2006 Land Rover Defender 90 Td5 County (Hard Top)

The Defender has been in the seller’s care since November 2006 – and given it was only put on the DVLA’s records two months earlier as a pre-registered vehicle, he is, to all intents and purposes, its only owner.

Finished in Tonga Green to County specification, it also benefits from Alpine windows and electric windows in addition to black leather seats, front and rear bumper protection, new side steps, a Mantec spare wheel carrier, LED headlamps, and supplementary soundproofing.

JE Engineering also carried out a Stage 2 tune in June 2007, while Ashcroft Transmissions changed the final gearing ratio in December 2016; taken together, these modifications ensure the Defender is much more efficient than a standard example, especially at motorway speeds. 

Well-maintained by either a main dealer or an independent specialist, the clear run of MoT passes since its first in 2009 suggests the Defender’s reputation for poor reliability may have more to do with the way some of them are maintained than any inherent weaknesses.

Always garaged, never driven off-road, and only used occasionally to tow a small trailer, this is one of the finest Defenders to have passed through our hands: Straightforward and not at all flashy, it’s a solid and reliable example of a breed that can sometimes be neither. 

The peeling paint and rusty bolts on the upgraded front bumper might lead you to assume this is yet another ex-working vehicle that’s been tarted up on the cheap to surf the Defender’s appreciation curve. 

This would be an incorrect assumption because it is actually one of the nicest and best-curated examples we’ve seen in a while: Look closely and you’ll see LED headlamps. Peer even more closely and you’ll see the side steps are in an uncommonly good condition having been replaced last year.

Extra lighting comes from a pair of small, oblong LED lamps whose power output is vastly superior to their size in addition to the ubiquitous round driving lights mounted on a bullbar and a pair of auxiliary lamps in the rear windows.

As far as obvious modifications go that’s about it, which should make it much easier to amble along greenlanes incognito – and if that patina is too much for you, not too much money would see that slightly-scruffy front bumper powdercoated.

The fastidious among you might like to get the offside front wheelarch extension replaced too, as the current one is scuffed. Some of the bolts are also corroded but replacing them would be straightforward and this would be pretty much the extent of your cosmetic woes because everything else presents very well indeed.

For example, note the absence of dents, dinks, and ripples along the flanks. Admire the unsullied lamp lenses, badges, and glazing, and the Tonga Green paintwork which has a very good shine to its understated hue.

The five-spoke, 16-inch alloy wheels are in a decent condition with only the odd small mark but then they’ve been protected by a matching set of Continental Cross Contact AT tyres whose 235/85R16 size helps fend off the sort of infrastructure that could destroy lesser wheels.

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. 

Other practicalities include a set of four mahoosive mudflaps, a height-adjustable towbar, and a hefty Mantec spare wheel carrier that takes the strain off the door hinges and makes it even easier to open the rear door.

Apart from the issues we’ve already mentioned there is some corrosion around the offside windscreen vent flap, the driver’s door hinge, and above the rear numberplate. The bracket holding the rear spotlight is also corroded and there are scratches along the nearside front and rear wings.

The tyres were also made in 2015, so while they have plenty of tread left on them they are due to be changed. 

The interior wears its years more lightly than most, presenting only a few minor blemishes but then it too has been judiciously maintained and updated over the years. 

For example, Greenfields 4x4s installed a tachometer in the dashboard in July 2007. It also fitted high-level LED lights in the rear windows in December of the same year plus driving and fog lamps and the chequerplate in April 2008.

FW 4x4 upgraded the headlamps to LED items in 2019, while LPME modernised the front fog lamps with LED units only last year. The extra switches for these are fitted in a Mud Pod on top of the dashboard, a neat fitting that also hosts the relocated clock. 

The seats have been upgraded with a pair of black leather jobbies, and the replacement seat rails they’re affixed to mean you sit an inch higher AND can move the seats back another three inches to the betterment of both leg- and elbow-room.

Wind deflectors on the doors mean you can crack the electric windows an inch-or-so and enjoy a cooling breeze without buffeting. 

A useful cubby/cupholder is fitted between the front seats as well as extra soundproofing, an Alpine headunit with Bluetooth connectivity, and a Tracker.

It therefore boasts the sort of upgrades many of us would want to fit without straying into the throw-the-Halfords-catalogue-at-it approach that some owners seem unable to resist.

And it’s been nicely curated with only light creases and bright white stitches on the seats, no visible wear to the floor covering, brightly labelled switches and instruments, a clean and taut headlining, and pliable, undamaged rubber gaiters on the gearlevers.

Even the tax disc holder in the windscreen is from Stratstone, the supplying dealer.

Wear ‘n’ tear seems to be restricted to damaged trim on the seat plinths and everything we tested worked as it should.

But then you knew that already, didn’t you?

Moving back, the loadspace is nice and bright thanks to the County-spec Alpine lights plus chequerplate lining. The walls have been lined and a headlining is fitted, both of which will help reduce noise and condensation as well as generally making it a nicer place to be. 

Like the rest of the cabin, it’s in good order and it includes a useful wooden box to keep your bits ‘n’ bobs in.

The Defender’s service history is as follows:

• 30.11.2007 and 7,751 miles – service by Stratstone Aylesbury
• 25.09.2008 and 18,483 miles – service by Thame Land Rover including fresh brake fluid  
• 23.07.2009 and 27,174 miles – service by Stratstone Aylesbury
• 26.07.2010 and (unknown miles) – FW service by 4x4 Service & Sales
• 27.08.2011 and (unknown miles) – FW service by 4x4 Service & Sales
• 07.06.2012 and 57,978 miles – service by Stratstone Aylesbury
• 20.05.2016 and 69,630 miles – service by LPME Motor Engineering including a Waxoyl treatment
• 16.10.2017 and (unknown) miles – service by LPME Motor Engineering
• 29.03.2019 and 76,799 miles – service by LPME Motor Engineering including new rear brake pads and a drivebelt

LPME Motor Engineering fitted an upgraded clutch and a solid-mass flywheel along with a Pipercross foam air filter and a few other bits and bobs in January 2026. A notice on the windscreen says the next service is due in September or at 85,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

There are also invoices on file for changes of brake fluid and other miscellaneous repairs including a new injector wiring harness in September 2025. 

As for engine and gearbox modifications, JE Engineering carried out its well-respected Stage 2 tune in June 2007, a thorough job that included installing a new stainless-steel exhaust system and an upgraded intercooler and blanking off the EGR valve, and Ashcroft Transmissions changed the LT230 transfer gearbox’s ratio in December 2016 to reduce engine speed when cruising. 

As you’ve probably already predicted the TD5 engine starts on the button, idles solidly, and the twin tailpipes make a wonderful noise. It also drives with unusual vigour thanks to these carefully calibrated improvements. 

The engine bay is as workmanlike as the exterior. Sure, you could pretty it up a bit – and a professional valet would make a huge difference – but no-one is going to castigate you if you leave it as it is. 

The underside, on the other hand, is in a remarkably good condition but then there are receipts on file for the application of rustproofing in 2011, 2016, and 2025. New bushes ‘n stuff in the same year too, all of which makes this one of the nicest Defender undersides we can remember seeing. 

Oh, and it’s nearly full of diesel, which probably makes the Defender’s fuel tank the fastest appreciating piece of real estate in Oxfordshire.

The Defender’s MoT certificate is valid until October 2026.

It was also issued with no advisories something it has achieved every single year since its first in 2009.

Every. Single. Year.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys.

The history file is as complete as you’d expect and includes the original sales invoice, the Land Rover wallet and book pack, lots of old MoT certificates, three old tax discs, and invoices for servicing and work over the years. 

NB: Please note that the personalised number ‘L90 SPT’ will stay with the owner and the DVLA will issue an age-appropriate number. 

The seller paid £18,995 for his beloved Defender back in 2006, which means two decades of cheap motoring given we estimate it will sell for between £15,000 and £20,000.

But he deserves every single penny because this is Defender has been meticulously maintained and updated until not a single one of its flaws and weaknesses remains. 

Ultra-solid and very reliable, this reluctant sale is driven by ill-health.

If you’ve ever fancied buying a Land Rover Defender but thought “hmmm, maybe not”, then we’d strongly encourage you to take a look at this one because it is an absolute peach.

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’.