TRED ROCK SLIDERS
The ultimate in styling and side protection.
Cleverly folded triangulated steel eliminates the need for tree bars. Punched and swagged holes add to the appearance and reduces unnecessary weight.
The TRED range provides the perfect combination of strength and clean lines. Also in the TRED range are rear step tow bars and winch bumpers.
Carbon edition arrives to complete Range Rover Sport SV line-up
WORDS THAT BEGIN WITH C
INCLUDE chav, clown, criminal, cash and carbon. If you have enough of one, the Range Rover Sport now comes with more of another than ever to help ensure that absolutely nobody, oh no, not likely, not a soul, never, mistakes you for any of the rest.
The Range Rover Sport SV Carbon, which was launched during Monterey Car Week, introduces ‘exclusive ultralightweight detailing’ to the vehicle. These include a Forged Carbon exterior detailing pack (not ‘forged’ in the hooky banknotes sense, of course) and an optional Twill Exposed Carbon bonnet. There are four extra paint options in addition to the existing SV Premium range (this is the bit where they use the word ‘curated’… things
that begin with C, right?) and a standard 23” alloy wheel fitment with black anodised calipers.
Not special enough? Carbon fibre wheels are also available, as are carbon ceramic brakes and a choice of blue, yellow, bronze and black calipers. Talking of choices, move inside and you can have leather seats in Ebony, Rosewood/Ebony or Light Cloud/Ebony – or leather-free Ultrafabrics in Cinder Grey/Ebony. There’s more forged carbon on the seat backs and dash, as well as extended dark chrome around the cabin and SV illuminated badging on the tread plates.
As you expect, power comes from the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine whose 635bhp, 553lbf.ft makes it sound fantastic and shift like mad, in
that order for most people. And on the subject of sounding fantastic, back inside the cabin you get Body and Soul Seat technology to let you feel the sound of the music playing on the audio system rather than just hearing it.
‘The new Range Rover Sport SV Carbon is an assertive interpretation of our luxury performance SUV,’ says Range Rover marketing man Ryan Miller. ‘Offered alongside Range Rover Sport SV and SV Black, it completes the new line-up showcasing the best of Range Rover’s sophisticated carbon fibre materials, for the ultimate expression of lightweight performance.’
All of this will cost you £165,045. So that’s one of the big C’s taken care of – and having spent it on a Sport SV Carbon, others will come naturally.
THERE AREN’T MANY LIGHTWEIGHTS LEFT IN THEIR ORIGINAL CONDITION. And of the ones that are, an awful lot are pristine show cars worth more money than you knew existed.
So the 1974 Series III that’s just appeared in our Classifieds could be the answer to your ex-military prayers. Showing 98,000 miles on the clock, it’s had some professional chassis repairs in the past but is described as being in ‘good mechanical condition and fair cosmetic condition.’
Mainly, though, it’s a very original Lightweight that’s never been restored. Given the number of these that were cut up for trialling or turned into hybrids during the 80s and 90s, it may have dodged more bullets on civvy street than it ever had to in just under a decade’s service before entering private ownership in 1983.
In addition to the chassis, its current owners have given it a new clutch and slave cylinder, full exhaust, canvas hood, air filter, plugs, dizzy cap and rotor arm. They’ve installed new front seats, rebuilt the carb and given it a full oil change, then shaken it down on a green laning trip to Wales – on which, they say, it didn’t miss a beat.
Whoever buys the Lightweight will need to deal with temperamental lights, some body rust and an earth problem that stops the dials from operating. However they will get a genuine FFR radio rack for behind the front seats, a set of rear bumperettes and a box of various spares including a dash panel, wing mirror and front mesh vent panels.
‘This Land Rover is not perfect is and will need some work to get to high standard or can be left as is to enjoy,’ says the seller, adding that ‘these Land rovers are not for the faint hearted to drive and own, they need attention and this will need time spent if you want to get it to perfect condition.’ Still, £8749 sounds like a very fair price for a Lightweight that’s never been butchered – you’ll find it in the classifieds on page 30 of this issue of The Landy.
Twisted and Evice set out to develop Defender EV
IT’S BEEN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY SINCE Twisted Automotive started doing things to Land Rovers. The company has gone from chipping and accessorising TD5s to fully remanufacturing as-new Pumas with Chevy LS crate engines and so on, in the process becoming perhaps THE gold-standard outfit in the poshed-up Defender game.
Poshing up Defenders is no longer just a matter of chucking a load of power and bling at the problem, however. An increasing number of specialists have started to play the EV card in a bid to pull in the punters and thanks to a tie-up with Evice Technologies, Twisted has set out on the road to joining them.
Evice is an EV specialist which has developed a turn-key package capable of being adapted for a variety of ap-
plications. Its first client was Halcyon, which remasters no less a vehicle than the Rolls-Royce Corniche; its new agreement with Twisted will see it supply a bespoke EV architecture solution comprising ‘state-of-the-art electrification hardware and software, supported by its world-class battery and drivetrain expertise.’ The company will also supply prototype engineering, testing and production.
Codenamed Project Overland, the partnership will first yield a Twisted Defender prototype with an Evice system installed as a feasibility study. This will be used for testing and benchmarking throughout the rest of this year, as well as appearing at top-end car shows as the companies promote the new venture.
Even this early in the process, however, the two companies are already looking beyond Project Overland. Evice is already talking openly about using the modular nature of its technology to develop an all-electric Range Rover Classic – again with Twisted providing the Solihull know-how.
‘The Twisted team are obsessed with perfecting the Land Rover driving experience,’ says Evice boss Matthew Pearson. ‘This aligns perfectly with our belief that electrification must build upon and complement the original character of the car.
‘This new partnership with Twisted demonstrates the adaptability of our technology and highlights the global appetite for passion-driven, properly engineered EVs born in Britain.’
One-way voluntary restraints in the news as
GLASS seeks the best for Britain’s green lanes
LAND ROVER OWNERS COME FROM FAR AND WIDE to enjoy Happy Valley, a byway just east of Tywyn in Gwynedd which combines glorious scenery with several bits of tricky terrain. It only reopened last year after a lengthy spell on the sidelines while the local authority organised repairs to a section that had become dangerously impassable – and even now, it remains under one-way voluntary restraint (VR).
This is in place as lengthy sections of the lane are only wide enough for one vehicle – meaning drivers would have to leave the established track to let others pass if they met head-on. This would be a serious issue amid the protected landscape of Snowdonia National Park, especially as the ground bordering the right of way can be very soft in places.
The VR notice asks all traffic to use the lane from west to east only. This corresponds to another notice on the nearby Bastard Lane, which is requested to be driven in the same direction; the two trails make a very popular combination, going together with the scenic Carn March Arthur, just to the south, to make up an iconic route.
The notice itself, however, in the shape of the recently replaced signs at the east end of Happy Valley, have been causing confusion as they suggested that the lane was not to be used at all. This has recently been dealt with by Paolo Bavaresco, Gwynedd rep for the Green Lane Association, which produced replacement signs whose message is much clearer.
As always, a GLASS rep’s job takes many forms – the prime one being to present a friendly face to a world that’s all too often suspicious of green lane users. ‘The new owner of the property at the east end chatted to me for quite a while and we exchanged details,’ reports Paolo. ‘I asked if everyone driving the route was courteous to him and he said yes – but added that they deliberately ignore the signs, often after reading them.
‘His main complaint is seemingly everyone choosing to use the hedges in front of the house as a toilet.’ A reminder there that you are always on duty as an ambassador for the 4x4 fraternity when you’re out and about on the lanes. And that you never know when you’re being watched – whatever you’re getting up to!
• Another VR notice in the news applies to The Fox, an unsurfaced road east of Grizedale in the Lake District. This has long been the subject of conflicting opinions as to which way it should be run; the national park authority has since 1995 had an agreement with the Hierarchy of Trail Routes that it should be entered from the east, however the Green Lane Association has always asked for it to be driven in the other direction.
When driving the route from the west, it starts with a long, rocky climb – where Grizedale’s role as a mountain bike centre means there’s a particularly high risk of meeting bikers, possibly with more confidence than skill, coming down the hill towards you at high speed and under limited control. This has long been cited by local lane tour outfit Kankku as its reason for using the lane against GLASS’ preferred direction.
Finally, however, all users will be singing from the same hymn sheet. GLASS has confirmed that its preferred direction of travel for the route is now from east to west, passing the eponymous statue of a fox on your right before dropping down the hill to finish in Grizedale village itself. Issue 145: Nov 2025
A long, long Range Rover
ago…
When I started my first job on a car magazine, it was pretty much day one when my did a story about the new Range Rover Vogue LSE. I loved the idea of it. I mean, a Range Rover but more so –what’s not to like about that?
Obviously, I was yet to learn that a bigger Range Rover was basically a greater opportunity for more to go wrong and rust. But it seemed to me to make sense. The LSE had an air of magnificence, even it its long wheelbase robbed it of the elegant stance that marked out the standard model, and its air suspension sounded like something special. As did its 4.2-litre engine.
I had come across the Rover V8 in that size before, a few years previously, when Car magazine pulled its pants down for the TVR 420 SEAC. I’ve no idea how closely related the engines were, but that was about all the two vehicles had in common.
It was a while before I ever got the chance to drive an LSE. If I’m honest, it came as a bit of a shock, because while it was certainly smooth and powerful the suspension bounced around like a jelly on a trampoline. It was a secondhand one on sale at a main dealer and I immediately figured that there must be something wrong with it.
Anyway, by the time The Landy came to life most LSEs were already twenty years old. Very few were still in good condition; we were already hearing endless stories about them needing full restorations, with rust and the knockon consequences of their complexity having the inevitable effect.
But people were doing it. Because the value of an LSE was vaulting ahead of those for any other late Classic. Evidently I wasn’t the only person who they appealed to.
So the two examples that appeared in our classifieds this month are likely to get a lot of attention. A lot of scrutiny, too, which is of course essential with a purchase like this, but each is laden with potential. It was a mighty swansong for the original Rangey – and more than ever today, an LSE is almost literally a lot of car for your money.
Alan Kidd, Group Editor alan.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk
Fortune could favour the brave as a brace of Range Rover Vogue LSEs appear in the classifieds
The Range Rover Vogue LSE is almost as big as a bus, but that’s where the resemblance between them ends. Still, you know what they say about buses…
And sure enough, if you look in the classified ads on page 30 of this issue of The Landy, you’ll see that two LSEs have come along at once. Nice looking ones, too, that are neither hanging down to the ground nor priced at the sort of money it takes Lewis Hamilton all afternoon to make.
They’re similar in that respect, and in that both are adorned with Brooklands body kits. Neither has the body-coloured alloys you’re likely to associate with the Range Rover from back in the early 90s, but neither has been butchered. The silver example in the pics has, however, been converted to coils in lieu of the air springs that were introduced with this model. Few would argue against the practical wisdom of doing this, though it’s as well to keep the mods reversible if you want to preserve a Range Rover’s classic
value. It’s not unheard of for owners to convert them back for this very reason, however horrendous the air springs’ reputation might be.
The silver LSE seen here shows 122,000 miles, dates from 1993 and is on offer with an asking price of £29,500. It’s described as being solid underneath, with no body rust, beautiful paint and only minor signs of age inside. The DVLA has it recorded as being on LPG.
An MOT in May this year flagged it for rust in both sides of the the front body structure; these have been repaired and are now protected behind a layer of underseal. The seller, a trader based in Walsall, describes it as ‘a proper collector’s piece that is getting rarer by the day – especially in this honest and well-kept state.’
By contrast, the blue LSE last saw an MOT station in 2014, having been parked up by its previous owner. Back then, it scored a variety of niggly fails and advisories, the biggest one being no movement in the air suspension –
though a couple of weeks’ work got it through for another year. It’s a very late one, dating as it does from 1995 – and with just 65,000 miles on the clock, it’s about as much of a spring chicken as any LSE is going to be.
Priced at £13,500, it’s about as cheap as any LSE is going to be, too. Obviously with no MOT and a 10-year hole in its history, your first question isn’t going to be about how much
tread the tyres have left on them, but depending on what’s underneath it this could be a seriously good buy. Delivery is included in the price, though equally obviously you’d be wanting to take a trip to see it first (it’s in Ormskirk).
The seller says the Rangey has had some recommissioning (including a reconditioned suspension ECU) and a full service, but that ‘some further TLC would take it to the next level,
after which it would make a stylish and dependable retro daily driver ready for new adventures.’
Two Vogue LSEs with questions to be asked of them, then – but not to be dismissed before you know the answers. The LSE was the longest-ever Range Rover when it was new, and we suspect there are longer stories to all of them than the one you’ve just read. The happy ending is up to you…
EXHAUST SPECIALIST MILLTEK has started production of a new sports system for the Land Rover Defender Octa. This is designed to ‘give it the sound it deserves’ – no, not the owner quietly sobbing while waiting for a recovery vehicle, or the police, but ‘an enhanced, deeper sound’ for its 635bhp twin-turbo V8.
Milltek notes that newer vehicles, especially those with turbos, can be disappointingly muted. They’re certainly not wrong there. So they pulled out the stops to get their hands on an Octa as soon as possible after the vehicle’s release and started work immediately – the upshot being a non-resonated, particulate filter-back system which enhances the engine’s sound without releasing any further emissions.
The new exhaust integrates with the original valve control system, too. This means it mimics the original for performance when Octa mode is selected – only this time with the sort of note you want to hear from a big V8 on song.
Made from T304L grade stainless steel, giving it extra durability and longevity, the Milltek system has twin valves which are 80mm larger than the originals, as well as a rear silencer with a reflective design but no centre resonator. It can be specified with the company’s GT100 exhaust tips in polished black, brushed titanium and burnt titanium finishes, as reflected in the above prices, or left original if subtlety is your thing.
Which it’s bound to be if you buy an Octa, obviously.
H7 and H11 ECE types with a new gold cap.
Britpart and chill for your Puma
Price: Ca £2500 plus VAT | Available from: www.britpart.com
It might be a case of finally giving in to the inevitable, but more and more people who do Defenders are doing Pumas now
There’ll always be mutterings about… well, everything… but say what you like, they’re still original Defenders and they ARE more modern than earlier ones in their own still-not-really-very-modern-at-all kind of way
One big way is of course that they have proper heating and ventilation systems. And since more people were buying high-spec ones towards the end, a great proportion have air-conditioning. But there are still plenty of utility models out there, waiting to have the usual done to them when the time comes for a galv chassis and a kick upmarket – and retro-fitting an air-con system as part of the job is not as fearsome as it sounds.
That’s because Britpart’s DA2344 Air-Conditioning Kit comes with pre-assembled components to make for an easy installation. It plugs straight into the existing Land Rover wiring loom and fuse board and as as-OE, meaning once fitted it’s indistinguishable from factory units. The kit uses a high-performance condenser, meaning you don’t need an extended nose cone to fit it in, and all the component parts within it are interchangeable with Land Rover’s own.
Lucas switches on Classic status for Discovery 2 and last of the proper-shape Defenders
Price: Varies | Available from: www.britpart.com
THE DISCOVERY 2 IS A CLASSIC NOW. So too is the Defender in Td5 and even Puma form. We know because Lucas Classic is doing bits for them.
The bits in question here are switches, operating things like the hazards, heated rear window and rear washer and wiper on Defenders all the way up to close of play in 2016. The heated seat switch, meanwhile, is suitable for the Defender and also the Disco 2.
Two decades have passed since the latter vehicle went out of production, which is one definition of a classic. And it’ll soon be a decade since the last original Defender came down the line, which is another (albeit a bit of an optimistic one). Safe to say that with things like chassis, axles and transfer levers, though, either is a whole lot more classic than anything that’s borne the name since. Even if they did have heated seats.
Footwell repair panels from GDI Products
Price: £79.16 | Available from: www.ebay.co.uk/str/gdiproducts
THERE CAN’T BE MANY SERIES IIS AND IIIS STILL ON THEIR ORIGINAL FOOTWELLS. And if there are, well, tick tock tick tock.
Actually, even if you’ve got one that’s on to its fifth or sixth set of panels, it’s still only a matter of time. The
LED UPGRADES
www.terrafirma4x4.com
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Prime Mover
Land Rover Classic’s new Churchill Edition is named after a man regarded by many as one
Ministers in British history – and one of the most celebrated Series I owners
On 30 November 1954, Land Rover presented Sir Winston Churchill with an 80th birthday present to remember – a new 86” Series I. Registered UKE 80, the vehicle remained in the former Prime Minister’s family following his death in 1965, finally being sold on by his son in 1973, and today it resides in the Emil Frey Classics Museum at Safenwil, Switzerland, alongside a number of other Land Rovers and Range Rovers.
Recently, the museum was visited by a team of experts from Land Rover Classic. Sounds like a pretty good work trip – but they weren’t just there on a jolly. Their goal was to analyse the Series I’s paint, take samples of its interior trim and examine every aspect of its period details.
Why? Because the latest limitededition Works Bespoke commission from Land Rover Classic is the Churchill Edition – a run of just 10 vehicles inspired by the great man’s original. The idea came from Emil Frey itself – a classic car specialist which, in addition to its museum, is an approved Land Rover Classic retailer.
The Churchill Edition features Bronze Green bodywork which, rather than just being painted off the shelf, was matched to the original following the team’s Swiss mission. The same colour is also used on the Defender’s 16” steel wheels, as well as on interior details within the cabin.
Elsewhere inside the vehicle, the seats are trimmed in Bridge of Weir semi-aniline Bottle Green leather. This also features on the passenger’s-side grab handle – an authentic touch, as Churchill’s 86 (which was primarily chauffeur-driven) also had leather here. The cubby lid is trimmed in green too, while there’s a black leather headliner
Words: Olly Sack
Pictures: Land Rover Classic
and a unique dashboard clock featuring a blue face with red stripe – inspired, Land Rover says, by Pol Roger’s Sir Winston Churchill champagne. Not something that was also seen on the original Series I, this time.
Moving back to the exterior, the front of the vehicle features a galvanised bumper, classic metal mesh grille and one matt black headlight surround. Yes, one – it’s a reference to the position of
the number plate on Churchill’s Landy. Talking of the number plate, there’s a ‘UKE 80’ decal on the front wings in the now-familiar ‘HUE’ style, as well as bespoke rear badging and galvanised body cappings.
As normal with Works Bespoke Defender, the base vehicles date from 2012-2016. They’re rebuilt in the Land Rover Classic factory and fitted with a 405bhp, 380lbf.ft, 5.0-litre V8 engine paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Each of the 10 Churchill Editions will be built to order; clients can choose from 90 and 110 Station Wagon formats, or a 90 Soft-Top. While Churchill was given his Land Rover as a gift from the company, this is one area in which the Defenders weren’t inspired by the original. Prices start at £232,500 for a 90 Station Wagon, £242,500 for a 90 Soft Top and £246,000 for a 110 Station Wagon – and that’s before you add VAT. You don’t have to be a Harrow-educated aristocratic hereditary millionaire who grew up in Blenheim Palace to own one. But it might definitely help.
Land Rovers are returning to Stoneleigh this November for a day filled with Land Rovers!
Exhibitors old and new will join us, selling everything from parts & accessories to tyres, clothing and toys Talk to overland adventure specialists about your next trip, discuss modification options with companies with the know-how and other experienced Land Rover owners.
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50 years later…
Half a century ago, the first Land Rover Dormobile was laid up. It’s been awaiting restoration for a long time –all it needs is to find the right person to do it
About three years ago, we reported in these pages that the earliest known Land Rover Dormobile was for sale. Its owner, Duncan Ross, had spent around a decade fully intending to restore it – but the time had come to just buy something usable instead and actually go camping.
‘I bought it with a view to restoring it as a family camper,’ Duncan told us at the time. ‘But as my wife keeps telling me, the kids will have grown up and not want to go camping any more before this will happen. So facing this dilemma and a lack of time, I decided to buy a camper that has already been done.’
Since then, he has done exactly that and there’s now another Dormobile in the family, this one based on a Bedford CA and in a fit condition to be used
whenever the opportunity presents itself. But that’s not all that Duncan has bought since we last looked at the vehicle – which is a large part of why, even though he never did shift it and it’s still for sale now, we’re here looking at it again.
Let’s go back to the beginning. ‘The story I was told by the previous owner was that his father worked at the Land Rover factory,’ says Duncan. ‘Having heard that Martin Walter of Folkestone was about to commence building 109” Dormobile conversions, he placed an order for the very first one. The numbers reportedly started from 72500, which was for the first demo vehicle.’
According to the Land Rover archives in the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, this is the first numbered
Martin Walter Dormobile. It was among the first Landies sent to Martin Walter, being part of a batch numbered 162100863-867.
‘Numbers 863 and 864 were built on 16 May and despatched two days later. This one, 1162100865, was built on 24 May and despatched 26 May. It was numbered as N1 built (MW 501), even though it wasn’t the first one that left Martin Walter.
‘It’s the only one that survives out of that batch, and by far the earliest known by any Land Rover club. I believe there is no Land Rover Dormobile in existence with a lower number than this.’
So this 1960 Series II 109” is a genuine, honest to goodness piece of Land Rover history. But it’s more than
Words: Gary Martin Pictures: Duncan Ross
just that – it’s also a genuine piece of Dormobile history. And it’s a genuine piece of history full stop, too – because having been laid up way back in 1983 and sat in a barn before Duncan took it on, inside it’s just as it was half a century ago.
‘It certainly has been used well and clearly enjoyed by the family who owned it,’ he says. ‘The cupboards are full of period accessories, medicine, supplies and so on. It’s as if it was transported from the 1970s to now.
‘It has all the correct Dormobile bits: all the seat frames, bunk beds, cupboard, cooker, sink and tap, table and so on. The very rare original spotlights and correct roof rack are also present – along with all the right Dormobile badges.’
This is a hell of an artefact, make no mistake. And what a historical treasure it will be once restored. But that restoration is not going to be a light one – which brings us back to the stuff Duncan has been buying since we last checked in.
‘The chassis is not in a good state and has been patched up many times over the years’ was Duncan’s assessment back then. ‘It’s definitely salvageable but I personally wouldn’t use it. The bulkhead has been molested and patched, too, and will require significant work.’
As you’ll have spotted in the pictures, while Duncan still hasn’t had the
luxury of enough time to get into the restoration, he has at least collected the biggest parts the job will need. To start with the shiny one, he ordered up a galvanised chassis from Richards Chassis – it was a long wait, as 109” Series IIs are not an off-the-shelf fit, but he’s got it now.
He’s also got a bulkhead. It came from Australia, which is probably why it’s intact, though even then it has surface rust and needs its footwells replaced – but that’s not a killer of a job and the main thing is that it’s all straight and, once prepped, will sit proudly on that Richards frame to put a solid foundation beneath the rebuilt vehicle.
So too will the Series III engine that replaced the original at some point.
Duncan says it ‘works and sounds sweet and healthy,’ as does the gearbox, so that’s good, but depending on the nature of the coming restoration it might be in line for replacement.
Since our last visit, in addition to buying some heavy metal Duncan has partially dismantled the vehicle to allow for a better assessment of its condition.
Which makes it look a bit bare, but everything is present and correct – and by that we really do mean everything.
Not just Land Rover stuff. ‘All the right Dormobile bits are there,’ he says.
‘Roof rack, Dormatic seats, cupboards, cooker, bunk beds, all the plates and badges, and the pop-up roof is usable as is.’ So too are the seat frames,
which he’s fully repaired, welding up the cracks time had put in them before giving them a coat of primer to prevent them from rusting while stored.
He fitted a new clutch cylinder and lines, too, as the old one failed during a test drive in the field where he lives. And, he says, he had accumulated a good haul of parts over the years.
‘Good doors, galvanised windscreen surround, various panels etc. It will all come with the car.’
Which makes clear, if it wasn’t already, that after all this time, the
opportunity to be the one to restore the oldest Land Rover Dormobile in existence is once again up for grabs.
‘It is a piece of history and a lovely patinated project that will be someone’s pride and joy once finished,’ says Duncan. ‘But make no mistake – it’s a serious project.’
At an asking price of £7150, it’s a serious project we can see people queueing up to take on. That includes the bulkhead but not the chassis, which is available by separate negotiation – but when you consider the sheer
number of original and very, very rare parts that come with the vehicle, not to mention the special place it has in Land Rover’s history, this is certainly not the sort of opportunity that comes up every day. Yes, we knew, it did come up about three years ago – but our money is very strongly on that not happening again come 2028.
Thanks to Duncan Ross for his assistance in compiling this article. You’ll find the Dormobile listed for sale on page 30 of this issue.
Duncan has a new galvanised chassis from Richards, which he ordered with the aim of doing the project himself, and a solid bulkhead to replace the distinctly crumbly original. He says he doesn’t have the time in his life to restore the vehicle, but all the parts are here – including an interior that’s like a museum exhibit
We give form to our components by machining detail into them with chamfered edges and rounded corners, under cuts, engraving and much more. We take time with care and attention to detail to ensure we deliver quality products. Our products have become a feature to many Land Rovers worldwide.
Alongside our aluminium interior and exterior trim range, our Special Order Service offers leather trim which can be designed to your requirements incorporating our colour anodised parts, to give you the ultimate Enhanced by Croytec Defender.
145: Nov 2025
The world less travelled
When you’ve spend many months on a mission to reach a particular destination, the temptation is to try and get there as directly as possible. But that would mean spending less time on board the greatest vehicle on earth…
Back in 2010, we spent half a year living out of our Range Rover as we travelled from London to Cape Town. It was a wonderful, life-affirming, eye-opening episode in our lives, as we became the first people ever to drive the length of Africa aboard what was at the time the current model, the third-generation L322.
Before we set off, people told us we were mad to make the journey in such a complex vehicle. But we looked after it – and in return it looked after us, too.
Now, we’re into the final chapter of a story we named Lilongwe Down – and while there were still many miles to be covered as we crossed the border from Namibia, as we entered South Africa
our trusty vehicle had done just what we asked of it.
The Range Rover had coped supremely well over the course of 13,200 miles as we travelled through Europe and the Middle East before entering Africa and setting out to travel south through (take a deep breath) Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya,
After travelling overland through the whlole of Africa, finally arriving in South Africa itself is something of a culture shock in reverse. Compared to what you’ve experienced in the rest of the continent, it’s like being back in Britain. Well, sort of: having lunch on the road won’t land you in a cell, and you’re less likely to get excited by seeing a squirrel…
Words and Pictures: Raymond and Nereide Greaves
Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. But it still had some 4500 miles ahead of it, as we planned to take a lap of South Africa before finally reaching the end of the road near Cape Town.
At this point, we’ll admit that our expedition started to feel more like a glorified holiday. We knew that from
here on, the travelling conditions would be much more straightforward. No more borders to cross, plentiful fuel stations, excellent places to eat, first-world healthcare… they even have breakdown recovery!
Arriving in South Africa, we had an almost overwhelming desire to head straight south and go directly to Cape
Town. We had spent four months with that as our objective, and now it was so close we could almost touch it. But we wanted to leave it to last, so we resisted temptation and spent the following five weeks exploring the rest of the country. We were, after all, still on expedition!
What we didn’t do was visit the country’s major game parks. We felt that we couldn’t improve on what we had seen in Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana; even if this was a holiday and we were being tourists rather than travellers, we would still take the tourist route less travelled!
Eating like a local is a crucial part of proper travel, and on our very first night in South Africa we sampled a typical Cape Malay dish called bobotie while staying in Upington, the only town of any size in the remote north-west of the country. Mighty fine it was, too.
The only fly in the ointment here was the rubbish and litter all over the streets. Nothing says ‘welcome to our country’ like the local bin men going on strike…
We spent several days staying with friends in Johannesburg, visiting the historic Rand Club which was founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889 as South Africa’s grandest gentleman’s club. The grandeur is rather faded these days but it’s still functioning, right in the heart of the city. An added bonus was that despite Joburg’s fearsome reputation, we didn’t get mugged, stabbed or shot at even once.
Beyond here, the region of Mpumalanga is frequently overlooked by European tourists. More fool them. It has an extremely hilly landscape of sweeping mountain passes, unusual rock formations, forests, waterfalls and towns where time appears to have stood still.
Of these, Pilgrim’s Rest deserves a special mention. A small town that was built during an 1880s’ gold rush, it has fiercely resisted modernisation ever since. Although the gold ran out at the turn of the 19th Century, the town now makes a living out of selling crafts and curios to a steady stream of visitors. The Royal Hotel is the only one in town and still serves up a thoroughly Victorian-England lodging experience, complete with free-standing cast iron baths and a restaurant that serves fish and chips in newspaper! The BP fuel station still has pumps that look distinctly pre-war but luckily their diesel was of 2010 vintage.
As with the rest of South Africa, the roads in Mpumalanga are generally excellent. We did, however, narrowly avoid one or two vast holes in the surface which could have come straight from Kenya. One or two cracks are showing in the country’s road network, none more evidently than here.
Heading south, we elected not to drive through Swaziland (now known as Eswatini) into KwaZulu Natal. Although it would have been the straightest route, we were not interested in country bagging and frankly couldn’t face an
unnecessary border. Instead, we drove around Swaziland in another part of the country that’s very infrequently travelled by tourists.
This undulating region feels remote, with few settlements, but has vast forests that are harvested by the South African paper giants Mondi and Sappi. Several times we saw signs saying ‘Dangerous road: do not stop’ – quite what the danger was, we never found out, but we didn’t need telling twice. Following this route, we were eventually reacquainted with an old friend – the Indian Ocean. We had left the east coast almost exactly one month earlier at Dar es Salaam and now here we were again – this time in the World Heritage area of St Lucia, a wetlands national park of some beauty. Temperatures were nice and warm again in this sub-tropical region and at Cape Vidal we found what was quite possibly the most beautiful and secluded beach either of us had even seen.
Continuing down the coast, we passed Durban and spent a few days being tossed around by the considerable surf at Amanzimtoti before heading inland towards the Drakensberg mountain range. This is the largest in Southern Africa, with peaks approaching 3500 metres and dramatic landscapes which were made all the more magnificent by the autumn colours.
High up in the mountains is the kingdom of Lesotho, which can be
OVERLAND TOURS Morocco
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Green Lane Holidays in Mid Wales
Family run guest house and self catering cottages with spectacular views, en-suite bedrooms, comfortable lounge bar and excellent home cooked food.
Pressure washer, drying room, map room with local lanes marked, on-site 4x4 course, guides and GPS hire available.
A very popular venue for both individuals and groups of 4x4 enthusiasts
approached via the legendary Sani Pass. Having now ascended the Pass we can report that, at least in the dry, it does not present any decent 4x4 with a particularly onerous challenge – though the sharp stones and rocks will try to cut your tyres to smithereens.
We enjoyed a very clear day and the reward for ascending the pass is spectacular views back into KwaZulu Natal. At the top we entered Lesotho,
where we were lucky enough to visit a small village, spend time with one of the residents in their rondavel-style house, eat some of their freshly-baked bread (delicious!) and try sorghum beer (er… a bit of an acquired taste).
We were impressed by the hardiness of Lesotho’s people, who live a very isolated life in harsh, arid conditions.
At these altitudes (near 3000m) it gets extremely cold in winter, with
When the authors set out from London, their ultimate goal was to park their Range Rover at the Cape of Good Hope. So it’s understandable that as soon as they crossed the border into South Africa, they had an almost irresistable urge to head straight there. That, however, would have meant bypassing a nation that’s almost as varied and remarkable as the rest of the continent. Most of the nation’s visitors make a beeline for the safari parks but having seen the best that the rest of Africa has to offer, they decided to explore the South Africa most tourists never see, from its wilderness landscapes to the lavish leftovers of its past as a British colony
temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees having been recorded.
Also at the top of Sani Pass is Sani Mountain Escape – Africa’s highest pub. Quite a boast, that. It would have been rude not to drop in for a drink and some lunch before descending back into South Africa.
Dropping out of the mountains, we motored through the region that used to be called the Transkei. During the apartheid era, this was considered a separate country (albiet only by South Africa) and was the home of the Xhosa people; even now, it was as close to ‘real Africa’ as we got in South Africa, with haphazard townscapes full of street vendors and stores with no brand name.
We followed the glorious coastline of the Eastern Cape as far as Port Alfred, one of many small port towns among the golden sandy beaches. Here we turned inland towards Grahamstown, where many of the original English immigrants settled in the 1880s and which still looks like a bastion of Victoriana to this day, and on to Graaff
Reinet, the fourth oldest town in South Africa, where a facsimile of Salisbury Cathedral stands in splendid isolation amid the vast desert of the Karoo.
We had read that it’s possible to drive to the top of one of the hills surrounding the town, from where there would be a spectacular view of the sunset over the Valley of Desolation.
We made it just in time and it was indeed impressive, but the valley’s name ended up sounding a little too close to home when we ended up getting lost.
The viewpoint was a longer walk from the car than we had anticipated, along a poorly marked path through thick bush, and in our haste we had simply jumped out of the Range Rover and dashed off. We had no water, no warm clothes, no phone and, critically, no torch.
Big mistake. After sunset, in the rapidly fading light, we kept on arriving at other viewpoints on the edge of the cliff. During winter in the Karoo, the nights are very dark and very cold – if we didn’t find the Rangey within the
next five minutes, it would be pitch dark and we would be spending a miserable night on top of the hill.
The Range Rover was only a few hundred metres away and packed with everything we needed for this situation but in our hurry had not thought to bring. But we just couldn’t find it. In one final, desperate attempt, Raymond charged off into the thick bush… and after some perseverance, he found the path. The relief was immense. Without the slightest exaggeration, three minutes later it was pitch black. We were extremely grateful, to say the least, to be back in the warm and secure Rangey.
The flip-side of the total darkness and lack of light pollution in the Karoo is spectacular stargazing. Later that evening, we ventured out again and were rewarded with an astonishing view of endless stars in the Milky Way and beyond – as well as some shooting stars, which looked all the more magical for being out here.
The Western Cape is traditional tourist territory, but we spiced things
up on the way by taking the road less travelled from Graaff Reinet to Knysna. Whereas the main highway winds its way round the flanks of a mountain range, the untarred, deserted and spectacular Prince Alfred’s Pass goes straight over them. In places, it was only as wide as the Range Rover itself – what an absolute treat to be there in a vehicle that allowed us to have this experience few other people get the chance to enjoy.
That’s a comment on one small part of a very big journey, but it could be an epigram on our entire expedition. We finally drove into Cape Town on 15 May, a total of 17,000 miles, 18 weeks and 19 countries after leaving London. We were very lucky to have a fabulously clear day and as the majestic Table Mountain hove into view, I have to admit we both got a bit choked up.
We were also immensely proud of the Range Rover, which was absolutely amazing from start to finish. It kept us cool, calm and safe on some of the worst, most dangerous roads in the world, and it wanted for nothing more than basic servicing. We have read no other account of a Cape-to-Cairo trip (and we’ve read a lot) where the car has given so little trouble. A faithful friend indeed.
The Landy Buyer
all Land Rovers. Its engineering and design give it real charisma, but parts aren’t readily available. Restoration projects require deep pockets, but see it through and the result will be worth mega bucks.
The Series I, particularly in its 80” guise, is the most sought-after of
Gone are the days where you could use a Series I as an actual Land Rover. Because with restored examples changing hands
£5000-£85,000
for millionaire money, preservation is the aim of the game.
The earlier the vehicle, the more it will be worth. The sky’s the limit – but can you really put a price on such an icon?
Pros: Heritage, charm, a true classic, the original Land Rover Cons: Availability of parts, price tag on early 80s Series I (1948-1958)
Cons: Not yet as desirable as the earlier Series models Series III (1971-1985)
terms, keeping the same 2.25-litre engines throughout the length of its production run. In 1980, the engines switched to a more durable five-bearing crank rather than the old threebearing setup. The transmission also received syncromesh on all forward gears to make it easier to live with.
£2500-£35,000
They still carry the simplicity of earlier Land Rovers, but the Series III remains the most affordable way into owning a leafer.
Pros: Most affordable route into Series ownership. Still has the Series pedigree. Parts still widely available
Lightweight (1968-1984) £3500-£22,000
These military vehicles can easily be distinguished from regular
Land Rovers. To mimic the civvy Series machines, the Series III model built from 1972 onwards, also had its headlights switched out to the wings.
Lightweights add an extra dimension to owning a Land Rover. Their military history and details mean you get a truck with more stories to tell – and that stands
Early
These
Rovers
coilsprung suspension, new engines and a world-beating level of rugged off-road capability.
out from the crowd. They’re a rare breed, though – so if you’ve got one, it’s worth keeping hold of.
Pros: Not like all the other Land Rovers out there. Military background. Lovely 2.25 petrol Cons: Appearance isn’t to everyone’s taste. Exclusivity over regular models means they command a price premium
Don’t be fooled by high prices. Values have dropped in the last two years, and only a real rarity in pristine nick is worth the money that used to be commonplace.
Pros: Excellent parts availability. Easy to work on. Unlimited potential for mods and restos
much of that early charm. Prices seem to have peaked now, however they still remain strong for good examples.
A 2.25 petrol 88” would be our pick, as the diesel engines were underpowered and rather noisy.
refinement. While the engines have excellent longevity, they need to have been maintained properly. Be thorough in your checks, both under the bonnet and underneath the body.
refinement, but this is seen by many experts as the best Defender of them all.
The LT77 gearbox in the 200 Tdi is more truck-like than the later R380, and these vehicles didn’t come with bling. Just be sure it’s an original Tdi you’re getting, not an old Discovery conversion.
Pros: The perfect combination of tradition and modernity
Cons: Lots of horrible and/or deceptive ones around
Cons: Bulkheads and chassis rot, springs prone to seizing Series
The Series II/IIA has a wider stance than its predecessor and adds an extra (thin) layer of
rarity – with all the cachet, pride and immense awkwardness that comes with this status.
By ‘rare’, we’re talking about less than 2500 Series IIA FCs in total. And they tended to have a very hard life, so not many have survived to tell the tale.
Pros: A sound investment to restore – and enjoy
Pros: A Land Rover like no other, if that’s what you want Cons: Especially brutal to drive, and to find parts Series IIA/IIB FC (1962-1971) £2500-£15,000
Forward-Control models differed from everyday Series IIs by
Only ever
the time came for demob. They were flogged off at very low prices and turned into off-road toys –not something you’d do with one today, given the rarity and classic value they’ve taken on.
having heavy-duty ENV axles, but engine-wise they had the familiar 2.25 petrol and diesel lumps. So, don’t expect performance – but do expect to be given an ‘interesting’ time in the workshop…
£7500-£26,000
Compared to the IIA/IIB FC, the 101 is more fun thanks to its V8 engine. It’s still a military tool, though – some still have fixtures and fittings from their Army life, which adds interest. This is a vehicle for enthusiasts, though, with costs that are sky-high even by Land Rover standards. Pros: Master of the road. Lovely V8 soundtrack. Everybody who sees one loves it Cons: Monumental running costs. Expensive to buy, too
The 127
work truck tend to go for a later 130, so the 127 is more of an enthusiast’s
motor. It’s popular for homebrewed overland conversions, too. Almost all 127s have had an engine conversion by now, too. Lots to be wary of, then – but it’s a hell of a lot for your money. Pros: Enormous size means limitless potential and character
The Series III wasn’t too dissimilar to the Series IIA in mechanical
Forward Control Land Rovers are a cult within a cult. They’re a real
The Tdi engine, which arrived with the Defender name, can
was built on a special production line in Solihull which
Defender 300 Tdi (1994-1998)
The 300 Tdi engine is very different to the 200 unit it replaced, though
the two are related. It’s much more refined and smoother to drive, though there are more electronics involved so later versions in particular are less of a DIY fix.
The arrival of the 300 Tdi also brought with it the R380 gearbox. This used to have a terrible reputation for relability, but most have been put right by now and they’ve
£3500-£40,000
become sought after for their light clutch and better shift action.
It was during the Tdi era that Defenders started getting things like alloys, too. You might even find one that’s not been off-road… Pros: Strength and simplicity. Perhaps the definitive Defender Cons: Sure to be very different to when it left the factory
TDCi (2007-2016) £6500-£275,000
The last Defenders gained modern 2.4 and 2.2 TDCi engines and
smooth six-speed gearboxes, They still had phenomenal off-road ability and were even okay to sit in. Famously, this was the Defender that actually had a dashboard You can find special editions and boutique conversions to TDCi models that cost obscene amounts of money. You will pay a premium for any these late
It’s also a notable classic in its own way, as it heralded the start of the company’s modern era. It has its issues, though. The viscous coupling is expensive to replace and can be upset simply by running mismatched tyres.
The 1.8 petrol used to be notorious for head gasket failures. Today’s replacements are much
are people who do just that, preferring to invest new-car money in a restoration than spending it on a current model.
It’s a smart policy, too. An early two-door can cost mega money, but any Classic will appreciate in value if kept in good condition –and sought-after rarities like the CSK and LSE can be a gold mine.
a strong performer. It does lend itself to being tuned though, so watch out for abused ones and knackered examples that have been pushed beyond the limit.
As with all Defenders, you’ll need a rear crossmember sooner or later – or even a new chassis.
still be a DIY machine. Parts are in plentiful supply, as is specialist knowledge – and it’s one of the best Land Rovers ever.
Defenders, however the era of skyrocketing prices seems to be over and TDCis have dropped further in value than the Td5. So a good 2.2. could now be quite a shrewd investment
Pros: Efficiency, creature comforts, off-road prowess
Cons: Price, electronics, TDCi engine is unloved
more robust, but a late diesel is your best bet. Even these can go calamitously wrong, though. This was a more complex car than it needed to be, and buying one for sweeties now doesn’t change that.
Pros: Cheap to buy, no big rust issues, surprisingly able off-road Cons: All sorts of things can go wrong, some very expensively
An awful lot of Rangeys have been neglected and/or abused, and you can still buy they cheap. But if you’ve got the skills, and access to parts, restoring one would be the ultimate hobby that pays.
Pros: Most usable classic Land Rover, V8 power, ride quality
Cons: Rust, availability of parts for early models
Range Rover (2002-12) £2200-£24,000
The Mk3 Range Rover hit new
of luxury and was more reliable than the P38. It’ll still cost a lot to run, however, and drivetrain faults and underbody corrosion are not unknown.
The TDV8 engine is sublime, but you’ll pay more to get one –especially the 4.4, though the 3.6 has all the power you need. The V8 petrol, on the other hand, is temptingly cheap. Guess why…
This isn’t a DIY motor, but it certainly is a Range Rover, with brilliant off-road and towing skills. It relies a lot on electronics, but they work wonders – and the deepdown engineering is very robust.
Pros: Great off-road, luxury, image, TDV8 powerplants
Cons: Very complex. Huge running costs
The Td5 engine is arguably Land Rover’s most reliable unit and it’s
Despite having more electronics than the Tdi, a Td5 Defender can
(2020-on)
If the subject of the new Defender comes up in enthusiast circles, try
The fourth-gen Range Rover is a majestic 4x4. All the engines in the
to steer it away on to something safer. Like Brexit, for example.
Much as it may infuriate purists, however, the Defender is actually a very wonderful thing. It’s kind of like an old one, only with space, comfort and equipment.
The big difference is that you can’t work on it yourself. This goes for maintenance and, crucially,
it replaced. It’s a refined and affordable SUV with a strong engine, good equipment and a decent level of practicality.
It’s become one of the most reliable Land Rovers out there, too.
But do be aware of the rear diff and Haldex unit for costly outlays.
The 2.2-litre diesel engine is a strong performer, though for a
own, even today. The problem is that they’re very complex and very, very good at going wrong. Air suspension failure is the norm. Head gaskets can let go. Electronics are laughably flaky. And parts can cost the earth – as will the labour bills. Perhaps worst of all, nowadays it’s very hard to find one you can be sure hasn’t
range supply copious amounts of power, and its road manners are absolutely impeccable.
It’s startlingly capable off-road, too, even if getting one muddy would feel like bad form. Most that leave the tarmac probably do so only when their owners are in the mood to blow some grouse out of the sky.
a supreme off-roader as well as
Pros: Off-road capability, power, overall reliability. Very well suited to being modified
Cons: Rear chassis, premium prices, monstrous road tax on later vehicles Defender Td5 (1998-2007) £3000-£35,000
£45,000-£185,000
making modifications – a market Land Rover wants to take back and have for itself. It won’t hold its value long-term the way an original-shaper does, either. But this is still a superb vehicle.
Pros: Comfort, capability, rugged fitness for purpose
Cons: Not cheap to buy. Lacks the old one’s basic charm
bargain search out one with the unpopular 3.2 petrol unit. Either way, it’s a fine SUV to drive. Prices have fallen since the production ended, too – £15,000 now gets you a late one on tiny miles.
Pros: Reliability, refinement, economy of diesel engine
Cons: Transmissions can wear quickly if used for towing
spent at least part of its life being worked on by idiots Still, you’ll get a classy motor with proper off-road and towing skills. It’s becoming a classic, too, and prices are still tiny considering everything you get.
Pros: Luxury, price, a Land Rover that doesn’t rust Cons: Electrics. Be very afraid
Inside, the Range Rover’s cabin is superb, with sumptuous trim and cutting-edge equipment. Prices are, of course, as immense as the vehicle itself. But if you can afford it, so too is the presence a Rangey will give you.
Pros: Class, luxury, engines, vast all-round capability
Cons: Price
heights
The Freelander 1 is a cheap gateway into Land Rover ownership.
The Freelander 2 was a massive improvement on the model
The original Rangey is a classic you can use everyday – and there
A Mk2 Rangey in good working order is still a sensational car to
Range Rover Sport (2013-22)
The second-generation Range Rover Sport is 400kg lighter than
the original, meaning it’s almost economical to run. It feels really nimble and agile on the road, too, and it comes with a range of engines giving it a brisk turn of pace.
Some won’t like the flamboyant posture, while others will love it. Either way, inside the cabin it’s very nearly as luxurious as the full-house Range Rover.
£13,500-£65,000
If you can afford the SVR model, you’ve got a super-SUV with rap star image. In every case, though, running costs will be vast. Parts don’t get any cheaper because you bought it second-hand…
Pros: Performance, refinement, handling, glorious interior
Cons: Marmite image. Pricey to buy and run
Range Rover Sport (2022-on)
Hilariously, this is what counts as the affordable way in to owning a
new Range Rover. The Sport is less about being chauffeur driven and more about lording it over other aspirational school runners, but once again it’ll be lovely to drive.
Like the full fat Range Rover (a phrase which has never felt more appropriate), the Sport is available with an old-school V8 engine that gives you racecar performance in
£80,500-£145,000
return for NASA-level emissions. Most UK customers with opt for an altogether healthier plug-in hybrid, but they’ll still get a vehicle that’s brutally fast a well as being able to do the normal Range Rover stuff.
Pros: Smooth, refined, comfy… and game for a laugh, too
Cons: Still hasn’t quite shed its proceeds-of-crime image
When the Evoque was launched, it signalled JLR’s intent on hitting
and
Evoque (2011-19) £4500-£31,000
the masses. Given that it was the company’s fastest-selling vehicle, they clearly hit the brief, even if it wasn’t for the traditional Land Rover owner.
It’s actually still a capable thing off-tarmac – but it’s definitely more at home on the road. Nevertheless, it is economical by Land Rover standards and
because of its particularly handsome exterior. It’s based upon the same architecture as the Jaguar F-Pace but has greater off-road ability and is available with a wide choice of engines, most of which combine good economy with usable everyday performance.
because there are so many out there, used prices are tempting. There’s a Convertible model, too, as well as three and five-door tin-tops. We say stick to the latter, and be sure to get one with 4WD.
Cons: Cramped rear seats, not as practical as a Disco Sport Range
Pros: Economy, handling, iconic concept-car image
Evoque has adopted a similiar back end to the larger Velar. It’s not just the exterior that mimics the looks of the larger vehicle, however, as the Evoque has gained the latest Touch Pro Duo tech and a hike in quality.
The main highlight of the new Evoque is the fact the majority of the range is made up of mild
hybrids, available with diesel and petrol engines combining to an electric motor. Only the base D150 Evoque escapes the electrification, and we’d avoid it as it doesn’t have four-wheel drive.
Pros: Feels like a proper Range Rover inside
Cons: Petrol engine is poor on fuel economy, even as a hybrid
it came out. It was very much designed to be a trend setter. But is there a whiff of style over substance? Well, it’s a very good SUV. But you don’t half pay a premium for those suave looks...
Pros: Stylish design, chic cabin, excellent tech features
Cons: Feels like an indulgence, especially at such a high price Range Rover Velar (2017-on) £22,500-£85,000
The interior was Land Rover’s most advanced cabin yet when
most most reliable units ever. It drives well, too – mated to a manual box it has more guts even than the V8 option, which is surprisingly bland but predictably thirsty. Whereas the Disco 1 was prone to body rust, the D2 is fine here. Instead, its chassis rots like a carrot, especially towards the back end. Also at the back, seven-seat
a Discovery in name only.
It’s a more practical proposition than the closely related Evoque, and you won’t need to live with the fear of Posh Spice jokes.
models had air-suspension, with all the horrors that brings.
Mainly, D2 owners will tell you about rogue electronics. And leaky sunroofs. They still love their trucks, though, which says a lot.
Pros: Td5 power and reliability, great all-rounder, lots of choice Cons: Chassis rust, electronics, leaky sunroofs, air suspension
with the same 100” wheelbase and a slick body containing a spacious, flexible cabin. It was well equipped and refined, and it came with the wonderful Tdi engine.
There are some tidy deals to be had on late high-spec examples now – though if you do a
The Disco 3 is an astonishing allround vehicle.
Over time, the Disco’s epic ability meant almost all of them were hammered at playdays. Lower body rust is a big killer, too. So it’s rare to find a good one now,
and capable off-road, genuinely luxurious and a giant of a tow truck, and as well as being able to seat seven adults it can be turned into a van with a totally flat rear load area.
But it was also astonishingly complex, and these days it has a reputation as a money pit. Air suspension and electronic
and when you do they tend to be priced with a lot of optimism. Very early ones in tip-top condition are full-on classics, too. For a sound one to own, we’d look for a tidy 300Tdi.
Pros: Price, practicality, parts availability. Epic off-road ability
Cons: The body rusts like it’s been doused in sea water Discovery (1989-1998) £800-£15,000
handbrakes are big sources of woe, cam belts are a body-off job to change and rust is becoming more of an issue. Get a good one, though, and it’s all the car you’ll ever need.
Pros: Good at everything. Lots of accessories available now
Cons: The phrase ‘money pit’ crops up time after time
after the first. That’s because once again, it’s related to the Evoque, which was ready for a full new model in 2019.
The Sport is a premium midsized SUV with seven seats and a decent level of off-road ability. It’s a massively popular choice for the school run – and, with the arrival
Most Range Rovers all look the same at the front now, but the new
The Velar a competent cruiser
has received numerous accolades
The original Discovery was based on the Range Rover of the time,
The Disco 2 is powered by the Td5 engine, one of Land Rover’s
It’s
Disco Sport came along only four years
professionally repaired. £8749. Chester. 07385 420523 11/25/004
Series II 88” 2.25 petrol (1963). 71,544 miles. Full resto. New chassis, recon bulkhead, new tyres, brakes, shocks, tank, carb. 3 boxes of spares, hard-top, screen, 5 extra wheels. £18,000 ono. Newtown. 07942 884858 11/25/014
Defender 90 2.4 Pick-Up (2010). 80,000 miles. Ifor Williams canopy and rubber cargo cover. All-terrains, side steps. Rubber cargo area mat. Black chequer plate. Great condition. MOT Jan. £15,999. Bewdley. 07973 115374 11/25/002
Defender 130 (2003). 75,000 miles. Upgraded grille, steering wheel, steps, wheels, tyres. Light family use. Mechanically and structurally sound. Regularly serviced and waxed. £19,950+VAT. Brighton. 07958 438813 11/25/001
Defender 90 200 Tdi (1983). 96,239
Defender 90 (1987). 200Tdi, 5sp, PAS. Galv chassis, Disco engine and axles. Modern bulkhead. Stainless seat box, LED lights, new interior trim. SVX wheels, NAS step, new tank. MOT Oct £15,500. Worcester. 07711 591000 10/25/001
Defender 110 XS (2012). 107,000 miles. Expedition ready. Pop-top, awning, twin tanks, 200Ah leisure batteries, 120W solar, fridge, diesel heater, shower. EGR/DPF delete, spares. £38,000. Manchester. 07740 475959 10/25/002
Series III 109 HT (1982). 62,000 miles. 200Tdi professionally fitted. Solid chassis, starts and runs well, mechanically strong, age-related patina. Period-correct features throughout. Immobiliser. £8200. Norfolk. 07869 446444 09/25/002
Defender 110 2.4 (2007). 96,000 miles. Luxury Overlander. Badlands tent, awning, fridge, storage boxes, hob, sink, rear step. Sawtooths. Retrimmed seats and floor mats. Serviced regularly. £35,000. Swindon 07532 326987 10/25/007
Landrover 110 Defender 110 Tdi (1996). 131,000 miles. MT tyres, reversing camera, battery isolator. Recent service, cambelt and head gasket. Mechanically excellent. Drives perfect. MOT July. £8295. Clacton. 07540 998205 10/25/006
Series II 88” 2.25 petrol (1959). 30,500 miles. Chassis-up rebuild in 2024 (axles, swivels, engine, boxes, suspension, carb etc). Chassis and loom original. Heritage cert included. MOT Apr. £13,000. Hereford. 07974 249285 09/25/006
Defender 110 TD5 SW (2003). 126,000 miles. Ex military from LR Special Vehicles. Exceptional chassis, solid bulkhead. Clean interior. Strong and quiet through the gears. FSH. £14,995. Leeds. 07716 521811 10/25/009
Defender 90 2.4 Pick-Up (2009). 60,000 miles. Clean, sound, original. Webasto heater, LEDs, snorkel, winch, SVX grille, Ifor Williams canopy. Faultless, stunning. MOT Sept. £19,995. Brampton, Cumbria. 07778 775623 10/25/003
Series III 88” petrol (1976). 3 seats. Properly restored. galv chassis, very honest. Low-mileage engine, recon rad, rebuilt box and transfer case. Parabolics. Many new parts. Just
Series III 109”
Galv chassis, proper 11l engine.
rear seats, roof
Safari canopy x 2,
steering and diff guards, LED headlights. £9850. Blackburn. 07735 580243 09/25/004
Defender 110 Td5 (2004). 68,000 miles. The Atlas, by Landroid. Big tyres, cage, Puma dash, CB, good stereo, military tow hitch. Remap, big turbo. Leather interior. MOT May. £33,000. Budleigh Salterton. 07861 254330 11/25/003
Range Rover 4.2 LSE
451669 11/25/015
Range Rover 4.6 (1999). 161,200 miles. New engine massively overhauled, air susp rebuilt with new Dunlop springs, polybushed, ball joints, ABS, steering, tyres, HVAC all done. £3995. Fordingbridge. 07896 353641 09/25/001
Walsall. 07796 666690 11/25/010
Discovery 2 Td5 Landmark (2004). 130,000 miles. Lift kit, snorkel, Instas, Ram bars, light bar. Roof lining done. All welding done since last MOT. FSH. £3250. Hemel Hempstead. 07903 662267 09/25/003
All steel galvanised trailer. Measures 8 feet x 5 feet. On Land Rover axle. Three recent BFGoodrich tyres (cost over £450). £2000. Milnthorpe, Cumbria. 01539 562444 08/25/008
Series III 88” 2.25 diesel (1973). Project. Galv chassis. £10k+ spent on parts, 700+ hours of stripping and rebuilding. Complete project with all parts. Spare engine and box. £5950. Loughborough. 07733 797975 09/25/007
miles.
Leather
rack with light,
HD
(1975).
chassis, Rocky Mountain parabolics.
project to finish. £6500. Cwmbran. 07833
Performance Braking
Extensively
tested Alcon brake systems will battle through the toughest challenges without sacrificing performance.
When you’re heading into extreme terrain, you leave nothing to chance. That’s why you’ve probably already added some aftermarket upgrades - suspension lift kit, bigger tyres & a winch etc. But there’s one problem; the weight of all that extra gear can put a strain on your Defender’s braking performance. The more serious your adventure, the more you need an Alcon uprated brake kit.
The Alcon complete uprated brake solutions are designed to perform superbly even in the harshest conditions. From high rocks to desert washes, these extensively tested brake systems will battle through the toughest challenges without sacrificing performance.
Alcon is a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of brakes, clutches & actuation for motorsport, OEM, aftermarket, specialist and armoured/military vehicles. Alcon’s range of brakes, clutches & actuation is huge. It has been developed for over 30 years by working at the top level of motorsport including F1, NASCAR, GT racing, World Rally, and Touring Cars to name but a few. With a wealth of experience in brake and clutch design, backed up by our well-equipped development facility based within “Motorsport Valley” in the UK, Alcon thrives on the challenge of devising innovative and unusual solutions for every application. We use our specialist knowledge to create the best solutions for every customer’s need. That’s why we’re the best at what we do.
Alcon Defender Brake Kits
> High friction brake pads increase stopping power
> Increased brake pad area reduces temperatures and increases pad life
> Staggered position in order to ensure even brake pad wear
> Stainless steel pistons as standard for improved resistance to thermal conductivity
> Hard wearing anodised alloy caliper
> Internally drilled, no external pipes
Defender Rear Brake Kits
> Solid ‘C’ grove disc - Ø298 x 14mm
> 4 Piston forged caliper
> Performance break pads included
DA2704 4 Piston kit Red
DA2705 4 Piston kit Silver
Replacement Parts
DA2712 Rear left brake disc
DA2713 Rear right brake disc
DA2714 Rear brake pad set
DA3339 Rear anti-rattle clip
Note - Both DA2704 & DA2705 rear kits are suitable for fitment on Defenders where either 16” or 18” front disc kits are fitted. For Defender 110 the rear kit will only fit vehicles from VA128340.
> Fixed iron ‘C’
> 4 Piston 2 piece cast caliper
x 28mm
> Performance brake pads included > TÜV approval certification is available when fitting the 16” brake kits to a Defender - DA2702 plus DA2704 and DA2703 plus DA2705
DA2700
DA2703
DA2704