2012 Land Rover Defender 90

This particular example of the venerable Defender is a short wheelbase ’90’ in Utility form, with the rear seats and windows removed in the name of increasing the load capacity for contractors, farmers, agricultural workers or small businesses.

Being a 2012 onwards model, it also benefits from the newer variant of the Ford Duratorq engine that was fitted to the final iteration of the Defender, being essentially a 2.2-litre variant of the 2.4-litre model fitted post-2007 update.

Owned for the majority of its life by a good family friend of the vendor (who sadly passed away in May of last year), the sale of the Defender is being managed by the vendor on behalf of the owner’s widow. Unfortunately, this situation does mean that much of the printed history of the vehicle is currently unavailable, as most bills were put through the owner’s business.

Used to its fullest extend as Land Rover intended, the owner was a sheep farmer, utilising the all-terrain capabilities of the Defender to navigate around his land, transport his sheep dogs (hence the division behind the seats and the loading area, to keep the sheep dogs out of the cabin!) and handle day-to-day requirements on the farm. It is to be noted that the vehicle was the owner’s pride & joy.

The vehicle was first registered in September 2012, and in May 2013 the owner purchased the vehicle from Guy Salmon Land Rover and registered it under his family farming business.

In April 2017, the owner then re-registered the vehicle (to align with the amended name of the farming business), and subsequently in 2019 he registered the vehicle under his personal name. Therefore, although the V5 shows a total of 4 former keepers, it is effectively a “2 owner vehicle”. The current registered keeper is the owner’s widow.

Following the owner’s passing, the vehicle stood for around eight months (awaiting probate), and the choice was made to have the vehicle ‘gone over’ and a light recommissioning carried out, to ensure it was in good mechanical health for the next owner to use and enjoy. This work was carried out (along with an MOT) regardless of cost, totalling nearly £900 and dated 24 February 2022.

Additionally, if you ever wanted proof of just how dependable and rugged these Defenders are, the vendor reports that once the battery had been charged up, this ’90’ fired into life without fuss, despite having been stood for eight months; Remarkable!

Rugged, dependable and instantly recognisable, the simple squared-off profile of the humble Defender is a true automotive classic, even if it was designed with function before form in mind.

The bodywork on this particular example is in decent shape, given its agricultural life and off-road existence. Looking along the flanks, there are no signs of any major indentations or impact damage, and the same is true at the rear. There is a small indentation noted on the nearside front wing (with some accompanying scuffs) and a small indentation noted on the upper edge of the radiator cowl, just below the bonnet.

Naturally, the paintwork is fairly worn, as expected from a utility vehicle that has been a working tool - and there are various areas of scuffs, scrapes, scratches and some flaked off paint, along with a few areas of bubbling/surface corrosion being noted, particularly on the rear tow bar area/lower cargo door, nearside front windscreen surround and the front bumper.

Elsewhere, the glass and various light lenses are free of damage - other than a tiny chip in the windscreen, which is outside of the driver’s field of view - whilst the wheels are in good condition and free of any major marks, the inner faces are showing some bubbling and corrosion. All five tyres are matching BF Goodrich all-terrain items, with plenty of life left.

Up front, the utilitarian cabin of this 90 hardtop is in well-used condition, as you’d expect to find from an agricultural vehicle, though no doubt a thorough valet, steam clean and detailing would go a long way towards remedying the minor cosmetic issues.

As far as we can see, there are no rips, tears or heavy damage to the seats themselves, nor to the headliner above which is taut throughout, though both would benefit from the aforementioned steam cleaning.

Elsewhere, the driver’s footwell, seat base and door card are heavily worn, with vinyl peeling off the seat base, some notable wear-and-tear on the door card, and typical wear to the footwell. The same is true on the passenger side, though to a lesser extent, having been used more sparingly.

In the rear, the load bay was the second home for the sheep dogs, and as such, it does wear some typical cosmetic marks, though this shouldn’t particularly be an issue, since the load bay is simply used for lugging goods, tools or small machinery for the most part.

A more modern stereo has been fitted - always an advisable improvement over older OEM systems - and all the electrical systems are reported to be in full working order.

Mechanically, this Defender has benefitted from an extensive recent re-commissioning, carried out irrespective of cost. This overhaul was completed in February 2022, and included the following works:

- A full oil and filter service, including an engine flush

- Fitment of a new fuel filter, air filter and new brake shoes for the handbrakes.

- New handbrake cable

- New transfer box seal and oil change

- Miscellaneous shock absorber and suspension bushes

- MoT exam carried out.

Following the above work, the 2.2-litre Duratorq engine, suspension, transmission and other drivetrain components are reportedly in very good condition, with the vendor stating that there are no known issues with the vehicle from a mechanical or electrical standpoint.

Underneath, there is the typical ‘bloom’ of surface corrosion and rust dust typical of a vehicle that has lived its life outside and largely off-road, though nothing that appears to be of any concerning nature.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 22 February 2022 - shows a clean pass with no advisory items.

As we’ve mentioned, the majority of the paperwork that relates to this Land Rover’s history is currently not available, meaning that documentation is a little thin on the ground.

What we do have, however, is the V5, a clean HPI check, stamped service book, various handbooks and the Land Rover book pack, and the invoice for the aforementioned recommissioning / servicing work.

In brief:-

18/09/12 – vehicle first registered to Guy Salmon Land Rover as a demonstrator;

01/05/13 – the owner purchased the vehicle from Guy Salmon Land Rover at 1012 miles;

20/11/13 – 5,808 miles – service undertaken by Guy Salmon Land Rover;

10/12/14 – 15,655 miles – service undertaken by Guy Salmon Land Rover;

17/09/15 – 23,228 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Guy Salmon Land Rover;

09/12/15 - 25,942 miles - service undertaken by Guy Salmon Land Rover;

08/09/16 – 32,664 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Basfords;

12/06/17 – service undertaken by D.W. Kirkham;

06/09/17 – 41,064 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Basfords;

22/06/18 – service undertaken D.W. Kirkham;

05/09/18 – 50,100 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Basfords;

04/09/19 – 60,452 miles – service undertaken by D.W. Kirkham;

04/09/19 – 60,462 miles - MOT (PASS) undertaken by Basfords;

10/09/20 – 67,464 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Basfords;

10/09/20 – 67,472 miles – service undertaken by D.W. Kirkham;

22/02/22 – 72,663 miles – service undertaken by E.H. Douglas;

22/02/22 – 72,668 miles – MOT (PASS) undertaken by Eagle Autos.

Famed for their durability, go-anywhere aptitude and immense practicality, there is a reason the Land Rover Defender remains a household name to this day, and the ‘utility’ variants - such as this - are arguably the most practical and useable of the lot.

Offered with an estimate of £20,000 to £25,000 this ’90’ Hardtop is ready to be put to work, explore off-the-beaten-track, or make an ideal base for one of the numerous custom builds that are often seen in the Land Rover enthusiast circle.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 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’.