2007 Land Rover Defender 90

Finished in the rare colour of Keswick Green and rocking the iconic black interior, this Land Rover Defender 90 drives as well as it looks – and as you can see, it is a very good-looking machine indeed.

First registered in March 2007 and showing three previous keepers, the 2.4-litre diesel engine has been remapped to Stage One, which might help explain why it drives so well.

It would be as comfortable ferrying you around the West End of London as it would pottering around the countryside, and it’ll carry six people as easily as it will a vast haul of stuff thanks to the two bench seats in the back; few vehicles are as versatile as a Land Rover and this one’s sparkling looks and sprightly performance guarantee a welcome among all walks of life.

While it’s true that no vehicle wears a patina better than a Defender, any hard-won patina on this one will be yours and yours alone because it is in very good condition.

Straight panels, ripple-free flanks, and consistent shutlines are just the beginning because the Keswick Green paint has been applied with an unusual degree of care, too.

The result is a vehicle that could be five years old rather than fifteen.

It helps, of course, that it has been so carefully outfitted because the updated KBX grille and headlamp surrounds bring the front end of this iconic off-roader bang up to date, something the LED headlamps and front lights help. The underbody protection can be seen from this view, too.

The side profile reveals a pair of side-steps along with a reproduction numberplate bearing the legend ‘HUE 166’ in tribute to both the original Land Rover and the end-of-the-line Heritage special editions.

A full set of chunky BF Goodrich Mud terrain tyres complete the look, and they are fitted to a set of very good alloy wheels. Their tread depth is measured in inches rather than millimeters, and we estimate there’s about 350 years’ worth of rubber left on ‘em…

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 - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Other nice touches include excellent wheelarch trims, white indicator repeaters, a pair of side window covers, and that iconic white roof, without which it isn’t really a Land Rover. KBX also contributed the four air intakes on the front wings.

The rear reveals more steps to facilitate entry plus a towbar, mudflaps, more LED lights, a spare wheel and cover, and a new galvanized rear chassis member. This has been left as a bare finish but painting it black would be a straightforward job.

Flaws are few. As well as the usual stonechips and marks, there is some slight bubbling here and there, the odd crusty spot on the alloy wheels, a rusty rear door handle and rear step, and the door hinge bolts are starting to bleed rust stains down the paintwork, so you might like to take a look at those while you’re at it. These imperfections can be viewed in the photographs provided.

The luxury utility theme continues inside with two very smart and comfortable fabric-faced seats, a Britpart centre console for your coffee and electronics, and a smart dashboard.

There are decent floor coverings too plus good door cards and headlining.

The rear features a bench seat on either side plus a hefty rubber mat on the floor. This makes it equally suitable for shuffling friends and family as well as firewood and bales of straw.

Like the exterior, there isn’t much for you to do in here. There’s a small tear in the driver’s seat, the dashboard has a few scuffs and scratches, the rear door seal needs replacing, and some of the fasteners on the floor are rusty.

As you can see, it starts as it should and the dashboard is free of warning lights. It revs and ticks over well, and drives, according to our assessor very well.

The engine bay is pretty good, and it’s been treated to some Dynamat sound deadening too, which helps keep noise levels down.

The underside is good too thanks to a good layer of underseal but could do with having this touched up in a few places to keep it protected.

The only job we are aware of is the rear wiper, which the seller tells us is “working but weak”.

Most recently serviced by Fultons Land Rovers of Cumbria in January 2021 (work that racked up a £1.400 bill for a service plus new front and rear brake discs and pads plus a change of gearbox oil), the service history book shows a good maintenance history:

• 30.03.2007 and 4 miles – pre-delivery inspection by MacRae and Dick Ltd of Inverness

• 14.05.2008 and 8,624 miles – Service A by Frank Ogg Land Rover of Elgin

• 05.08.2009 and 18,477 miles – Service B by Frank Ogg Land Rover of Elgin

• 14.12.2010 and 41,276 miles – Service B by Station Garage Kintore

• 09.06.2014 and 64,890 miles – Service A by Ullapool Garage Ltd

• 17.08.2015 and 76,217 miles – oil service by Ullapool Garage Ltd

• 08.02.2019 and 97,026 miles – service by Highland Motors of Skye

• 22.06.2020 and 103,265 miles – oil service by Land Rover Workshop

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until June 2023.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clean and it comes with the book pack and two sets of keys.

With an estimate of between £16,000 and £22,000, we think this Defender 90 offers an awful lot of vehicle for the money, not least because we can’t think of a single job it wouldn’t excel at - as long as your spare time isn’t spent on the track, of course...

You could use it to commute in the week, play in the mud on a Saturday with the family, and then collect firewood on Sunday before winging your way across Europe and into Africa when time and money coincide; few cars fit into a family’s life as well as a Defender, and this is a very nice one indeed.

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’.