to a new cubbybox and a spare wheel cover.

Last serviced only a thousand miles ago and still in mint, virtually unmarked condition, she’s thoroughly enjoyed her time with her beloved Defender; sadly, ill-health means she can’t drive it anymore – and she says she doesn’t know who will miss it the most; her, or her dogs.

Exterior
White 4x4s invariably invite comparisons with UN vehicles, and while we aren’t against a UN-spec Land Cruiser or Defender the combination of Fuji White paintwork (paint code 867) and a selection of carefully chosen black accents lifts this one far above steel-wheeled utilitarian-chic.

A large part of its appeal is the care with which the paint was applied and subsequently curated; even the vulnerable bits, like the wheelarches and the rubber corner trims on the front bumper, are free of scuffs, scrapes, and other signs of careless use. The front and rear numberplates are from Foley too, which further suggests an absence of bumps.

The black bits include the bonnet bulge, the roof, the front wing vents, and the radiator grille and headlamp surrounds. Plus, of course, the wheelarches that shroud a set of stunning 16-inch alloy wheels that are both free of blemishes and shod with some hefty 265/75R16 GripMax A/T tyres.

A whopping 32” tall, you could probably roll over anything this side of a Sherman tank, while a pair of equally stout mudflaps protect following traffic from the barrage of mud and stones the rear tyres are capable of flinging.

The rubber is starting to show some perishing between the treads, so you might like to start to think about what tyres you’d like to replace them with but, in the meantime take it as further proof that these matching high-quality tyres are a sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who was prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

All the exterior lamps are in good order, and upgrades include a rear LED work lamp. Sidesteps have been fitted too, as has a rear NAS-spec step/towbar combination – and given the latter lacks a towball, we’re probably safe in assuming it was fitted, like the sidesteps, to facilitate access rather than to pull anything.

The glazing is all good too, including the Alpine lights that are fitted in the roof and help flood the rear of the cabin with light,

Flaws are minimal: there is a stonechip next to the front badge, and another two on the bonnet. There is also a small chip on the trailing edge of the driver’s door, a loss of paint from some of the recessed boltholes, condensation inside the offside headlamp, and oxidation to the offside door mirror arm.

Estimate £25,000 - £35,000

View car and current price bid HERE