All brochure images are from the collection of Mark J. McCourt
There’s been a lot of press focusing on the imminent demise of the classic Land Rover, AKA the Defender, but this Indian-owned British automaker is sending this much-loved workhorse out with a flourish in the form of the Defender Heritage Limited Editions. The modern Defender has long been coveted in the USA, since it was only imported for a few years in the 1990s, and in very small numbers. This has created a demand for grey-market examples, which has ended badly for those who’ve imported post-1990 models that weren’t “Federalized.”
The Defender officially imported by Land Rover North America from 1993 through 1997, with roughly 500 of the long-wheelbase Defender 110s arriving for 1993, and roughly 6,500 of the short-wheelbase Defender 90s available between 1994 and 1997.
Those final year North American-spec Defender 90s -available with both the Jeep-like soft top and with the aluminum ‘Station Wagon’ hard top- had some updates over the earlier variants, including the 182-hp 4.0-liter Rover V-8 engine and standard four-speed automatic transmission that replaced the same-hp 3.9-liter and five-speed manual. Land Rover marketed this pricey ($32,000-40,000) plaything in a refreshingly frank manner, noting its utilitarian nature- “Give it a wash and a good vacuuming-out and it’s ready for a night on the town.”
Of course, the family-sized Land Rover Discovery and elegant Ranger Rover that share brochure space took the Defender’s 4 x 4 capabilities and wrapped them in a veneer of leather and civilization. Those models would be back in 1998, the year that new safety and emissions requirements excluded the Defender from our market- although it’s continued in production for other markets up to today.
Have you ever owned one of these British rarities, or been off-roading in a classic Defender?
Click to enlarge the brochure page images.
More gadget review in www.mamaktalk.com
