2013 Land Rover Defender 90

‘WP63 DYW’ was in the previous keeper’s care for six years, during which time he commissioned marque experts Foley Specialist Vehicles to rebuild it on a new Marsland OEM galvanized chassis, which set him back more than £20,000 after it had been written off in a relatively minor accident.

He covered a carefully-driven 836 miles to bed things in before consigning it for us to sell. Our vendor bought it a year ago and hasn’t needed to do anything to it in that time other than service it and treat it to a new cubbybox and a spare wheel cover.

Last serviced only a thousand miles ago and still in mint, virtually unmarked condition, she’s thoroughly enjoyed her time with her beloved Defender; sadly, ill-health means she can’t drive it anymore – and she says she doesn’t know who will miss it the most; her, or her dogs.

White 4x4s invariably invite comparisons with UN vehicles, and while we aren’t against a UN-spec Land Cruiser or Defender the combination of Fuji White paintwork (paint code 867) and a selection of carefully chosen black accents lifts this one far above steel-wheeled utilitarian-chic.

A large part of its appeal is the care with which the paint was applied and subsequently curated; even the vulnerable bits, like the wheelarches and the rubber corner trims on the front bumper, are free of scuffs, scrapes, and other signs of careless use. The front and rear numberplates are from Foley too, which further suggests an absence of bumps.

The black bits include the bonnet bulge, the roof, the front wing vents, and the radiator grille and headlamp surrounds. Plus, of course, the wheelarches that shroud a set of stunning 16-inch alloy wheels that are both free of blemishes and shod with some hefty 265/75R16 GripMax A/T tyres.

A whopping 32” tall, you could probably roll over anything this side of a Sherman tank, while a pair of equally stout mudflaps protect following traffic from the barrage of mud and stones the rear tyres are capable of flinging.

The rubber is starting to show some perishing between the treads, so you might like to start to think about what tyres you’d like to replace them with but, in the meantime take it as further proof that these matching high-quality tyres are a sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who was prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

All the exterior lamps are in good order, and upgrades include a rear LED work lamp. Sidesteps have been fitted too, as has a rear NAS-spec step/towbar combination – and given the latter lacks a towball, we’re probably safe in assuming it was fitted, like the sidesteps, to facilitate access rather than to pull anything.

The glazing is all good too, including the Alpine lights that are fitted in the roof and help flood the rear of the cabin with light,

Flaws are minimal: there is a stonechip next to the front badge, and another two on the bonnet. There is also a small chip on the trailing edge of the driver’s door, a loss of paint from some of the recessed boltholes, condensation inside the offside headlamp, and oxidation to the offside door mirror arm.

A Defender 90 would usually boast three seats in the front and another four in the rear. The trouble is that while seven people can theoretically be accommodated, the reality is somewhat different, especially for long periods.

So, the fact this one has four seats might mean the loss of three spaces, you gain significantly more comfort. More safety too as all four are high-backed, front-facing, and have three-point, inertia-reel seatbelts.

But no loss of practicality, as the rear seats still fold up and out of the way, allowing you to balance the loadspace between stuff, dogs, and people; Land Rover would no doubt call this the ability to “flex to accommodate your demanding lifestyle” whereas we’d call it a sensible modification that will work better for almost everyone than the arrangement it left the factory with.

It also remains a down-to-earth vehicle thanks to stuff like proper rubber mats on the floor, strong lash-down points in the back, and a useful cubbybox that incorporates a pair of cupholders to keep your skinny latte secure when you’re doing the perilous run to Starbucks. (The old cupholder has been retained and is included.)

It’s also as clean inside as it is outside; the rusty seat runners we usually find are rust-free and well-painted. The mats are fresh and virtually unmarked too, the rubber gaiters for the gearlevers are pliable and undamaged, all three door cards are virtually unmarked, and lifting the mats up reveals only clean and solid floors.

Heck, even the outer edges of the front seats, which are usually squished down and rubbed bare to reveal the frame, are taut and free of damage, with only the outer edge of the driver’s seat showing a very gentle flattening of the cushion.

The headlining is cleaner than you’ll find inside most Defenders too, and the only items that might offend your eye are torn trim on the driver’s seat plinth and a little scuffing to the driver’s rubber mat – and these only stick out because everything else is so clean.

The only other small job might be to replace the few rusty fasteners it hosts, but this would be a cheap way of spending a satisfying couple of hours and is very definitely a #firstworldproblem.

Oh, and you’ll be pleased to read that it is also fitted with an alarm/immobiliser and tracker because you probably won’t be the only one who fancies having such a well-fettled Defender in their life.

Eastern Offroad, an independent Land Rover specialist, serviced it on the 27th of March 2025 when the odometer was showing 37,690 miles. Given it’s still showing just 38,500 miles, you may decide you could delay its next service until next March.

Because, as the video demonstrates, the engine fires into life with the usual enthusiasm, idles solidly, and revs nicely. Our test drive also revealed that it drives well, and that everything we pressed and prodded did what it should.

As for the engine’s cosmetics, it’s in a very good condition overall with just a few rusty fasteners spoiling what is otherwise a very nicely presented engine bay. We couldn’t, therefore, criticise you if you felt the need to replace the offending nuts and bolts – but equally, given the problem is far less widespread than we are used to seeing, nor would we think you slovenly if you were to leave them as they are.

The new chassis was fitted because the insurance payout was sufficient to cover the cost of doing so – and the previous owner was fastidious enough to get it done rather than banking the balance and keeping his fingers crossed.

We were told the accident involved nothing more than damage to the nearside rear corner after another motorist drove into it, and the Defender was only written-off because the firm didn’t work on aluminium-bodied vehicles.

The underside presents as you’d expect given a new galvanised chassis was fitted less than two thousand miles ago. It’s very clean, very straight, and very tidy but then apart from the new chassis, it also gained a new rear axle, a good selection of zinc-plated fasteners, and an OE rear exhaust section – and it was finished with a professionally applied coat of underseal.

Oh, and the front swivel joints aren’t leaking either, which enthusiasts will know is rare.

The Defender’s MoT, which is valid until February 2027, was issued without any advisories. In fact, neither it nor its owner would have the first clue about the meaning of the word – and its sole MoT failure was for having one headlamp set too high…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the Category N marker, and it comes with two sets of keys.

As for service paperwork, we understand the first owner’s fleet of lorries was maintained in-house, as was his wife’s Defender.

The second owner, from whom our seller bought it, also had his own motorsport workshop and a team of talented mechanics. Therefore, it also made sense for him to look after his own vehicle and while he didn’t say so, we got the distinct impression he preferred to entrust it to his team rather than an anonymous Land Rover dealership…

Which is a long-winded way of explaining why there isn’t the usual stack of invoices and stamps in the service history booklet – and for the Doubting Thomases among you, can we point you in the direction of the online MoT history?

That said, the history file does include a photographic record of the rebuild plus the invoice for that work. It also has paper copies of the MoT record we’re so smitten with, and a receipt for the last service.

If you’ve ever thought about pulling the trigger on the OG of 4x4s, you’d be daft not to have a cheeky bid on this; whereas a Category N marker would usually be cause for concern, here it’s a positive boon because you’ll be bidding on a Defender that sits on a new galvanised chassis that was fitted by Foley Specialist Vehicles.

And you might recall this work set the previous keeper back a little over £20,000, which makes our guide price of between £25,000 and £35,000 seem like stellar value.

Because the usual signs of misuse and corrosion are both absent, which makes a refreshing change for those of us who’ve become disillusioned by the plethora of ludicrously priced ex-working vehicles that flood the small ads.

And all of this is without considering the Defender’s traditionally strong residuals, something that might mean it ends up costing you even less to own than you think – and with a following wind, it might even end up being cost neutral, or perhaps, do even better than that…

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) 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’.