2000 Land Rover Defender 90 Heritage TD5

Finished in Dark Bronze Green with a Lincoln Green leather interior, ‘S88 SMS’ is a genuine Defender 90 TD5 Heritage model that isn’t to be confused with the many evocations and replicas floating around the marketplace.

Mind you, not that we blame anyone for wanting to build their own because Land Rover only ever made 270 of ‘em, so the chances of seeing one, much less finding one for sale, are slim.

And yet, here we are – and it’s a fine example of the breed, too: Still largely to factory specification it’s showing just 47,500 miles on the odometer and had just the one owner between 2001 and very recently.

As for details about the Heritage model itself, it was offered in both 90 and 110 variants, and a choice of Dark Bronze Green or Light Pastel Green. The SWB model sold 189 units, while the LWB sold only 81.

All were fitted with body-coloured headlamp surrounds, mirrors, and wheelarches, with the front bumper, side steps, door and bonnet hinges,and windscreen brackets finished in silver to evoke memories of the galvanising of the original Land Rovers.

Further distinguished by the fitment of cast aluminium badges, two-tone alloy wheels, and a retro-styled silver radiator grille, all had a Lincoln Green leather Interior with ivory-faced instruments with green numerals, chrome bezels, a rev counter, and a cast aluminium gearknob for the five-speed gearbox.

Despite its pintsize footprint, this example has sufficient seating to transport its new owner and six of their friends in the most stylish way possible – and it will be able to do it no matter what the weather or terrain.

Lots of possibilities therefore, and that’s without touching on the potential investment opportunities models like this offer…

The Dark Bronze Green coachwork works very well with the white roof, and taken in conjunction with the 90’s diminutive dimensions and chunky all-terrain tyres gives the Defender the look of a 1:1 scale Tonka Toy – and in the world of 4x4s, praise doesn’t come any higher.

It sits well too, with an excellent stance and radiates the sort of indomitable vibes you want from your Defender thanks to good panel alignment, no glaring dents or dinks, and some carefully selected options such as a soft front nudge bar, a full set of four heavy-duty mudflaps, and a height-adjustable tow bar and electrics.

The Dark Bronze Green and silver alloy wheels help too, of course. In an excellent condition, they’re fitted with a matching set of 265/75R16 BF Goodrich KO all-terrain tyres, rubber whose depth of tread is measured in good old-fashioned inches rather than millimetres.

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.

Most of the silver accents and Dark Bronze Green accoutrements are all still in situ and as for its condition, our chap with the deerstalker and magnifying glass identified the following issues: there are a fair few areas of paint bubbling on various panels plus scratches to the offside front wheelarch and the nearside rear wing. There are a couple of areas of peeling paint to the rear of the vehicle too, as well as cracks and crazing to the white roof and a small crack in the paint on the offside rear wheelarch.

He also spotted a touched-in scratch to the nearside mirror cap and some small dinks to the driver’s door panel. The windscreen brackets on either side of front windscreen have been hand-painted green and these are bubbling.

Finally, some of the external fasteners are rusty, and the nudge bar has some damage to the offside along with a few other marks.

The Lincoln Green leather interior has seats for seven, which is a feat of packaging as remarkable as that of the original Mini.

What’s also remarkable is that the Defender’s three previous owners have all resisted the urge to modify it over the years, so it’s still pretty much as it was when it left the factory a quarter of a century ago, including the original radio-cassette player in the dashboard.

That said, a dog/luggage guard has been fitted, as has a full-length rubber mat in the rear; both seem like sensible additions to us and don’t detract from its originality.

As for the wear it shows, it is consistent with the Defender’s age. The front seats are lightly creased and cracked, with the odd tear in the face material also present. They’re still comfortable though, and resolving these issues could easily wait.

Because the rear drop-down seats are much better and given the plastics and door cards are in good shape the only other things you might like to take a look at are a stained headlining and an inoperative foglight switch.

Oh, and the carpets and overmats are in a very good condition too.

The Defender’s service history is as follows:

• 947 miles – oil service by Hunt Grange Land Rover
• 15.12.2000 and 6,827 miles – service by Hunt Grange Land Rover
• 11.04.2001 and 8,124 miles – service by Hunt Grange Land Rover
• 08.04.2005 and 19,963 miles – service by Kennedy Ford
• 24.08.2007 and 24,210 miles – service by Cyril G Groombridge
• 06.05.2010 and 28,565 miles – service by Cyril G Groombridge
• 09.10.2012 and 35,301 miles – service by Groombridge Sussex
• 24.03.2020 and 45,380 miles – service by CS Coachworks
• 16.01.2025 and 47,509 miles – service by HX Motors

HX Motors also steam-cleaned and wire-brushed the chassis in January 2025 before applying an anti-corrosion treatment.

The seller tells us that it “starts, runs and drives without fault” – and the video evidence certainly supports the first two, as you can see. We certainly didn’t notice any problems with the latter point, either.

The engine bay is nice and clean with bright paintwork, clean plastics, and an absence of oil stains and other obvious problems.

The underside bears witness to the steam-cleaning and wire-brushing we mentioned earlier, as well as the anti-corrosion treatment. It’s a workmanlike job but we can see the new owner might want to continue to tidy up some of the areas that still have surface rust.

On a more positive note, the exhaust system appears to be a genuine Land Rover item, which says nothing but good things.

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until January 2026, and while it had some advisories the seller assures us that these have now been rectified.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Defender comes with a stamped service history booklet, a bunch of old MoT certificates, the book pack and wallet, and some invoices.

Given its age and the fact the chassis number is so easily read, the seller suggest that it would be an ideal candidate for export to the United States, which is why the seller, who’s in the trade, has listed it with us.

NB: The private registration number is included in the sale.

The OG of the 4x4 world, Defenders have long since been viewed as a good investment and given the proliferation of evocations and recreations of the limited editions the factory has put out over the years, genuine examples of these sought-after models are likely to continue to provide the best opportunities for growth.

In the meantime, let’s not forget that few vehicles are as practical as this, too; with a footprint that enables you to park anywhere and navigate multistorey car parks with ease, the versatile seating enables you to balance load carrying and passenger transport with unrivalled ease.

They are also one of the coolest vehicles on the road, draw nothing but admiring glances wherever you venture, and provide sure-footed transport no matter what the conditions.

And all this is available for somewhere between £28,000 and £33,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays 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’.