1991 Defender 90 200TDi LHD

Price: - Item location: Falls Church, Virginia, United States

Description:

1991 Land Rover Defender 90

VIN:SALLDVAF8HA700791

Collector grade
All original and unmolested
Full certified ownership history
Great service history
All books and original spare keys
Always pampered and garaged
Recent conservative refresh of interior and outer plastics with OEM parts
Original paint buffed and waxed to unbelievable condition

NOTE: I can ship the car anywhere, having access to dealer-grade shipping quotes.

Unmolested, all original and in outstanding shape, with what is considered to be the best engine ever to be put in a Landy: the legendary 200 TDi.
The steering wheel is on the correct side too (left hand drive).
Full ownership history, all original books, two sets of original keys, all original tools and pouches. Rare double spare tire option (on rear door and hood). Also comes with the FIVA certificate of Historic Relevance.
It is equipped with power disk brakes, power steering, and a tow hitch.

I personally bought and imported this Landy this past Summer while visiting family in Europe. I drove it about 6000 kilometers (so approx 3500 miles) so I can tell you everything there is to know about it.

Known history from day one:

The car was first sold in 1991 in the province of Bergamo, Italy, to the owner of a local gas station. He then traded it in to a Land Rover Dealer in 1997 where another gentleman from Bergamo bought it and kept it until 2002, when it was purchased by an architect again from the same province.

The last owner was a young man from (you guessed it…) Bergamo with a passion for English cars who bought it and spent some considerable time overhauling the interior with all original Land Rover foams, seat covers, floor mats, rear door panel, tail lights, headlight bezels and radiator cover grille, refinishing and detailing it very well. He even had the original tool pouch restored and gathered all the ownership information above, along with getting the car’s historical certificate from FIVA through the local ASI club (Auto-moto Club storico Italiano), that did so after inspecting the car and it’s history.

The car has (and is) always been garaged, and I was told it never did any sort of off-road. The undercarriage of the car shows consistently: there is no sign of any contact between the bottom of the chassis and the ground (while normally you can see dings and signs of rocks hitting the undercarriage if it has done any off-road driving).

Also notice that there are no added aluminum chequered plates anywhere on the car: while they look cool, they are generally put in place to cover up body damage or because the owner planned to use the vehicle in off-road conditions and wanted to reinforce the exposed panels, so them NOT being on the car is a good thing.

He also had the differentials rebuilt, new water pump and belt, new OEM exhaust, new engine mounts, new brake booster and a full service performed where the engine passed with flying colors. It needs nothing but a loving owner.

All of this is documented by pictures of the “before and after” along with some receipts and documentation (about 200 pictures in total).
The seller then veered towards an original Mini Cooper and decided to let go of the Landy. That’s when I bought it and personally replaced the gearbox rubber mounts (they were in good shape, but felt it was best to replace them having the other 2 on the motor replaced earlier), I had the original paint buffed and waxed which brought it back to a glass-like finish, and I had all 6 wheels restored to new condition. All of this is also photo documented.
Having the paint buffed while preserving the original decals cost $2,500 alone, almost as much as a cheap paint-job... I decided to not have the decals replaced as while they do show some signs of discoloration, a car is only original once, as they say. There are minor imperfections around the car, but you would never think it’s the original paint-work, even knowing the car lived a pampered life, it’s truly unbelievable how well it shows, and the new seat covers and foams complete what was in essence a very conservative freshening up of the car, with all original parts. Nobody believes it’s 25 years old.
All and all the car presents itself in spectacular form. I would not hesitate to take this car across a continent today. EVERYTHING works down to the courtesy light and the beeper if you leave the lights on after taking the keys out of the ignition. Mileage is about 190k and original (which breaks down to a consistent 8000 miles per year).
It will do close to 90 mph but is happiest at about 70, it’s a true pleasure to drive and seats 2 people in front and 4 in the back.

Do note that the earlier versions (anything older than this 1991) will be very under-powered compared to this engine and will also burn a lot more diesel. The 200 TDi was really a leap forward that allows this car to comfortably keep up with traffic at highway speeds while getting about 30% better mpg. Also being a 1991 it qualifies as a classic vehicle so it can be registered and insured for very cheap: it’s the best year to buy a Landy. Later models have a BMW engine in them, and while they are indeed faster, they are nowhere as reliable nor “authentic”.
A final note about the car’s status in the US: it has cleared US customs with flying colors after being scrutinized: this one truly fits in the “25 years or older” category whilst having the modern TDi matching numbers engine in it. I cannot stress enough the performance difference (and reliability) between the 200 TDi and it’s predecessor… I’ve had both, it’s night and day.

Vehicle Details:

Condition: Used
Make: Land Rover
Model: Defender
Type: SUV
Trim: 90
Year: 1991
Mileage: 190,000
VIN: 00000000000000000
Color: White
Engine size: 200TDi
Number of cylinders: 4
Fuel: Diesel
Transmission: Manual
Drive type: 4WD
Interior color: Gray
Vehicle Title: Clear

Want to buy? Contact seller!