2014 Land Rover Defender 110 XS

This one-off customisation of THE off-road legend is by London-based luxury vehicle modifiers Revere. It has the knack of looking at once individual and yet soooo Land Rover. Underneath the many coats of deepest black paint, this is a 2014 Defender 110 XS, complete with seven sensible seats, and a 2.2 TDCi Puma diesel engine coupled to a six-speed transmission. It sports some rather tasty add-ons – such as custom grill, LED lights, wide flared wheel arches, and those fairly big custom Revere boots (which we’ll get to later), which add to the mighty station wagon’s already powerful stance.

Owner Richard is the third keeper.

‘I’ve had it since 2016,’ he says. ‘It’s only done 16,000 miles. 14,000 were with the first keeper.’ Apparently the second owner only had it for a matter of weeks, since his elderly parents – the intended passengers – found it a bit high to get in and out of.’He only did around 1000 miles,’ Richard carries on; ‘and I’ve done about a thousand miles in the five years I’ve had it.’

Certainly in these last five years, the Land Rover has led a far more cosseted life than any defender would dare to dream of – sleeping indoors when not in use, under its own custom cover. It has not been driven in the wet.

An ex-Jaguar Land Rover man himself, Richard was very picky about the vehicle he chose.

‘I think this was the only defender Revere did,’ he explains. ‘It featured in their catalogue and is still on their web site.’

As well as leading a very quiet life, the station wagon has been serviced by a local main dealer with fluids changed by Richard himself in the interim.

The black-on-black-on-even more black finish of this Defender station wagon is absolutely stunning and adds yet more mass and presence to the already powerful stance of this, Land Rover’s defining model. The body retains virtually a showroom finish all round, with all panels boasting a deep gloss more usually seen on supercars and executive saloons. Even the rear chassis frame has been painted to maintain the aesthetic set by the modifiers. As a design, the rugged Defender always had a Meccano set feel - big hinges, rudimentary shaping of the alloy, but this example boasts some decidedly discreet panel gaps, with no warping in those flat sides (slight dimples at rivet points come as standard).

The flared wheel arches and other trim parts (note the tasty powder-coated mesh front and wing grills) maintain the piano black theme while adding some rugged touches. We like the ladder and side steps – which show no real scuffs – and there are no significant scratches or cracks anywhere to the trim parts. The enamel-style headlight surrounds show no stone chips and remaining flush with the bodywork. Neither the front bumper nor its tidy plastic corners show abrasions. (Landy enthusiasts; does that grill remind you of the V8-powered Stage Two station wagon of the early Eighties – just a thought?)

It’s the details that also give you confidence in this wagon. Take a close look at the rivet heads, the screws retaining the lights, their rubber mounts and also the rubber seals around the doors and windows. All are clean (light lenses too), oxidation-free and, in the case of the latter, retain a deep healthy shade of black and a firm shape.

Revere left the (also black) interior of this Land Rover looking more or less standard – though by this stage in production, the once ultra-utilitarian Defender was showing some decidedly sybaritic touches. Interior vinyl and plastic maintain a depth of colour to rival the bodywork and are so clean as to be almost un-Defenderly. The most striking exceptions to ‘standard’ are the twin SVX-style, part-leather, heated front seats with white stitching. Their high sculptured and ported backs give a nod to the style of high-backed off-roading sports seats. Richard says they are very comfortable on longer journeys.

Seats, vinyl, leather and stitching are all in excellent condition, while the luggage shelf backs of the folding rear-most seats show no signs of abuse.

Nooks and crannies and the thick rubber Land Rover-logo’d mats are all very straight (can you believe the cargo mat on its own was 120 quid?) and the headlining and roof grab handles are similarly good. Gear lever and steering wheel show no scuffs or scratched – and do you think the low ratio lever has ever been used..? Rubber gaiters look very supple – and again; very clean.

As well as all the seven seat folding and functionality, the interior offers air conditioning, Alpine Audio with DAB/Bluetooth/Aux Bluetooth phone connectivity, as well as electric front windows. The cabin also sports led lighting and privacy glass.

As with the exterior, although there is all the usual Land Rover toughness and functionality, you don’t get the impression this wagon has seen a significant amount of mud – let alone a hay bale. You will be as happy to climb into it in evening dress as your walking gear.

The truck’s chassis and undercarriage is in a far nicer condition than the underside of any Defender more than six months old deserves to be. There is no accumulated rust or crud and you can therefore inspect each individual working part.

The big components – chassis rails, outriggers and the like all appear hugely robust. Nothing appears to have been damaged in any way, and all parts retain their weather sealing. Diffs and drive shafts are similarly strong. Suspension and brake assemblies look to be free-moving, while bushes appear supple and in good shape. There is a little, light surface corrosion on a few bolts and the odd leading edge, but is only noticeable by virtue of how clean everything is. Everything looks eminently serviceable.

Richard has applied rust-inhibiting Lanoguard to the underside of the Land Rover (it’s clear so you can still see components) and it would seem to be doing an excellent job

Moving up into the engine bay, the 120bhp, 2.2 litre DTCi diesel presents just as nicely. (Remember; this one is mated to a six-speed transmission). One or two ancillary components have oxidised slightly but everything looks clean and in the right place. There is a tiny amount of surface corrosion on one or two leading edges, but very, very little. There are no signs of leaks and the underside of the bonnet (clean and rust-free) shows no signs of heat damage. Joints, clips, hoses, pipes and guiders all appear very clean and tidily jointed, with no signs of neglect, hasty or ham-fisted replacements. The black fan cowl and engine cover look especially new and fatigue-free, retaining a deep colour with no signs of heat bleaching.

We couldn’t leave this area without saying something about those wheels; colour-matched 22” luxury Revere WC3 12 spoke alloys no less, boasting locking monogrammed hub caps and matching valve caps, and wearing Cooper low profile tyres. Judging by the gleaming finish, I don’t reckon they’ve ever seen a Scottish bog or even a Derbyshire green lane. Super tasty though, and, Richard says, offering a much-improved road ride over the usual knobblies.

With such a low mileage and no dramas in its lifetime, the Defender’s history is understandably rather succinct. The Land Rover retains its original leather wallet containing the standard issue literature and owner’s manual, as well as a stamped and dated warranty booklet. Richard notes that the Land Rover has visited the main dealership every other year for its main service and he has done the interim fluid changes himself. As an ex-Land Rover man (of thirty years experience) himself, we reckon that’s good enough.

Remember too that the Defender has lived inside for at least the past five years (maybe in the sitting room by the look of the underside) and has not been out in the wet. The truck is MOT’d to October 2021.

As we said in the introduction, this Revere edition has a look all its own, yet is still in some ways the embodiment of the Defender spirit. Remember, it is probably a one-off – without being so modified as to prohibit its road-going viability or maintenance in any way. It also has more than a whiff of those James Bond Defenders about it, which is probably no bad thing.

This Defender patently has a lot going for it; these trucks became a legend in their own production lifetime, with the one-time farmers’ wagons now outperforming so many other classic in the market place. And this example’s condition and provenance are excellent. Also, it has done just enough miles to keep it usable - sensibly.

With all that considered, we think it will run up there with the G-Wagons and other top boutique Defenders – so expect to pay between £36,000 and £55,000 to get your hands on this one. However, should you buy, the dilemma will be; do you put this one on display in your entrance hall and buy a cheap ’un for running around in?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.