2012 Land Rover 110 Puma

However, there is a school of thought that vehicles like the Defender are at their best when they’re at their purest – and it doesn’t come much purer than UN-spec.

Because the United Nations and NGOs are careful with their money; they will pay good but only on stuff that makes their lives safer or more reliable.

Here we have one such vehicle.

The Puma engine comes from Ford, and the 2.2-litre turbodiesel delivers 122bhp and, more importantly, a stonking 265lb.ft of torque at just 2,000rpm. Its power delivery is linear too, so you can dribble those torques in one at a time through the six-speed gearbox and sophisticated four-wheel-drive chassis.

The Puma engine is reliable too, and economical, and there are specialists out there who can keep it running forever.

‘HX12 TOJ’ is thus equipped. A left-hand drive, Fuji White Defender 110 Station Wagon, it was manufactured on the 24th of April 2012 and despatched to Guava International Limited the following year. It was then exported for use by an NGO to transport employees, returning to the United Kingdom in 2017 with 7,512kms on the odometer.

It is believed to have spent a great deal of the next stage of its life in storage, and is still showing just 7,660kms on the odometer.

Nonetheless, a small fortune was invested in refreshing the braking system, fitting five new BF Goodrich tyres on a full set of 18-inch alloy wheels, upgrading the wheelarches and rear bumper, fitting an external roll cage, and upgrading the lighting with LED lamps front and rear.

The paintwork was revitalized too, and new carpets fitted. A new and more powerful stereo and larger speakers were installed along with an armrest/cubbybox between the front seats.

The seller bought it last year for his girlfriend, but they’ve decided not to take it home to Europe with them, hence this auction.

The Defender doesn’t look like it’s had a hard life given the condition of the coachwork and Fuji White (paint code 867) finish. Both are excellent, with the former being straight and free of any serious dents or dinks, with the latter having a good sheen.

Apart from the external roll cage we mentioned in the introduction, other modifications include painting the bonnet, roof, and rear door black. Colour-coding the headlamp surrounds and radiator grille too and fitting black chequerplate to the wings and bonnet.

Also, a pair of air scoops on the top of the front wings, full-length steps under the side doors, and an NAS-spec rear bumper that also incorporates a step and the frame for a towball – and a suitable towball forms part of the spares package.

The spare wheel is held in place with a Mantec carrier, which not only relieves the strain on the rear door hinges but also allows you to easily swing it out of the way to gain access to the loadspace.

The tyres are matching BF Goodrich T/A KO2 all-terrains, a tyre whose tread depth is measured in freedom units rather than EU-certified millimeters. They’re big too, at 265/65R18, or 32-inches as Arctic Trucks would say.

Made in 2016, they still have plenty of tread depth but you might like to start thinking about what you’d like to replace them with as they are getting on a bit now.

Nevertheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Thanks to the recent refresh of the coachwork there are only a few blemishes. We spotted a scuff to the offside front wing above the wheelarch, a chip on the nearside rear edge of the roof plus more chips on the bonnet. The Land Rover badge on the bonnet is also off-centre, and the sliding rear windows are stuck in the closed position.

Rust stains are bleeding from the tailgate aperture, a couple of the roll cage mounting points and various fasteners, and the wheelarch extensions have somewhat crude edges.

With the exception of the stereo and the cubbybox, the interior has been left largely standard, which is no bad thing because the later Defenders were surprisingly civilised, something the Puma engine and six-speed gearbox played no small part in.

However, the base of the front seats does have a different pattern to the rest, and the offside one also has a hole in it. We believe it would have left Solihull with an all-vinyl grey interior, so these may be the originals.

The driver’s seat has also lost a little of its shape and has a hole on one of the (possibly upgraded) upright bolsters; if it were ours, we’d be tempted to give someone like Exmoor Trim a call and investigate how cheap a pair of new seats would be.

Because the three-abreast rear seats are very good, with firm cushions and almost flawless cloth face fabric. We suspect these are replacements too, so getting front seats to match shouldn’t be too difficult.

The rear loadspace is unadorned, leaving you free to continue its role as a five-seater with a huge boot or to add a couple of foldaway seats that would increase its flexibility without compromising the boot’s volume too much.

The headlining is stained and grubby, but it is also completely free of damage, which is rare. The door cards are pretty good too, including the vulnerable rear, and the ‘A/C’ button on the dashboard suggests it has air-conditioning.

As for stuff you might like to tidy up, the armrest/cubbybox isn’t fastened in place, the offside rear side trim is damaged as is the gearlever, both gearknobs will need replacing, the floor is missing some bolts, other bolts and fasteners are rusty, and the dashboard has faded in places. It is also very dusty.

The video shows the Puma engine starts well, idles with a meaty clatter, and revs well for a diesel. The only fault our test drive revealed was with the coolant temperature gauge, which is stuck on hot.

This may, or may not, be related to the fact a mouse has been under the bonnet, leaving evidence of its presence by way of chewed wires and poo. The Defender also has a slight list to port.

We don’t know where it spent its working life but wherever it was had plenty of red sand, which the Defender thoughtfully brought back as a memento. We’ve removed what we can, but you could collect what’s left and keep it in a bottle as a souvenir of its life-saving work.

Apart from needing a clean, the engine and underbonnet area have their fair share of rusty fasteners and metal brackets but smartening them up would be a very satisfying way of spending a couple of weekends. An engine shroud is also missing.

There is rust on the bulkhead too, which you’ll want to arrest sooner rather than later, the bulkhead being one of the Defender’s weaker points.

Moving underneath, while the front jacking points are rusty the rest of the chassis looks to be in a good condition, and the overspray on some areas suggests more underseal has been applied.

A Raptor steering guard has been fitted, which could prove to be a useful addition should you venture off the beaten path.

A few spares are included; please see the photos for details of what is included.

The Defender’s MoT certificate, which is valid until June 2026, was issued with no advisories.

The history file is sparse but then vehicles from organisations such as an NGO rarely have a comprehensive paper trail. The previous keeper was the one who made the changes to its specification and, sadly, we have no paperwork from him either.

It does have a copy of the Production Record from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust in its history file though, plus a V5 Registration Certificate showing just one former keeper since being registered in the UK in November 2025. There are also receipts for a new battery, a track rod end, and a horn.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the seller explains: “While the full history cannot be verified, we have documentation from 2017, when it showed just 7,512km on the clock.”

As for being exported via Guava International Limited, this extract from the Land Rover website may help:

NGO VEHICLES

Land Rover offers more than 60 years’ experience in designing and building some of the world’s most distinctive four-wheel drive vehicles, renowned for their versatility, capability and dependability. As the sole authorised Land Rover supplier to the Aid & Development sector, Guava International understand the needs of organisations operating in uniquely demanding and logistically challenging environments. 

Guava International have access to world-class automotive manufacturing facilities, fleet management services, express parts delivery systems and a highly experienced logistics team to back up your Land Rover fleet. Through our own network of retailers, strong relationships with Land Rover retailers worldwide and 24/7 after-sales support, we can offer you the project or fleet solution to meet your exact needs.

Ideal for export or converting into a globetrotting overland vehicle, this left-hand drive Defender 110 is being offered with a guide price of between £20,000 and £25,000.

Which we feel is very reasonable considering the recent upgrades and its low recorded mileage.

However, given it does need a little further work, the seller is happy to offer it with no reserve, so it’ll be going to a new home once the very first bid has been placed.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.