1995 Land Rover Defender 110 Camel Trophy

‘N617 VDU’ was destined to be used as a support vehicle for the 18 teams that competed in Land Rover Discoveries in the 1996 Camel Trophy in Kalimantan. As a result, Land Rover threw everything it had at it to create a vehicle that couldn’t only meets the demands of the event itself but was tough and competent enough to shuffle between any teams that needed its help.

But, its destiny was to remain unfulfilled because the seller saw it on display outside Harwoods Land Rover of Pulborough with just 1,000 miles on the clock. He fell in love and, with remarkable chutzpah, convinced them to sell it to him instead.

It’s spent most of the intervening 27 years being used as a company vehicle for his business; being a tree surgeon, he appreciated its ability to carry tools and equipment across all terrains and in all weathers. He took it to Morocco too, as well as the Pyrenees. Well, you would, wouldn’t you?

The years took their toll and he parked N617 VDU up in around 2018 intending to refresh it. However, having retired as a tree surgeon, the Defender languished as the urgency to get it roadworthy and back into use passed.

As you can see, it’s now a bit of a project: with 134,000 miles under its belt, the rear crossmember is rotten, as is the driver’s footwell. But, those parts are supplied and it’s also had a reconditioned turbocharger fitted only recently.

As a piece of Land Rover history – only ten vehicles are thought to have survived from that year’s Camel Trophy event – it’s well worth saving and as it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be…

Finished in the iconic shade of Sandglow Yellow, this Defender is the very definition of patinated. Bashed and dented, crumpled and rusty, it’s covered in clips and mounting points and brush guards; no-one is going to mistake this for a run-of-the-mill example.

The front end features a ‘roo bar and one of the heftiest front bumpers we’ve ever seen. Mind you, it needs to be strong as the front towing points are rated to 3.5 tonnes, so they should be fine for recovering those cute little SUVs Land Rover builds now. Say what you like about JLR’s build quality in recent times but there’s no denying it knew how to build earth-conquering vehicles back then.

The Superwinch is an absolute beast of a unit and would be ideal for recovering yourself in the unlikely event you get stuck. Or, you could haul fallen trees out of your path, or broken-down steamrollers, or even slow the rotation of the earth itself if you can find a solid enough anchor point. We are told it works as it should.

The full-length roof rack fits via no fewer than 12 mounting points - and given it’s also braced to the Safety Devices roll cage front and rear, it’s not going anywhere. Big enough to carry a Freelander as a back-up vehicle, it can be accessed via its very own ladder.

Which brings us to the rear end. As well as playing host to that ladder, there a second mounting point for a spare wheel (the bonnet has the first…) plus a height-adjustable tow bar and a decent reversing light/work lamp.

The nearside rear corner is a bit squashed, so that’ll need some attention but given what else there is to do on the bodywork, we can see the whole thing being stripped down to the chassis and rebuilt anyway.

Of course it’s got a snorkel, which is going to come in handy in a couple of years when the last of the polar ice caps have melted and we’re all swimming to work.

The seller is keen to point out that he hasn’t removed anything from the Defender; what you see is what was fitted when it was new. All the lights work too, which must be some kind of record.

The steel wheels need refurbishing too, and the tyres that’re fitted are getting on a bit, so you’ll probably need to budget for five new ones.

If the exterior could, in theory, be left as it is as a celebration of a life lived to the full then the interior is probably a little too far gone to be used as it is.

But, few vehicles have a better support network than the Defender, so you can buy everything you need off the shelf – and few jobs would be more enjoyable than merging new seats and carpets and door cards with the existing Camel Trophy accoutrements like the light switch panel, the Terratrip rally computer, map light, and the Safety Devices roll cage.

You’ll need to fit that new driver’s footwell first, of course, plus new window winder mechanisms in the front. (What do you mean, he’s repaired them with a couple of lengths of wood? Of course he did, he’s an arborist.)

It needs a new rear crossmember but, luckily enough, there’s a good second hand one on the roof rack, so you just need to budget for labour rather than parts and labour. He was been quoted £1,500 to have it professionally fitted.

As for the engine, the seller tells us that he has just put a battery pack on the car and it fired up immediately and given it’s a 300 TDI fitted with a reconditioned turbocharger, it’ll also probably still be running at the end of this century, too. And he intercooler is a desirable AlliSport one!

It was last serviced two years ago by a Land Rover specialist.

Oh, and he had a dodgy layshaft in the gearbox mended but the mechanic did not refit the gear linkage, so that’ll need reconnecting.

There are a few historic invoices for work that’s been done over the years plus some expired tax discs and a V5 in the seller’s name. As a working vehicle it had to be reliable and he tells us he didn’t stint on servicing.

The Defender is a tough old thing anyway and the modifications Land Rover made to the Camel Trophy vehicles raised its robustness to a whole new level. Built to conquer parts of the world that had yet to discover tarmac, the competing vehicles endured hardship beyond imagination.

This one, built and intended to be used as a support vehicle, had a gentler life. That said, it is most definitely a project vehicle that’s in need of restoration.

But, being able to buy a Camel Trophy Defender is a rare thing in itself and for those of us who’ve dreamed of being able to restore one, this is probably a chance-in-a-decade.

Not that its rarity or desirability necessarily translate into big money. We estimate this one will fetch between £10,000 and £15,000 but as it’s being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Go on, treat yourself. One life, live it!

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Rochester, Kent. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.