2003 Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 XS County SW

Extensively refurbished between 2020 and 2022, this Land Rover Defender 90 XS County Station Wagon benefits from a five-figure investment in that period. Bought as a lockdown project for the vendor’s wife, we think was worth every single penny because it looks stunning.

A long search eventually uncovered this, a well-specified XS; he wanted the 90” chassis but the County Station Wagon six-seat option AND the ability to carry wide loads in the back with the seats folded up. A heated windscreen, air-conditioning, and electric windows were also non-negotiable because the aim was to create a high-spec, low-maintenance support vehicle for his wife’s equestrian lifestyle.

The couple met their brief in full. Recently serviced, the TD5 diesel engine provides the holy trifecta of power, economy, and reliability. Full-time four-wheel-drive and a five-speed manual gearbox give the driver complete control and ABS and traction control provide a useful safety net. Along with its indomitable spirit, few vehicles feel safer when the weather or conditions turn against you.

Showing just under 105,000 miles on the clock, this beautifully finished Defender is only for sale because their much-loved family dog can’t manage to get himself up and into the back unaided.

The respray in 2020, which set the owner back more than £4,200, has left this Land Rover Defender 90 looking stunning. The work included two new Puma doors (for better corrosion resistance in the future) and there are receipts for stainless-steel door hinges, galvanized cappings, and a new rear crossmember in addition to the paint. Plenty of new rubber door seals were fitted too; this was not a budget job.

The rear bumper and crossmember have been stripped down and refinished in Raptor Bedliner, which is a great choice as it’s as good looking as it is tough. Other bits, like the side steps, were powdercoated and refitted with new stainless-steel fixings for increased longevity.

The five-spoke Land Rover alloy wheels have been powdercoated and are in a stunning condition (mind you, it’d be all but impossible to kerb ‘em with those tyres, wouldn’t it?) - and the tyres themselves are recent, matching Michelin Latitude Cross tyres.

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 preparing and maintaining their car properly.

Chequerplate protects vulnerable areas like the sills, rear corners, and the top of the front wings, while headlamp protectors save the glass during off-road forays.

Alloy TD5 vent covers and LED lights add a touch of glamour to the truck, and the rear mudguards are as sensible as they are stylish.

Flaws? Well, there is a scratch on the roof (#109) and some untidiness at the top of the nearside headlamp surround (#181).

The two front seats are joined in the rear by four fold-up jobbies, giving you the ability to take five mates along with you while still maintaining a full loadbed for those times when you need to shift stuff rather than people.

The interior has been reupholstered, so all seats are in a very good, nigh-on new condition - and the seat cover for the driver’s seat is there to protect rather than conceal…

The seat ases of the rear inward facing seats have also been remade, due to the originals being quite flimsy & prone to cracking. The were remae using aluminium plate covered in "Hardura" material & were all re-powdercoated, to return them to "as new" condition.

An expensive, three-piece Exmoor Trim rubber mat system lines the front cabin floor (it’s so comprehensive there’s a 25-minute video on YouTube showing you how to fit it…) and an acoustic mat bolsters its ability to smother unwanted noise.

A centre cubbybox provides somewhere to rest both your elbows and your coffee. Alloy gearknobs add tactility and a recent JVD double-din headunit and reversing camera combo adds high-fidelity noise and increased safety.

It’s got a new heated windscreen, and heated front seats as well as air-conditioning, so you’ve got all four seasons covered.

Oh, and the brace that adds the strength the bulkhead used to give has been freshly powdercoated, so looks very smart.

Problems to sort are few. The cover for a seat reclining mechanism is missing (#39) but that’s about all.

As you can see, it starts well from cold and revs and ticks over nicely but then it’s had a lot of mechanical work in the past couple of years; please see the attached invoices for details but it’s had well over a thousand pounds spent on the braking system alone and then there’s a new fuel pump and sender unit plus miscellaneous bits and bobs in addition to routine servicing.

The underside looks strong (it’s never had corrosion on the chassis or floors raised as an issue during its MoT test history and it does benefit from that recent work to the rear of the chassis) but the underseal is wearing away and could do with renewing, so the new owner should budget a day of their time for wire-brushing and resealing.

As we mentioned in the last section, there are plenty of invoices from Aeon Sportscars Ltd for recent work, both mechanical and cosmetic. Almost £3,000 in all just from them, plus lots of significant bills from other folk in the past couple of years.

Not that that is the extent of the history file because previous years are well covered, too. Please take the time to browse them or, better still, make an appointment to pop along and see it for yourself.

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until December 2023 – and it was gained without raising a single concern.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the Land Rover comes with two sets of keys and the book pack.

The number plate is included in the sale, of which the vendor states would be perfect for someone into the likes of fieldsport / shooting.

If the previous twelve months has taught us anything, it’s that the world is a less predictable place than we ever thought – and that the zombie apocalypse we all used to laugh about isn’t looking quite so unlikely anymore…

Which means there are few more appropriate vehicles to slot in your garage alongside the family wagon than a well-prepared Land Rover Defender like this.

Fitted with the tough, durable, and economical TD5 diesel engine, its indefatigable nature and well-judged modifications mean it’s as much at home pottering around the city as it would be scaling mountains with your family aboard and a grab bag lashed down in the back.

Designed to be low-maintenance inside yet still luxurious, this is a hugely capable off-road machine that doesn’t require you or your family to rough it, no matter how arduous the journey.

Its guide price of somewhere between £15,000 and £23,000 represents solid value given the amount of work that’s gone into it over the past couple of years – and the improved longevity that’s been built in to it means it should continue to be a canny buy for many years to come.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.