2006 Land Rover Defender

There’s something deeply refreshing about an unmolested Defender – one that’s not only extraordinarily tidy but also free from accessories and bling. This hardtop 90 fits that category perfectly. It’s not your typical workhorse – although it certainly could be if you wanted.

Current owner Simon admits that it’s had quite a ‘poncey’ life during his six years of ownership, and has been maintained by a specialist throughout. Gentle use has included one or two trips down to Cornwall, but the Defender has had very little use since Covid first struck, so the time has now come for it to find a new home.

It’s a fairly unusual spec but an appealing one, combining a few attractive and practical factory accessories (mostly Land Rover items plus a couple of traditional aftermarket ideas) with the discrete utilitarianism of a hard top. And crucially, it starts on the button and drives as it should, revving purposefully with a very clean exhaust – as you can see at the end of our video.

The vehicle is on five-spoke alloy wheels in excellent condition, fitted with a matching set of General Grabber TR all-terrain tyres; the fronts are newer than the rears and were fitted in May last year, so they have hardly covered any miles at all.

As for options, the 90 wears front and rear mudflaps and side steps (all fitted in 2020), chequer plate on the wing tops and bumper, and a Mantec swing-away wheel carrier. This sensible addition means the door hinges don’t have to support the weight of the spare wheel and tyre.

Please take a moment to zoom into our photos to see just how good the bodywork is. We’ve included images of the blemishes to show how minor they are; small scuffs on the driver’s side sill panel, for example, and a tiny chip on a wheelarch and small bubbling in the aluminium skin above the rear door – all very minor, and only visible only upon close inspection.

Overall, the panels are all remarkably straight for any vehicle, let alone a Defender, and the metallic Tonga Green paint has a lovely sheen. These later models had zinc-plated doors, which helps explain why these ones are in such good condition – none of that white crispiness you see on so many earlier examples. No bubbling around the bulkhead either.

Defender rear crossmembers always show a little unsightly corrosion, but this one has sensibly received a respray to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the paintwork. The hinges and fixings too are all excellent, with very little sign of any rust whatsoever.

Being a late Td5, this is one of the last Defenders to have a distinctly retro flavour of cabin before the raft of changes came with the TDCi models in Spring 2007. That means you get bulkhead vents, speakers screwed under the dash, clanky levers for the ventilation either side of the instrument binnacle, lots of black vinyl, and a big wobbly gearstick – all of which are in excellent order.

This isn’t an XS station wagon, so don’t expect many gadgets. The seats aren’t heated, there’s no sunroof (excellent news for keeping the rain out) and even the windows are manual. Some say this is how Land Rovers are meant to be… But you do get an immobiliser, Exmoor Trim seats and cubby box with cupholders, and the rear door does have a demister. In other words, it’s been specced thoughtfully rather than lavishly.

And if you still have any music cassettes, you’ll find an original player for them in the dash.

The floor mats, door cards, bulkhead lining and seat box covering are all extremely tidy, showing hardly any signs of wear. The word ‘immaculate’ can be over-used, but in this case it might be justified. Even the seat frames (which can scuff and rust) seem to have escaped wear. Look closely and you’ll find a small tear in the driver’s side seat bolster, but this can be affordably covered, re-covered or replaced.

The rear load area has a genuine Land Rover branded load mat in excellent condition – it really looks like it’s hardly been used, if ever. If you want to throw the kids in the back and head for the hills, side-facing squab seating makes this a rustic six-seater for those with bendy knees. (Safer aftermarket upgrades are available.)

Structural corrosion has to be considered with older Land Rovers, but this chassis is in exceptional condition, thanks largely to an underseal treatment which was applied before the vendor’s ownership, and the coating remains in very good order. He tells us he bought a can of Waxoyl intending to replace any peeling areas, but found hardly anywhere that needed it.

Again, please take a look at our photos to see a solid chassis, free from cow poo, with healthy looking suspension components, and minus the oil spatter that typifies so many old Land Rovers. The rear springs look particularly fresh.

Everything looks as it should in the engine bay too, with only small areas of surface corrosion around areas such as the heater box, and a few corners of the bonnet frame. Just little cosmetic things.

The Td5 uses a timing chain so there’s no urgent timing belt replacement around the corner.

The history amounts to a reassuring array of stamps in the service book, plus a stack of minor invoices dating from throughout the vendor’s tenure. The vehicle has been serviced by W.J. Joyce Ltd, a Land Rover specialist in Trowbridge, almost every year throughout his six-year ownership.

A full service was carried out in 2020, and only around 1300 miles have been driven since. Nevertheless, the owner did the sensible thing and had the oil changed last year.

The latest MOT pass (just last week, 19th August) mentions pitting on one rear brake disc, which is understandable considering the vehicle’s gentle use lately. It also refers to weeping around the front swivel joints – worth monitoring, but not an immediate cause for concern.

Aside from regular servicing and replacement of consumables, we are not aware of this vehicle ever having required major work. It’s likely that the next owner will be able to enjoy the same a similarly simple ownership.

It’s difficult to put a value on a Defender that’s in such unusually clean condition. However, it is worth considering that a batch of delivery-mileage Defenders from the final weeks of production in 2016 are selling at the moment for over £70,000. This vehicle doesn’t have quite the same cache, but surely it’s not far off, with an added retro ingredient that some may prefer.

There really isn’t much to fault with this one. To borrow a cliché, the pictures do speak for themselves.

The key to preserving its current condition will be to go gently with the interior and keep it garaged to fend off corrosion. Manage that, and keep replacing its fluids by the book, and it’ll work just as hard as any Defender will, long into the future.

We estimate the car will sell for £22,000 - £28,000.

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’.