2015 Land Rover Defender 90 XS

And then there are examples like this, vehicles that are almost completely standard and have been so carefully curated that they still show fewer than 3,000 miles on the odometer.

Its first owner only kept ‘SN65 LAA’, a 2016-MY Land Rover Defender 90 XS finished in Corris Grey, for a year before selling it to our seller, who bought it as a spare working vehicle.

But ambling about in it made him realise very quickly that it was too good for that, so he took it off the road and stored it under a cover in the dry.

He’s worked hard since then to keep it in showroom condition, which means this advert’s going to be a short one; there are only so many times you can use terms like ‘excellent’, ‘like new’, and ‘immaculate’ without being repetitive.

To give you a flavour though, it’s still wearing its original tyres, the engine is still filled with the same oil the factory put in, and our in-house assessor returned to the office after inspecting it to gasp: “it still smells brand new!”

Corris Grey is a great colour for the Defender, and never more so than when it’s still in the same sort of condition it was when it was first applied almost a decade ago.

The thin alloy panels are also free of ripples, dents, and dinks, and they align as well now as they did when they were first fitted: A car is only original once and we love the fact that Land Rover’s last hurrah is still in almost exactly the same condition it was when the firm built it; ‘SN65 LAA’ stands as a fitting testament to a vehicle that changed the world – and the likes of which we’ll never see again.

The lamp lenses are free of chips and cracks, and the badges are undamaged and bright. There are some big names fitted to it too, including Wipac headlamps and Britax door mirrors.

Almost incredibly, almost all the external fasteners are bright and shiny rather than crusted with rust, something that demonstrates just how carefully it’s been stored.

And it’s not just the coachwork that’s in fine fettle: The 16-inch alloy wheels are free of scuffs and scrapes – but then given they’re shod in mighty 235/85R16 all-terrain tyres, you’d have to be a ham-fisted oaf to kerb them.

Nonetheless, that they’re free of even minor ails like peeling lacquer speaks volumes, as does the fact they’re still fitted with the factory supplied Continental Cross Contact AT tyres, all of which have exactly the sort of tread left on them you’d expect after having covered so few miles.

Other niceties include a genuine Land Rover towbar and electrics, a fold-down rear step, a pair of sidesteps, four O/E mudflaps, and a rear wheel cover from the supplying dealer.

All were already fitted to it when it left the showroom, which means the only non-standard bit is the roof ladder.

The only job is to investigate the very small areas of bubbling on the bulkhead beneath the windscreen and, perhaps, take a look at the scratches on the nearside sill above the sidestep.

For those of us who grew up bouncing around in Series II and Series III Land Rovers, the XS specification of this one will come as a bit of a shock.

Yes, it’s still as tough as old boots with a slab of a dashboard that delivers all the information you need and nothing you don’t, and a bewildering array of Old School floor-mounted levers to bend the four-wheel-drive chassis and low-ratio gearbox to your will.

But it’s also got cupholders, air-conditioning, half-leather and heated leather seats, electric windows, remote central locking, an armrest/cubbybox, and even a heated windscreen.

It’s also so refined you can actually hear the Bluetooth-equipped Alpine CD player.

The condition is, of course, like new.

The door cards and dashboard are superb: The seats have only the very gentlest of creasing to their outer edges; the dashboard and controls are bright and vividly marked; the full-length headlining is clean and undamaged; the rubber floor covering is virtually unmarked; and the pedal rubbers show next to no wear.

As for the luggage space, it is square-sided and rubber-lined and therefore perfectly suited to carrying sacks of animal feed, a load of logs, and even the odd poorly sheep.

Or you could flex your credit card and buy seats and seatbelts to bolt in to increase its versatility.

Because that’s the beauty of a vehicle like this: You’re the one in control, the one who gets to balance originality and practicality to make it your own – and you’ll be able to do it all with nothing more than simple hand tools.

NB: Sorry to burst the bubble but there is work to do: Muck has got trapped inside the gate pattern on the gearknob, and dust has accumulated under the floor coverings. #firstworldproblems

The diesel engine clatters into life with enthusiasm – and while a noise like this would probably be a deal-breaker in your family SUV, here it sounds more like an affirmation, like the Defender is swearing an oath to get you and your loved ones home no matter what the world throws at you.

As you can see, it idles beautifully and revs as it should.

The engine bay is excellent, with only one rusty component that should be easy enough to remove and clean or replace. Once you’ve done that you could run a feather duster over the rest, after which you’ll be in possession of a genuinely showroom-fresh engine.

The underside is similarly impressive being clean and sturdy and in need of nothing other than being kept away from salt-laden winter roads if you want to preserve it.

Or, if you aren’t too worried about maintaining the factory finish, you could invest in a professional rustproofing and underside protection treatment, after which you could plough around in the snow rescuing Poor Unfortunates with impunity.

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until October 2025 – and it probably won’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that it was issued with no advisories, just like every single one before it.

It’s also worth check the mileage on the online record because you’ll understand how little use it’s had in recent years when you realise the journey to the MoT testing centre is nine miles each way.

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

One of the very last made and benefiting from the usual XS luxuries, this carefully preserved Defender 90 is a true investment-grade example that’s ready for work or display.

As for how much we expect it to sell for, we suspect the hammer will fall somewhere between £40,000 and £50,000.

Yes, that’s a lot of money.

Or is it? Because a new Defender, y’know, the one no-one quite understands the purpose of, starts at £58,000, and it didn’t take much of an itchy finger to see that rise to £70,000 – and if you buy this one you won’t have to faff around navigating marketing nonsense such as ‘Resist and Resolve’ seats…

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 Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.