The Land Rover Defender is a 4x4 that is perhaps better known outside of North America, than within. These compact and medium off roaders were introduced by British manufacturer Land Rover in 1948, as the Land Rover Series, and gained the Defender nameplate in the late Eighties. They were introduced in three lengths, indicated by wheelbase in inches. The 90 was the shortest, in three-door form, whilst the 110 was the most popular five-door. A stretched 130 (actually 127-inch wheelbase) was also available. Body styles included pickup and panel truck as well. The Defender is legendary for its off-road prowess and is commonly compared to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Numerous tests have shown that there is indeed very little difference between the two vehicles when the going gets tough. This 1988 Land Rover Defender 110 comes from Illinois with 110,000 miles under its wheels. Originally imported from Russia, it’s had a refreshed body and undercarriage, was undercoated in 2020 and comes with a host of upgrades.

Exterior and Interior

The Land Rover Defender’s silhouette is an iconic one that has hardly changed since the first Series Land Rovers of 1948. This 1988 Land Rover Defender 110 wears a black paintwork that is protected below the waistline black-painted aluminum side skin guards. It also has window protectors that can be lowered when not in use. Black off-road wheels and tires, a new mesh roof rack and new rear-mounted ladder complete the overall appearance, which is said to be offroad/overland style. It’s got gas tanks on either side and a front-mounted winch to help you get out of sticky situations or help someone else who needs it, whilst an off-road Farm jack is mounted on the rear bumper. The interior is purposeful, with grey leather seats and black dash. A sunroof is also present, and as it came from Russia, this Defender is left-hand-drive, unlike right-hand-drive UK imports. Five adults and their luggage can be accommodated inside the cabin, and a modern Bluetooth-capable sound system has been installed.

Engine

The Defender came with a variety of gasoline and diesel motors, and this 1988 Land Rover Defender 110 comes with its original 3.5L gasoline V8. This engine is from the Rover engine family, and puts out 158hp and 210 lb ft. A five-speed manual gearbox and transfer case send the power to all four wheels via a transfer case with low range. This example has undergone a change of oil, oil filters and air filters, as well as a new fuel filter.