Business Car trailblazers
Land Rover Land Rover The irreplaceable, capable, and practical off-roader.
Martyn Collins
Driving a long-wheelbase current Defender, then the new Ineos Grenadier most recently, made me think back to the car that influenced both – the original Land Rover Defender.
Previously known as just the Land Rover 90 and 110, both were given the name ‘Defender’ in 1990, but apart from some exposure on Land Rover Experience days with TD5s, my first proper time with the ‘original’ Defender, was when they dropped the Ford Transit-sourced Duratorq engine in the ‘Puma’ nicknamed models. I’ve always liked the 90 best, in fact it’s one of the cars I’d still like in my dream garage. I just think the original styling works best with the more sawn- off dimensions – plus it’s still practical enough to be useful. So, I was pleased to spend a week with one shortly after the launch of the first ‘Puma.’ Colleagues also reckoned this was the best modern Defender to drive and previous experience told me that many rivals couldn’t come close to its ability off-road. On-road, the driving experience was definitely old-school, with vague steering and the diesel engines perhaps lacking poke when compared to more modern rivals. I remember the first thing I did after it was delivered, was to head into town for lunch. The remote steering, the result of the standard fit steering box (also used by Ineos for the Grenadier), was what I noticed first – needing far more feeding of the steering wheel to keep movements
precise. Then there’s the driving position, that I think is best described as a reverse tardis. Despite a comfy seat, I feel hemmed in by the transmission tunnel on the left – with the handbrake digging into my left thigh. Things are no better on my right, where my body felt wedged up against the door.
Then there was the fun and games parking, as again the steering and lack of all-round vision, made the biggest space feel small. On the motorway, things did get better, as the new diesel engine was
relatively hushed and the six-speed manual transmission reasonably slick. The result was that I was able to keep up with the other traffic, the only scary times being overtaken or overtaking big trucks, where the crosswinds really unsettled its big, bluff shape.
It might have been hard work to live with on a daily basis, but I was still enchanted when the driver from Land Rover came to pick it up. There really wasn’t anything like it – and this is where I can see the Ineos catching on. The
latest Defender is still a great car, but unlike the original, it’s as home on the road as it is capable off of it. The Tonka- toy tough feel has gone – and this is where the Grenadier appeals if that’s how you get your kicks, and a second-hand original doesn’t.
The release of three limited-edition Defenders for its last full year on sale in 2015, was a good enough excuse to try another. This time, in long-wheelbase 110 form and in probably the most hardcore of these editions, the ‘Adventure.’ I say hardcore, as the Adventure had more underbody protection, rugged Goodyear tyres, a chunky roof rack and even a snorkel. With luxury taken care of with the ‘Autobiography,’ and ‘Heritage,’ harking back to the first classic Land Rovers. It dwarfed everything else on my street and if its size didn’t make it stand out, the Phoenix Orange paint meant you couldn’t miss it.
Again, I respected this Defender for what it was, but the 110 was even harder to manoeuvre, some of the ‘Adventure’ additions were questionable and it cost a not inconsiderable £43,495! Although, judging by the values of these editions now – they weren’t a bad investment. If like me, you’re still keen on owning a late Defender 90, the starting price appears to be £20,000, even though this car had a massive 200,000 miles on the clock. These Land Rovers have already achieved collector status and values are only going to continue to go one way – up!
50 | February 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
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