1990 Land Rover Defender 110

The seller tells us that this Camel Trophy Defender 110 “competed in the 1991 Tanzania Burundi Camel trophy event, being a support car designated as Video Unit 1.” It has, therefore, pedigree without having suffered the same degree of abuse the competing vehicles would have been subjected to.

It’s fitted with the very reliable 200Tdi turbo-diesel engine and a five-speed manual gearbox in addition to a suite of Camel Trophy accessories and decals, which were refreshed by the seller in 2013 when he first bought the vehicle. As a Camel Trophy enthusiast and member of the owners’ club, he’d already restored a Discovery and helped with the restoration of many others and wanted this one to be right.

He kept it and used it for a couple of years before selling it to a friend of his. The new owner used it for a while before parking it under a tree and neglecting it. The seller couldn’t bear to see it deteriorate, so bought it back in 2021 and it’s been in dry storage ever since.

It is being sold as a project that needs, as a minimum, restoration work to the chassis and bodywork despite having received the fabled ‘Before ‘n’ After’ rustproofing treatment in 2003. 

However, we are told that it is “mechanically sound, in which it runs and drives.” 

The Defender presents quite well from a distance, it’s patinated appearance adding another layer of intrigue to the Sandglow paintwork and Camel Trophy decals.

It’s a slightly different story up close, with corrosion at the bottom of all five doors as well as the bulkhead/A-pillars.

The rest of the panels are faded and dinged too, although whether they are restored or left as a tribute to the Defender’s amazing history will be a matter for the new owner to consider.

The Sandglow steel wheels are in no better than a decent condition, but better news comes with the fact they’re fitted with a matching set of BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tyres, all of which have a depth of tread that can be measured in inches rather than millimetres. Not all the Camel Trophy expeditions had the vehicles use the 1T rims, and 1991 is one of those, so this vehicle has the correct/original H661 16 x 5.5 wheels.

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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The roof rack isn’t appear to be the one it competed with but was supplied, along with a few other bits and bobs, as new/old stock by Brownchurch in 2013. As we mentioned in the introduction, the seller is a vastly experience Camel Trophy enthusiast and was keen to put the vehicle back to the condition it would have been in when it was in Land Rover’s hands.

This means there’s the usual Safety Devices exterior rollcage plus a Husky Superwinch winch that’s fitted with a steel cable and bolted to a reinforced bumper. Lots of auxiliary lights too, plus a raised air intake, the fixtures to bolt a spare wheel to the bonnet, and (rusty) rock sliders along the sills.

The seller invested a lot of time in making sure the Camel Trophy wiring was in good shape and operating as it should, something you can see in the photos of the extra lights working.

The interior is a bit scruffy but then it has been sitting unused for a few years. 

We do note the front seats were refurbished in 2003 and they look to have survived the intervening years well.

The rear seats are also good, but areas like the footwell trim, door cards, headlining, and floor coverings will need attention.

Extras include a map light, Durite socket, switches for the auxiliary lighting, a CB radio, a hefty luggage guard, a centre cubby box, two (fully charged) fire extinguishers, and a JVC headunit.

The seller reports the Defender is “pretty functional”, although he did mention that the wipers don’t work. He has checked the fuse, which is okay, so he thinks it might be an earth problem, which he says is common.

As you can see, the 200Tdi engine fires up willingly and idles and revs as it should. It does so with no warning lights illuminated, either. 

We are told it drives and is “mechanically sound”.

The rear section of the chassis (at least) is rotten and will need replacing. 

The restoration could tread a number of paths, including the most conservative which would be to replace the chassis and (probably) the bulkhead and then leave the bodywork as it is to preserve as much of its history as possible; the creases in the rear wings might be the sort of damage only a certified Camel Trophy geek would find interesting (heh, we aren’t judging because we’d put ourselves firmly in that category) but you, like us, might find it worth keeping as original as possible.

The seller adds: "I had fully intended on restoring the original chassis, as the main chassis rails are solid in my opinion. It will however need a rear crossmember and the rear legs partially re-built mainly due to an old/poor repair with cheap parts. I speak from experience having restored a K-reg Camel Trophy chassis a few years ago in a similar state."

The seller reports the following history:

“It is well documented that ‘H661 JRW’ was part of the 1991 Tanzania Burundi Camel Trophy Event from photographs, during which it was designated Video Unit 1. It can usually be identified on event photos via the ‘blue toilet seat’ contraption that was strapped to the roof rack. 

“One of the participants also says that the vehicle was known as the ‘Wine Wagon’ thanks to a never-ending supply of wine at the evening’s campsites.

“It is also speculated that the vehicle had some involvement in the 1992 event because an early picture - and confirmation from a previous vehicle owner - records that the vehicle had black and yellow Camel Trophy door decals when Land Rover disposed of it, which suggests the vehicle was also involved with the 1992 event in some capacity.

“Further speculation is that it was used as a selection vehicle for the 1992 event, as the rear doors still held the original 1991 Tanzania Barundi sponsor decals (which is still does today) if it took part in the 1992 event itself, these passenger door decals would have been removed. 

“It is also interesting to note that there is some damage to the rear quarter panels where diagonal creases can be seen on both sides of the vehicle, which we think is a consequence of the vehicle being put onto its side as part of the Camel Trophy ‘Damper Challenge’. This involved a Land Rover 110 being put on its side by means using the winch to expose the steering damper, which teams would compete to change before putting it back onto its wheels.

“Reference to the vehicle can be seen in the book Camel Trophy, The Definitive History" by Nick Dimbleby (page 291) and the vehicle can also be spotted in various film footage of the 1991 event on YouTube. The history file also includes a dozen photos of the event itself, including some of this very vehicle.

The Defender doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, the last having expired in 2017.

The history file includes many old invoices for work and parts over the years and it has clearly been well loved as it’s had a fortune spent on servicing and accessories.

There’s a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate too, confirming its build date and specification.

The Defender is a tough old thing anyway and the modifications Land Rover made to the Camel Trophy vehicles raised its robustness to a whole new level. Built to conquer parts of the world that had yet to discover tarmac, the competing vehicles endured hardship beyond imagination.

This one, built and intended to be used as a support vehicle, had a gentler life. That said, it is most definitely a project vehicle that’s in need of restoration.

But, being able to buy a Camel Trophy Defender is a rare thing in itself and for those of us who’ve dreamed of being able to restore one, this is probably a chance-in-a-decade. 

Not that its rarity or desirability necessarily translate into big money. We estimate this one will fetch between £5,000 and £7,000 but as it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Go on, treat yourself. Life’s too short to not to buy your dream 4x4.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Falkirk, Stirlingshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.