Overland travel is not something you should ever do in a rush. Not even when the end of your journey is within sight. Namibia is a nation you might gloss over in your haste to reach South Africa. But however close it is to your final destination, you’d be missing out on one of the continent’s most remarkable places – and one of the most Land Rover friendly, too.
Full story: Page 21
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LAND ROVER HAS ANNOUNCED MORE DETAILS ON ITS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE DAKAR RALLY, which will see the Defender competing in the event as part of a three-year campaign starting next year. A two-car team will participate in all five rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), with a third vehicle joining in for the Dakar itself.
The Defenders will compete in a new Stock class, for production-based vehicles. Contrary to widespread assumptions (by us, in last month’s issue, as well as by many others) that the Dakar Defender would leverage the engineering know-how JLR brought in house with the closure of Bowler Motors as a racecar manufacturer, Land Rover has partnered with Prodrive for the vehicle’s development programme. This was confirmed by James Barclay, JLR Motorsport Managing Director, in a statement issued by Dakar organiser ASO, who said: ‘It will be an incredible adventure from both human and engineering perspectives, and the team are already working hard to develop Defender within the new Stock FIA W2RC rules for 2026 that will make for such a competitive category. We along
with the FIA, ASO and other manufacturers have helped shape these new regulations, which represent an exciting new chapter for the Dakar, W2RC and Rally Raid in general.
We’re also delighted to confirm our technical partnership with Prodrive.
Their experience will be invaluable to the programme, and I’m looking forward to bringing you more news soon of our Rally Raid competition-spec Defender that’s in development.’ JLR itself also issued the same statement, with the mention of Prodrive removed.
The three-year rally programme is in addition to a long-term sponsorship agreement which, beginning with the 2025 Dakar, sees a fleet of Defenders doing support and reconnaissance duty with the rally’s organisers.
The Defender works team will complete a full test and development programme during 2025, in preparation for a first competitive even in the autumn ahead of its Dakar debut in January 2026. The ‘luxury British adventure brand’ (and you thought they made 4x4s) says the Stock category will be ‘the perfect platform to demonstrate the extreme capability and durability of Defender,’ referencing
the stiffness and light weight of its all-aluminium D7x architecture.
‘Defender is already at the Dakar, showcasing its capability and durability through our official car partnership,’ added Defender MD Mark Cameron.
‘But to know that in 12 months we’ll be back with a three-car Defender works team entry at the beginning of a full FIA World Rally Raid Championship campaign is incredibly exciting.
‘There’s much work to do over the next 12 months, but with Defender works programme testing and development well underway, the team are already embracing the ultimate motorsport adventure that lays ahead from 2026.’
From 2025, the Defender is the Dakar’s official vehicle partner. A fleet of 20 Defenders has been supporting the event (which finishes the day after this issue of Overlander 4x4 is published) as transport for race officials and VIP media. A further specially prepared Defenders will be used by the Dakar’s organisers in the 2026, 2027 and 2028 events to reconnoitre the special stage routes on which their competition cousins will then bid for glory in the event itself.
Land Rover Classic has announced the appointment of Dominic Elms as its new director. Having worked in the automotive industry for 18 years, the last 10 of them within JLR itself, he takes on responsibility for operations of the Coventry based arm of the business covering both Land Rover and Jaguar.
Elms’ previous positions within JLR included Global Retail and Operations roles at a similarly senior level. In addition to his leadership and strategy experience, the company says he’s ‘a passionate automotive enthusiast at heart (who has) has been around Jaguars and Land Rovers since childhood.’ His task at the head of Jaguar Land Rover Classic will be to further develop this part of the company’s business: in JLR’s words, ‘Dominic looks to deliver even greater opportunity for clients to experience the unrivalled history of some of the world’s most iconic brands.’
well as building the Defender Works V8 – which recently yielded the new Defender V8 Works Bespoke programme, allowing customers to personalise the build of their quarter-of-a-million-pound dream machine.
gives us a unique edge, as no one else can match the authenticity we bring. That’s the message I’m determined to spread – not just in the UK but all over the world.’
Land Rover Classic continues to be the factory’s outlet for parts, services and entire vehicles, as well as providing experience packages for customers. It currently specialises in Series I and Range Rover Reborn restorations, as
‘As someone who has been lucky enough to have had a lifetime filled with joyous memories of classic Jaguars and Land Rovers, taking on this role at Jaguar Land Rover Classic is a thrill and an honour,’ says its new Director.
‘We take the definition of OEM, the original equipment manufacturer, to the next level of intricate detail. This
Does this mean the independent specialists who spent decades quietly building Land Rover’s heritage before the company itself thought of cashing in on it can expect a new assault on their existence? ‘Ultimately,’ says Elms, ‘only we can provide the genuine stamp of approval and authenticity that owners and enthusiasts expect from our legendary brands.’
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THE GREEN LANE ASSOCIATION IS ADVISING ALL USERS OF STRATA FLORIDA to avoid a section of the iconic Welsh mountain lane until repairs have been carried out to remedy two large, muddy holes which have appeared close to the route. A diversion is in place via the forestry track which runs alongside the right of way.
The part of the lane in question has long contained a series of axle-twisters which routinely push even original-shape Defenders to the extremes of their suspension travel. The holes are not on the legal route, however even this is now in a condition which is likely to cause many vehicles to struggle – potentially worsening the condition of the surface, which could lead to the lane being closed.
GLASS is therefore advising all drivers, and in particular those of standard vehicles, to use the diversion route shown in red on the map. Powys Rep Tristan Craddock has informed the local police of this, so vehicles using the detour should not be disturbed – so long of course as their drivers are following the same rules that apply across the green lane network.
Talking of the police, there has been a visible presence in the area recently in response to reports of illegal riders and drivers using vans to bring vehicles into the surrounding forest. This of course is straightforward criminality and should not be confused with green lane use, howeber an engine and four wheels is enough in some people’s minds. All legal rights of way users will support the police in their efforts to stamp this out – though a by-product of the action is that there are more eyes and ears than normal focused on you when you use the Ceredigion end of the lane.
Tristan is working with the police, the local authority and Natural Resources Wales in a bid to find solutions both to the illegal driving and the damage near the lane itself. ‘As always,’ he says, ‘making progress is slow going.’ But also as always, without GLASS there would be no progress at all.
I’m writing this late on a Saturday night after getting home from watching
A Complete Unknown, the movie about Bob Dylan challenging folk music convention and going electric. Highly recommended, since you ask. And more relevant than you might think to the world of Land Rovers.
Dylan was just a guy with a guitar and a harmonica when he first found fame. But he saw that folk music needed to adapt with the times if it was to stay relevant, and he ended up becoming one of the most influential singers and songwriters of all time.
Similarly, there are people who just restore Land Rovers (or who just modify them). That’s fine, but there are those who build extraordinary vehicles out of them. Their reward is usually to be scorned by traditionalists, but if you create such a machine you’re not out to impress the great unwashed.
Earlier today, my Facebook feed contained not one but two posts both claiming that the Bell Aurens Longnose was a Kahn vehicle. Someone’s AI really hitting the mark there. But the comments were interesting. Most hated it. A few knew what it was. Someone said that a normal Series IIA had to die to create it. Nobody actually said they thought it was cool.
The point is, the Longnose is a Land Rover that was built to create something new. It didn’t set out to please the masses, but to prove it could be done.
There’s a vehicle in this issue of the Landy that will be similarly divisive. I won’t tell you too much about it here, but a 109 with a 6.5-litre General Motors V8 diesel – plus styling that’s about as inyour-face as its engine – is always going to get attention. Depending on who it’s from, it might be good or bad, but the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
A few people have copied the Longnose. Just a few, but they’ve done it. A few copied the first hybrid they saw, too, and the first trayback. History is made by people unafraid of being judged insane. Like Bob Dylan, indeed – and like everyone whose Land Rovers have defied conventional wisdom.
Alan Kidd, Group Editor alan.kidd@assignment-media.co.uk
NATIONAL LUNA’S DC25 POWER PACK is designed to be used in your vehicle while you’re travelling then around your camp site once you’re parked up for the evening. It combines a portable battery system with the performance of a DC-DC charger and an MPPT solar regulator, giving you a self-contained split-charge system that’s ideal for powering a range of 12volt accessories including fridges, lights and pumps.
The unit can be charged from your alternator (including modern ‘smart’ alternators) as well as solar panels or external chargers. Outputs include 50A, USB, DIN and 12-volt ‘cigarette
lighter’, and there’s also a socket for a remote monitor.
Once the DC25’s battery cable is installed in your vehicle, you have a ready-to-use power pack promising quick access to a dual-battery system that’s portable, convenient and, with a plug-and-play 25A MPPT regulator, solar-ready. It has a dedicated external charger port and can be used to charge wet-cell, AGM and
lithium-ion batteries, and it’s automatically compatible with 12 and 24-volt systems alike.
THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LOCK A DIFF, AS THE OLD SAYING GOES. Most people in Britain tend to turn instantly to the air-operated type –however auto-lockers can be incredibly effective things too. They do their job without you having to think about them – and they’re far easier to use without detection, too, should you be planning to cheat your way to RTV success…
If your chariot of choice has a green oval on it, Rimmer Bros supplies lockers from a range of brands. On the auto-locker front, the legendary Detroit Truetrac is available for front and rear axles in both 10-spline and 24-spline configurations.
This goes back a long way to when it was introduced under the Eaton brand name. Its helical gear design means no wear in its parts moving, ‘resulting in maintenance free traction.’
It certainly results in effort-free traction. We’ve driven Land Rovers with Truetracs installed and they operate seamlessly – and very effectively indeed. As good as an Air-Locker? Well we certainly didn’t manage to find any terrain capable of defeating it, and that was a mixture of angry ruts, sharp axle-twisters and knee-deep mud.
‘Power transfer is so smooth, it literally goes unnoticed by the driver,’ says Rimmer. And yes, that’s what we found. Nothing alarming to worry about on the road, either – the diff remains open until it needs to lock, rather than the other way round.
The Truetrac is available in 10 and 24-spline form for the Defender, Disco 1 and 2, Series III and Range Rover Classic, and for the 24-spline Salisbury found under the back end of the 110.
Price: £221.95
Available from: maltings4x4store.co.uk, DA4911GREY
WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF OLD DEFENDERS IN OUR TIME, which means we’ve seen a lot of old Defenders’ interiors. Some of them have looked fresh and new, a few have looked superb and one or two have been in the worst possible taste. But an awful lot of them have been about as appealing as yesterday’s pants.
Carpets are not practical for everyone, but something else we’ve seen recently is a rise in the number of people making their own from household off-cuts. Brave at the best of times, but they won’t last even if you don’t take your truck in wet and muddy conditions. And show us one Defender that never let in water…
Much better to invest in the good stuff. Which in this case means a Britpart carpet set, specifically one for vehicles powered by the 300Tdi or Td5 engine mated to the R380 box.
These use grey, 5mm woven pile carpet. This is manufactured with a hard back to ensure it holds its shape for years to come, and as well as looking the business it will also help blank out some of the noise coming in to the cabin.
The kits contains a bulkhead panel; gearbox tunnel cover; floor mats; under-dashboard panels; kick plate panels; and seat box panels. All these are tough and easy-to fit, and once installed they promise to transform your Defender’s interior.
The kit comes with strips of double-sided tape where applicable for holding the carpets in place. No glue is required anywhere, and all holes are pre-cut for a precise fit. The floor mats have a reinforced edge, too, for a finish that’s as smart as it is hard-wearing.
‘Fitment is quick and easy with no mess,’ says Britpart. Over to you to bring your own mess afterwards so they can prove how tough they really are.
Price: £349.54
Available from: maltings4x4store.co.uk, PRC7375LED
THERE ARE SEXIER THINGS IN THE WORLD THAT YOU CAN UPGRADE IN YOUR DEFENDER’S INTERIOR. But if you’ve got a speedometer that sits there like a vegetable, or jumps around like cat on a hot tin roof, this LED replacement will restore the calm in your life better
The
select the most
products to assist on their venture.
Creating their products with independent travellers, expeditions, o -piste travel and those living o -grid in mind ensures the services o ered are highly adaptable and versatile. Their innovative solarpanelled, waterproof and shockproof power banks are paired with a smaller Power Stick, a bright LED light and an aluminium torch all chargeable by USB to create the optimal resource for travellers. Packed into a lightweight and compact bundle, those wishing to explore will have the vital tools for their expedition simply slipped into their pocket or attached to a rucksack. The company encourage prospective adventurers to get in touch for tailored advice on the products appropriate for their plans. By educating customers on the most tting combination for their journey, they use their experience to construct the best resource of assistance for every individual they help.
Chargers have gained international powering numerous remarkable the eight years they have been supporting the record-breaking ExIcemaiden mission to become the rst ski coast to coast across Antarctica power alone, to assisting in the rst climb to the summit of Mount products have remained resilient extraordinary conditions. Alongside exploration of precarious terrain, the feature a patented product geared providing aid in disaster and refugee Solar Charging Can o ers silent charging, reducing the need for loud, Waterproof, portable and with replace and repair individual parts, Charging Can provides a durable power support communities facing severe hostile environments.
MMobile Solar Chargers o er a convenient and lightweight solution for all your charging needs whilst on the go, from day-to-day use to music festivals and even road trips or motorhome owners. It is, however, the appeal to active travellers that particularly impressed the judging panel.
The innovative use of solar power to fuel their banks and ingenious portable USB lighting render disposable batteries obsolete. Not only does this enable safe and assured o -grid travel without the fear of running out of battery, the adverse environmental impact of disposing single use batteries is also eliminated.
obile Solar Chargers have been specialising in fit-for-purpose portable power banks, jump starters and solar charging for more than a decade now. Whether your requirement is occasional short trips, emergency backup or a portable off-grid solution for long-term expedition travel, the company promises the appropriate mix of solar and batteries to suit your needs. It carries a wide range of chargers with folding solar panels, which create power to store in a power bank. Suitable for indefinite off-grid travel, their efficiency and capacity has been tested by travellers to the Himalayas, Kilimanjaro and the Arctic.
Judge Andrew Walsh commented: “The team at Mobile Solar Chargers are happy to provide valuable expert advice to ensure active travellers select the most suitable products to assist them on their venture. Customer reviews consistently praise the e ciency and durability of the chargers, proving their capability to perform in a vast range of circumstances.”
The company’s Overland jump starters have previously scored four Best Buy reviews from Auto Express as well as being named Portable Charging Solution of the Year by the Luxury Travel Guide. These products are not available on Amazon or Ebay.
The Overland jump starter is anexpedition-proven power bank that’s also powerful enough to jump start any engine up to a 5.0-litre diesel. They are recharged via mains or car inputs, or of course the company’s own solar chargers.
Overland Jumpers are available from £79.95, with solar special offers starting at £72.95.
Mobile Solar Chargers have gained international renown for powering numerous remarkable expeditions in the eight years they have been established. From supporting the record-breaking 10-week ExIcemaiden mission to become the rst female team to ski coast to coast across Antarctica using muscle power alone, to assisting in the rst all-female Afghan climb to the summit of Mount Noshaq, their products have remained resilient throughout extraordinary conditions. Alongside assisting in the exploration of precarious terrain, the company also feature a patented product geared towards providing aid in disaster and refugee situations. Their Solar Charging Can o ers silent and e cient charging, reducing the need for loud, costly generators. Waterproof, portable and with the option to replace and repair individual parts, the Solar Charging Can provides a durable power alternative to support communities facing severe adversity in hostile environments.
Judges’
Mobile lightweight whilst festivals It is, however, particularly
The
banks disposable enable the fear environmental batteries Judge at Mobile valuable select on their praise proving circumstances.”
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THE DASHDAPTER3 FROM SIMTEK is available in S, E and C models (Standard, Expanded and Comprehensive), each of them bringing increasing levels of capability and functionality. It acts as an interface for for a wide range of Land Rover specialists vehicle converters, resto-modders, customisers, upgraders and engine transplanters.
The unit promises to be ideal for a wide range of purposes:
• When you want to remove your engine and replace it with a different one
• When you want to put a Puma dash in a resto-mod 90
• When you want to upgrade your Puma Defender with a late Freelander dash
• The Advanced model allows operation of the original AirCon functions in the 2.2 Puma
‘So far,’ says Simtek, ‘we have focused on the Land Rover Puma dash (2.2 and 2.4). Our most recent addition is the more colourful Freelander 2 dash, which offers more functionality.
DD3 is available with a plug kit, generic harness or bespoke harness, and comes with a user interface. To find out more, call 01706 854857 or email bodylogic@simtekuk.co.uk.
> Roof Racks & Accessories
> Underbody Protection
> Recovery Equipment > Raised Air Intake
> Rock Sliders
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This 6.5-litre twin-turbo Series IIA looks set for the zombie apocalypse. No way to treat a classic? Well, having been brought back from the other side and emerged in this fearsome form, it’s a little bit undead itself…
As people are forever saying, a Land Rover is a blank canvas.
In the case of older ones, they’re a blank canvas which come with a certain duty of care – but since many have still never been restored, there remains plenty of potential for a project based on something older and more distinctive than the usual 90s and 110s.
Something like this 1963 Series IIA 109” Safari. It’s been restored – but not taken back to factory original. This description usually applies to vehicles whose patina hasn’t been painted over, but this one has something else instead. What it lacks in patina it makes up for with presence. You know
those Spectre-look 110s every hopeful spanner jockey built in the hope of getting a starry-eyed buyer to part with four times what it was worth? Well, they have pictures of this 109 on their bedroom wall.
It looks mental, with custom aluminium wheelarch extensions riveted into place in true boy racer style. They cover a set of 285/75R16 General Grabbers on widened Wolf rims, giving the truck a definite hint of the zombie apocalypse wagon… which isn’t hindered in any way by a twin-height galvanised bumper. This in turn is cunningly placed to disguise the gap left by a 2” body lift.
This works in tandem with a set of parabolic springs at the back, along with 1-tonne rear springs at the front, to give the vehicle its mighty stance. The axles are both Salisburys, with 3.54:1 diffs to let it pull properly on those tall tyres. Though talking of pulling…
The engine. Get ready. Safe to say it’s not a 2.25 any more.
Look under the bonnet and it’s got more silicone than Pornhub. There are bright blue hoses everywhere, most of them leading to and from a pair of sodding great turbochargers. That’s a description rather than a brand name, just to be clear… though if someone did think of starting a company called
Sodding Great Turbochargers, you’d expect them to look like these. They’re Isuzu units, from the company’s celebrated 3.1 TD engine (the one that didn’t blow up, in case you’re wondering), and they’re mated to Land Rover’s own Td5 intercoolers.
And the charge of air, what’s that going into? Only a General Motors 6.5-litre V8, that’s what. It’s the later low-compression version of the engine which is still in production today for use in the Humvee (civvy Hummers are long gone, but Uncle Sam’s are still going strong today and, God forbid, coming soon to a peace-loving northern archipelago near you). In its original
form, the engine never made more than 215bhp, but with those big spinners chucking air into it and a full twin 3” stainless exhaust purging it out the other end you can safely say it’s doing more than that. The engine was always more about grunt, and in standard form those 215 horses were backed up by 440lbf.ft of the good stuff, so you’d expect the 109 to be able to pull up trees. Obviously, what you’d really expect is for it to sit there lashed to said tree until some combination of the gearbox, transfer case, props, diffs and halfshafts went off like a grenade in a tin brazier. Safe to say these items will all put up far more of a fight than the standard ones they replaced, however. The box is a New Venture 4500 5-speed manual (think Dodge Ram and Chevy Silverado) and it’s paired with a remote 1:1.003 LT230 built to do the job by Ashcroft Transmissions. Both props are double-cardon units, and then those Salisbury axles keep up the theme of sheer brutal strength. Lash it to that tree and put your foot down, and it’ll spin wheels rather than going bang. The engine is kept cool by a new aluminium radiator with an electric fan pulling air through it. There’s a separate oil cooler, too, and the bonnet is heavily louvred to let more air pass through the engine bay beneath. Oh yes, and it breathes through not one but two stainless steel snorkels whose intake air is routed through a trio of oil-bath air cleaners behind the bumper. None of this is going to please you if you like your Series trucks to be standard and look original. But everything points to this one having got to the stage where it was a bit of a moot point anyway, because what you’re looking at here is a 109 that’s been rebuilt on a galvanised chassis. People tend not to do that unless their truck has got to the stage where it’s pretty much hanging, whatever the self-satisfied torrents of answers to every what’s-my-LandRover-worth post on social media say, so safe to assume no hale and hearty
Series IIAs were harmed in the making of this story.
Said chassis has the power steering box from a P38 Range Rover bolted to the front end of it. This is turned by the original wheel, but via a custom column. And to keep the list of varied donor trucks turning over, the brakes are from a Stage 1 V8 at one and and a 1-tonne 109 at the other – and the effort required on the pedal is reduced by a Santana servo.
Something that certainly didn’t come from another classic Land Rover are rose-jointed throttle linkages, and another is an ATG conversion which allows the big diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. This runs custom wiring, a heat exchanger and a heated fuel filter, with a rear tank for vegetable oil and separate diesel tank under the driver’s seat. So not only is the vehicle ready to survive the zombie apocalypse, it’s doing its bit with lower CO2 and smog emissions to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place. (I’m fairly sure there was something about global warming being behind it in The Last Of Us, at least…)
Inside, the 109 has a custom dashboard featuring something very hot rod indeed in the shape of two boost
gauges from a Spitfire. The front seats are from a Defender, which makes a huge difference, as does the combination of Smiths heater and headed windscreens. Yes, windscreens plural – although the bulkhead is also from a Defender, it’s been modified to mount the split screens and a dash shelf from a Series truck. It’s also home to a hand throttle, which is no bad thing when you’ve got all that torque waiting to jump the truck out of its skin first time you hit a bump in the trail. The wiper motors, meanwhile, are pre-war variable-speed vacuum jobs with speed adjustment valves.
It’s a wonderfully enigmatic Land Rover, this one. The big tyres and huge arches paint a distinctly shouty picture, and nobody ever put a 6.5-litre engine in anything because they wanted to blend in. That bumper looks handy in a fight and all those exposed rivet heads give it the patched-together look of Frankenstein’s monster. An access panel from a Kenyan Air Force F-5 Tiger jet is definitely getting back into hot rod territory, too.
But then there’s the safari roof up top, with the correct vents underneath. And though the bulkhead and dash fittings are non-standard, the interior
as a whole paints a familiar picture with vinyl-clad seats and hand-cut domestic carpet lining the floor. Most of all, though, it looks cheerfully over the top. We’re not huge fans of the early IIA and III headlamp combo but with everything else that’s going on they actually look pretty right here.
Is it telling that the 109 is based in London? Maybe, because of course as well all know the zombie apocalypse has been going on there for a quite a while now, but there aren’t many green lanes in the city. No shortage of ULEZ cameras, though, not that it’s troubled by any of that. As the photos show, anyway, it’s no stranger to venturing out beyond the M25 in search of fun – which is of course exactly how any Land Rover should be. It may not be everyone’s idea of how to restore a classic – but it’s living proof that even on an old ‘un, the Blank Canvas spirit is still alive and well.
We give form to our components by machining detail into them with chamfered edges and rounded corners, under cuts, engraving and much more. We take time with care and attention to detail to ensure we deliver quality products. Our products have become a feature to many Land Rovers worldwide.
Alongside our aluminium interior and exterior trim range, our Special Order Service offers leather trim which can be designed to your requirements incorporating our colour anodised parts, to give you the ultimate Enhanced by Croytec Defender.
Rovers are returning to Bath & West this April for a weekend filled with Land Rovers! Exhibitors old and new will join us, selling everything from parts & accessories to tyres, clothing and toys Talk to overland adventure specialists about your next trip,
modification options with companies with the know-how and other experienced Land Rover owners.
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With vast deserts and huge canyons as well as towns and cities resembling something out of Bavaria, Namibia is a nation worth savouring – even when your focus is on reaching journey’s end in South Africa
Words and Pictures: Raymond and Nereide Greaves
When you’re travelling, it can be all too easy to rush through places that really deserve to be visited properly. This is even the case on an overland expedition – particularly if you’re approaching your journey’s end and have either become tired of the road or started to run up against time constraints.
So for anyone driving from the UK to South Africa, Namibia is at particular risk of being passed over. We had set off from London almost four months previously in our L322 Range Rover –the first, we believe, ever to make this journey – and having travelled through
some 16 countries including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, it would be hard to exaggerate how excited we were to see our first road sign to South Africa! This was in Botswana, as we travelled west towards the border with Namibia. And it could certainly have prompted us to rush on towards our final destination, because the roads in this part of Africa are far better than we had become used to as we followed the classic route down the eastern side of the continent from Cairo. But Namibia is a land that deserves better than to be seen in a blur.
There’s no such thing as a border crossing you want to spend more time at, on the other hand. However the checkpoint at Buitepos came pretty close, taking a mere 12 minutes to pass through.
We can’t let this pass without making a comment about German efficiency. Not something you normally associate with Africa – but while the rest of the continent was being colonised mainly by France and Britain, in 1884 Namibia became part of the German empire. Germany only controlled Namibia for 31 years before being driven out by South African forces, but during
that time much happened to shape the nation’s character. Today, you will find German architecture, German street names, German coffee shops and a significant German speaking population – and, in enormous contrast to some parts of Africa we had visited en route, everywhere is extremely tidy.
There’s also a strong South African presence in Namibia. Its neighbour exercised varying degrees of political control for 75 years following the end of the German occupation, with full
independence only being achieved in 1990. As a result, it’s a linguistic melting pot with English, Afrikaans, Nama (the Bushman language, characterised by distinctive clicking sounds) and German all spoken.
Following a tumultuous century which included four years of German genocide against the Nama and Herero people and life under the apartheid regime of its South African masters, Namibia is now a stable, multi-party parliamentary democracy. It’s also
largely considered free of malaria, which we found very welcome – and in another measure of political stability, its currency is equivalent to, and directly interchangeable with, the South African Rand. So we were looking forward to this being a mercifully hassle-free part of our expedition!
Mainly, at least. The capital, Windhoek, is a fascinating blend of modern architecture with Bavarian and even Alpine-looking colonial buildings – but the guide book made it sound horrible,
painting a picture of a city whose streets were taken over at night by gangs of armed robbers. To us, it really didn’t feel like that at all – even when we put the theory to the test by accidentally leaving the Range Rover unlocked overnight with all our valuables in it. Fortunately, everything was still on board in the morning.
Next we headed for Swakopmund, which is on the west coast of Africa. As we passed through the Namib Desert, descending towards sea level, the tem-
perature dropped from a scorching 37 degrees to a breezy 20 degrees over a distance of only 20 miles.
We realised here that we had now driven to the shores of no less than five different seas: the English Channel, Aegean, Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. And now we were on our way to the Atlantic.
Swakopmund is a combination of German, Swiss-German and South African influences. There were lots of European cars around (including
the Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf from the 1980s, which were still made in Southern Africa up to 2009) and the architecture was very reminiscent of southern Germany. Swiss and German guesthouses lined the streets. A small African curio market was the only thing that gave away the fact we weren’t in northern Europe.
Along the seafront, the houses had all been painted in pastel colours. One in particular, with a traditional thatched roof and a very modern looking full glass front, stood out like an elephant in a ballet. Come to think of it, there were quite a few ‘elephants’ around with tacky wildlife paintings on the external walls.
We circled surreal Swakopmund, taking it all in. Our home for the next few days was the Sea Breeze Guest House, where the room we stayed in was large enough for five people and had its own kitchen, garden and balcony. We took the opportunity to unload the entire contents of the Range Rover, spreading out our giant map of Africa on the table and setting up our laptops. The accommodation quickly became a Lilongwe Down situations room for planning the next phase of the trip!
One of Swakopmund’s premier draws is sand boarding. This sport is exactly like snowboarding but much slower and easier on your backside if you happen to be a beginner. We drove to the very precisely named Dune 7,
where we were met by a man armed with four snowboards and a decent quad-bike which acted as a desert chairlift. The dune was more of a small hill in skiing terms, but since Nereide didn’t know anything about boarding and Raymond wanted to sledge down, it was quite big enough.
As it turns out, it was pretty easy to board down in either a slow diagonal or a straight line without wiping out. Meanwhile Raymond sledged down at an uncontrollable speed and in an equally uncontrollable direction… and also in complete hysterics.
Then something astonishing happened. It began to rain.
The Namib Desert has about 5mm of rainfall annually, which means it normally only rains for about ten minutes each year and that’s it. It had already had its entire year’s quota the week before we arrived and now it was going to be doubled! Needless to say, any downhill movement after that was completely impossible.
Another great activity in Swakopmund is quad biking the Namib Desert. We hired a quad each, along with a guide to take us through the desert for a couple of hours. The view of the orange sculpted dunes juxtaposed against a perfect, cloudless blue sky was like nothing else. There was a cool breeze keeping us from feeling the harsh sun on our backs. Sand tracks led us over the top of dunes, round the sides and through steep drops and jumps which were very reminiscent of ski-piste topography.
The view of the desert was all-consuming, stretching out for miles in front of us. The dunes were big enough to hide a person lagging behind as we
The architecture in Windhoek is remarkable, with the influence of the colonial era very clear. While the rest of Africa fell mainly under French and British rule, Namibia became part of the German empire; today, its towns and cities are reminiscent of those in Bavaria and even the Alps. They’re notably very clean and tidy, too, which is in marked contrast to many other parts of the continent
and jerseys were re-emerging from deep within our luggage.
To access Fish River Canyon, we had to drive down about 45 miles of gravel roads. Unlike the rest of the continent, however, untarred roads in Namibia are excellent, allowing you to maintain speeds of 60mph or more –always accompanied by a huge plume of dust. The landscape was rocky and there was a total lack of any vegetation, apart from the odd Quiver tree.
Having put in so many miles to reach the canyon, now we were close to the South African frontier. And the excitement was definitely rising as we continued towards what was going to be our final border crossing.
rode between and around them. We rode through craters, pushing hard on the power to reach the top of the bowl before turning into steep declines full throttle, the wind racing against our faces. Great fun!
Aside from tourism, other key industries in Namibia are salt and uranium production. We went to see the Walvis Bay salt works, which is close to Swakopmund. Salt is produced from pans of seawater evaporated by the sun, which in turn produces an unusual phenomenon: the seawater turns different colours at each evaporation stage. Some of the pans were bloodred, some seaweed green and others Pink-Panther pink. Very unusual.
None of this was asking any great questions of our Range Rover, but that changed when we made tracks towards Fish River Canyon. Located some 375 miles south of Windhoek, this is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon – after which it claims to be the second largest in the world.
The road out of Windhoek wound its way ever upwards to more than 2000 metres before gently descending into vast, open flatness where you could see for dozens of miles at a time in all directions. This was broken up by some jagged mountains far in the distance. For hundreds of miles at a time, we would see virtually nothing, which impressed upon us Namibia’s incredibly low population density – just two million people in a country about the size of Germany.
Out here the temperature was starting to feel much cooler and fresher, something we had noticed as soon as we drove south of the Kalahari Desert. For the first time in months, the jeans
Then we were there, and Fish River Canyon opened up like a vast gash in the flat landscape of the desert. Whether it really is the world’s second biggest is open to question but we could see for miles along the gorge and the Fish River itself was very narrow at this point. The river only flows from March or April for about six months before drying up and at this stage it was still only a trickle.
We took a good walk along the edge of the canyon and were struck by the totally unforgiving nature of the landscape; sharp rocks underfoot, no shade anywhere and no water or vegetation.
This is a place where you need to be totally self-sufficient otherwise you run into major trouble very quickly.
Not that we were in any kind of hurry to leave Namibia. With its pretty, tidy towns, fast roads, great service, civilised culture, kind people and good places to eat, Namibia had been a welcome surprise. It was a positive surprise, and somewhere we had thoroughly enjoyed visiting.
But now it was time to get yet another stamp in our passports. Although we were still some way from Cape Town, after this we would have plentiful fuel stations, excellent places to eat, first-world health care… even the AA! In fact we both had a creeping feeling of guilt that this was about to turn into a glorified holiday. Though having driven 13,200 miles to get there, we reckoned we had just about earned it!
Raymond and Nereide drove their Range Rover from London to Cape Town in the first half of 2010. You can read the full story of their expedition at www.lilongwedown.com
Manufactured to exacting standards to maintain your vehicle’s ride and handling.
PROEVO+ Steering and Suspension products are selected to meet the stringent level of performance & durability associated with Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles.
PROEVO+ provides customers:
> Exceptional value
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All the information you need – in one place – to buy your perfect Landy
details, LED headlamps, a snorkel and roof rack, leather inside and Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tyres. The Puma engine had a power upgrade, too.
Hard as it is to believe, it’s almost ten years since the old-shape Defender went out of production. A decade ago, Land Rover was getting ready to say goodbye to the truck that was once its lifeblood in the way only the motor
Series I (1948-1958)
The Series I, particularly in its 80” guise, is the most sought-after of
industry can – with a series of hugely lucrative special edition models.
Of these, the Adventure model is perhaps the most instantly visible, on account of it’s bright orange (you could get them in grey and white too). It came with sump and sill protection, black body
all Land Rovers. Its engineering and design give it real charisma, but parts aren’t readily available. Restoration projects require deep pockets, but see it through and the result will be worth mega bucks. Gone are the days where you could use a Series I as an actual Land Rover. Because with restored examples changing hands
Series III (1971-1985)
These military vehicles can easily be distinguished from regular
terms, keeping the same 2.25-litre engines throughout the length of its production run. In 1980, the engines switched to a more durable five-bearing crank rather than the old threebearing setup. The transmission also received syncromesh on all forward gears to make it easier to live with.
Land Rovers. To mimic the civvy Series machines, the Series III model built from 1972 onwards, also had its headlights switched out to the wings.
Lightweights add an extra dimension to owning a Land Rover. Their military history and details mean you get a truck with more stories to tell – and that stands
The vehicle cost £43,495 in both 90 and 110 form, and was limited to a total of 600 units. It was touted as the Defender for people who wanted to explore, but most owners clearly didn’t because a lot of them are still on very low miles – and priced in the £50-65k region as a result.
£5000-£85,000
for millionaire money, preservation is the aim of the game.
The earlier the vehicle, the more it will be worth. The sky’s the limit – but can you really put a price on such an icon?
Pros: Heritage, charm, a true classic, the original Land Rover Cons: Availability of parts, price tag on early 80s
£2500-£35,000
They still carry the simplicity of earlier Land Rovers, but the Series III remains the most affordable way into owning a leafer.
Pros: Most affordable route into Series ownership. Still has the Series pedigree. Parts still widely available
Cons: Not yet as desirable as the earlier Series models
out from the crowd. They’re a rare breed, though – so if you’ve got one, it’s worth keeping hold of.
Pros: Not like all the other Land Rovers out there. Military background. Lovely 2.25 petrol
Cons: Appearance isn’t to everyone’s taste. Exclusivity over regular models means they command a price premium
Even one with a six-figure mileage will cost £30k plus. But if you want a final year Defender, this is about as good as it gets.
Insure a 110 Adventure with Adrian Flux from £465.99
• Based on a standard 2015 model. Valued at £50,000, 8000 miles per year.
50 year old driver, fully comp, £575 excess
Series II/IIA (1958-1971) £2500-£40,000
Forward Control Land Rovers are a cult within a cult. They’re a real
much of that early charm. Prices seem to have peaked now, however they still remain strong for good examples.
A 2.25 petrol 88” would be our pick, as the diesel engines were underpowered and rather noisy.
The Series II/IIA has a wider stance than its predecessor and adds an extra (thin) layer of
rarity – with all the cachet, pride and immense awkwardness that comes with this status.
By ‘rare’, we’re talking about less than 2500 Series IIA FCs in total. And they tended to have a very hard life, so not many have survived to tell the tale.
Forward-Control models differed from everyday Series IIs by
the time came for demob. They were flogged off at very low prices and turned into off-road toys –not something you’d do with one today, given the rarity and classic value they’ve taken on.
Compared to the IIA/IIB FC, the 101 is more fun thanks to its V8 engine. It’s still a military tool, though – some still have fixtures
refinement. While the engines have excellent longevity, they need to have been maintained properly. Be thorough in your checks, both under the bonnet and underneath the body.
Pros: A sound investment to restore – and enjoy Cons: Bulkheads and chassis rot, springs prone to seizing
£2500-£15,000
having heavy-duty ENV axles, but engine-wise they had the familiar 2.25 petrol and diesel lumps. So, don’t expect performance – but do expect to be given an ‘interesting’ time in the workshop…
Pros: A Land Rover like no other, if that’s what you want Cons: Especially brutal to drive, and to find parts
and fittings from their Army life, which adds interest. This is a vehicle for enthusiasts, though, with costs that are sky-high even by Land Rover standards. Pros: Master of the road. Lovely V8 soundtrack. Everybody who sees one loves it Cons: Monumental running costs. Expensive to buy, too
The Tdi engine, which arrived with the Defender name, can last for
decades if it’s looked after. And with prices having dropped recently, they’re more affordable than they have been for many years.
The good thing about the earlier 200Tdi is that it’s simpler than the later 300. What you gain here you lose in refinement, but this is seen by many experts as the best Defender of them all.
The LT77 gearbox in the 200 Tdi is more truck-like than the later R380, and these vehicles didn’t come with bling. Just be sure it’s an original Tdi you’re getting, not an old Discovery conversion.
Pros: The perfect combination of tradition and modernity
Cons: Lots of horrible and/or deceptive ones around
Defender 300 Tdi (1994-1998) £3500-£40,000
replaced, though
The last Defenders gained modern 2.4 and 2.2 TDCi engines and
the two are related. It’s much more refined and smoother to drive, though there are more electronics involved so later versions in particular are less of a DIY fix.
The arrival of the 300 Tdi also brought with it the R380 gearbox. This used to have a terrible reputation for relability, but most have been put right by now and they’ve
introduced the
become sought after for their light clutch and better shift action. It was during the Tdi era that Defenders started getting things like alloys, too. You might even find one that’s not been off-road… Pros: Strength and simplicity. Perhaps the definitive Defender Cons: Sure to be very different to when it left the factory
(2007-2016) £6500-£275,000
smooth six-speed gearboxes, They still had phenomenal off-road ability and were even okay to sit in. Famously, this was the Defender that actually had a dashboard
You can find special editions and boutique conversions to TDCi models that cost obscene amounts of money. You will pay a premium for any these late
Defenders, however the era of skyrocketing prices seems to be over and TDCis have dropped further in value than the Td5. So a good 2.2. could now be quite a shrewd investment
Pros: Efficiency, creature comforts, off-road prowess
Cons: Price, electronics, TDCi engine is unloved
If the subject of the new Defender comes up in enthusiast circles, try
130 that changed the most. That’s because unlike the old 127, it was built on a proper chassis of its own rather than a stretched 110 frame.
The advent of the Tdi engine was the making of the 130, too. At last, Land Rover could make them pull properly without returning single-figure fuel economy by using a hard-worked V8.
a strong performer. It does lend itself to being tuned though, so watch out for abused ones and knackered examples that have been pushed beyond the limit.
As with all Defenders, you’ll need a rear crossmember sooner or later – or even a new chassis.
As a result, you’ll find many more original(ish) 130s than 127s. Some are even still in service with the utility companies they were built for. If you want a Defender for overlanding, look no further. Pros:
Despite having more electronics than the Tdi, a Td5 Defender can still be a DIY machine. Parts are in plentiful supply,
£45,000-£185,000
to steer it away on to something safer. Like Brexit, for example.
Much as it may infuriate purists, however, the Defender is actually a very wonderful thing. It’s kind of like an old one, only with space, comfort and equipment.
The big difference is that you can’t work on it yourself. This goes for maintenance and, crucially,
making modifications – a market Land Rover wants to take back and have for itself. It won’t hold its value long-term the way an original-shaper does, either. But this is still a superb vehicle.
Pros: Comfort, capability, rugged fitness for purpose
Cons: Not cheap to buy. Lacks the old one’s basic charm
It’s also a notable classic in its own way, as it heralded the start of the company’s modern era. It has its issues, though. The viscous coupling is expensive to replace and can be upset simply by running mismatched tyres.
The 1.8 petrol used to be notorious for head gasket failures. Today’s replacements are much
more robust, but a late diesel is your best bet. Even these can go calamitously wrong, though. This was a more complex car than it needed to be, and buying one for sweeties now doesn’t change that.
Pros: Cheap to buy, no big rust issues, surprisingly able off-road Cons: All sorts of things can go wrong, some very expensively
Range Rover Classic (1970-96) £2500-£225,000
are people who do just that, preferring to invest new-car money in a restoration than spending it on a current model.
It’s a smart policy, too. An early two-door can cost mega money, but any Classic will appreciate in value if kept in good condition –and sought-after rarities like the CSK and LSE can be a gold mine.
Range Rover (2002-12)
The Mk3 Range Rover hit new heights of luxury and was more re-
liable than the P38. It’ll still cost a lot to run, however, and drivetrain faults and underbody corrosion are not unknown.
The TDV8 engine is sublime, but you’ll pay more to get one –especially the 4.4, though the 3.6 has all the power you need. The V8 petrol, on the other hand, is temptingly cheap. Guess why…
An awful lot of Rangeys have been neglected and/or abused, and you can still buy they cheap. But if you’ve got the skills, and access to parts, restoring one would be the ultimate hobby that pays.
Pros: Most usable classic Land Rover, V8 power, ride quality
Cons: Rust, availability of parts for early models
£2200-£24,000
This isn’t a DIY motor, but it certainly is a Range Rover, with brilliant off-road and towing skills. It relies a lot on electronics, but they work wonders – and the deepdown engineering is very robust.
Pros: Great off-road, luxury, image, TDV8 powerplants
Cons: Very complex. Huge running costs
Freelander 2 (2006-2015) £2000-£15,500
The
was
it replaced. It’s a refined and affordable SUV with a strong engine, good equipment and a decent level of practicality.
It’s become one of the most reliable Land Rovers out there, too.
But do be aware of the rear diff and Haldex unit for costly outlays.
The 2.2-litre diesel engine is a strong performer, though for a bargain search out one with the unpopular 3.2 petrol unit. Either way, it’s a fine SUV to drive. Prices have fallen since the production ended, too – £15,000 now gets you a late one on tiny miles.
Pros: Reliability, refinement, economy of diesel engine
Cons: Transmissions can wear quickly if used for towing
own, even today. The problem is that they’re very complex and very, very good at going wrong.
spent at least part of its life being worked on by idiots
The fifth-generation Range Rover takes
position as
Land Rovers, you’re likely to be thinking about how many real ones you could buy with this sort of money. It wouldn’t make a bad way to tow your collection about the place, though…
Cons: To at least 99% of people it’s utterly divorced from reality Range Rover (2022-on) £99,000-£220,000
car to greater extremes than ever, with lavish equipment and endless opportunities for personalisation. It’s a supreme lifestyle wagon for the rich: to many of Land Rover’s traditional fans, on the other hand, it’s the supreme irrelevance.
If you can afford one, few cars could be as pleasing. However if you can afford one and you love
The second-generation Range Rover Sport is 400kg lighter than
the original, meaning it’s almost economical to run. It feels really nimble and agile on the road, too, and it comes with a range of engines giving it a brisk turn of pace. Some won’t like the flamboyant posture, while others will love it. Either way, inside the cabin it’s very nearly as luxurious as the full-house Range Rover.
Pros: Immense prestige, and sublime both to be in and drive
the masses. Given that it was the company’s fastest-selling vehicle, they clearly hit the brief, even if it wasn’t for the traditional Land Rover owner.
It’s actually still a capable thing off-tarmac – but it’s definitely more at home on the road.
Nevertheless, it is economical by Land Rover standards and
If you can afford the SVR model, you’ve got a super-SUV with rap star image. In every case, though, running costs will be vast. Parts don’t get any cheaper because you bought it second-hand…
Pros: Performance, refinement, handling, glorious interior
A Mk2 Rangey in good working order is still a sensational car to
Air suspension failure is the norm. Head gaskets can let go. Electronics are laughably flaky. And parts can cost the earth – as will the labour bills. Perhaps worst of all, nowadays it’s very hard to find one you can be sure hasn’t
Still, you’ll get a classy motor with proper off-road and towing skills. It’s becoming a classic, too, and prices are still tiny considering everything you get.
Pros: Luxury, price, a Land Rover that doesn’t rust Cons: Electrics. Be very afraid Range Rover (1994-2002) £1000-£29,000
Range Rover (2012-22) £15,000-£75,000
range supply copious amounts of power, and its road manners are absolutely impeccable.
It’s startlingly capable off-road, too, even if getting one muddy would feel like bad form. Most that leave the tarmac probably do so only when their owners are in the mood to blow some grouse out of the sky.
Inside, the Range Rover’s cabin is superb, with sumptuous trim and cutting-edge equipment. Prices are, of course, as immense as the vehicle itself. But if you can afford it, so too is the presence a Rangey will give you.
Pros: Class, luxury, engines, vast all-round capability
Cons: Price
Range Rover Sport (2005-2013) £2000-£17,500
The Sport is mechanically similar to the Discovery 3 – meaning it’s
a supreme off-roader as well as being a funky road ride. It doesn’t handle like a sports car, but is agile enough for an SUV.
A Discovery of the same era is far more practical, however, while a full-fat Rangey has more class.
The Sport is still a massively able tow barge, though, in addition to all its other virtues.
You’re looking at a car which many people associate with rich chavs and criminals, however. And being based on the Discovery 3, it can’t help but share that vehicle’s reputation as a money pit.
Pros: Decent performance and all-round dynamics
Cons: A Disco 3 is more usable. Expect horrific running costs
Range Rover Sport (2022-on) £80,500-£145,000
Hilariously, this is what counts as the affordable way in to owning a
because there are so many out there, used prices are tempting. There’s a Convertible model, too, as well as three and five-door tin-tops. We say stick to the latter, and be sure to get one with 4WD. Pros:
Cons: Marmite image. Pricey to buy and run Range Rover Sport (2013-22) £13,500-£65,000 When
new Range Rover. The Sport is less about being chauffeur driven and more about lording it over other aspirational school runners, but once again it’ll be lovely to drive.
Like the full fat Range Rover (a phrase which has never felt more appropriate), the Sport is available with an old-school V8 engine that gives you racecar performance in
has adopted a similiar back end to the
It’s not just the exterior that mimics the looks of the larger vehicle, however, as the Evoque has gained the latest Touch Pro Duo tech and a hike in quality.
The main highlight of the new Evoque is the fact the majority of the range is made up of mild
return for NASA-level emissions. Most UK customers with opt for an altogether healthier plug-in hybrid, but they’ll still get a vehicle that’s brutally fast a well as being able to do the normal Range Rover stuff.
Pros: Smooth, refined, comfy… and game for a laugh, too
Cons: Still hasn’t quite shed its proceeds-of-crime image
hybrids, available with diesel and petrol engines combining to an electric motor. Only the base
The Velar a competent cruiser and has received numerous accolades
because of its particularly handsome exterior. It’s based upon the same architecture as the Jaguar F-Pace but has greater off-road ability and is available with a wide choice of engines, most of which combine good economy with usable everyday performance.
The interior was Land Rover’s most advanced cabin yet when
most reliable units ever. It drives well, too – mated to a manual box it has more guts even than the V8 option, which is surprisingly bland but predictably thirsty.
Whereas the Disco 1 was prone to body rust, the D2 is fine here. Instead, its chassis rots like a carrot, especially towards the back end. Also at the back, seven-seat
it came out. It was very much designed to be a trend setter.
But is there a whiff of style over substance? Well, it’s a very good SUV. But you don’t half pay a premium for those suave looks...
Pros: Stylish design, chic cabin, excellent tech features
Cons: Feels like an indulgence, especially at such a high price
models had air-suspension, with all the horrors that brings.
Mainly, D2 owners will tell you about rogue electronics. And leaky sunroofs. They still love their trucks, though, which says a lot.
Pros: Td5 power and reliability, great all-rounder, lots of choice
Cons: Chassis rust, electronics, leaky sunroofs, air suspension
Discovery 4 (2009-2017) £6000-£30,000
Somewhere between a facelift and a whole new model, the Disco 4
is basically an evolution of the 3. It looks similar and is still a practicality monster, as well as being hugely impressive on and off-road and a hero in front of a trailer, but despite being only subtly tweaked inside feels far more luxurious.
That hasn’t prevented it from suffering all the same issues as time has gone on. You need to
with the same 100” wheelbase and a slick body containing a spacious, flexible cabin. It was well equipped and refined, and it came with the wonderful Tdi engine.
Over time, the Disco’s epic ability meant almost all of them were hammered at playdays. Lower body rust is a big killer, too. So it’s rare to find a good one now,
and capable off-road, genuinely luxurious and a giant of a tow truck, and as well as being able to seat seven adults it can be turned into a van with a totally flat rear load area.
But it was also astonishingly complex, and these days it has a reputation as a money pit.
Air suspension and electronic
and when you do they tend to be priced with a lot of optimism. Very early ones in tip-top condition are full-on classics, too. For a sound one to own, we’d look for a tidy 300Tdi.
Pros: Price, practicality, parts availability. Epic off-road ability
Cons: The body rusts like it’s been doused in sea water
handbrakes are big sources of woe, cam belts are a body-off job to change and rust is becoming more of an issue. Get a good one, though, and it’s all the car you’ll ever need.
Pros: Good at everything. Lots of accessories available now
Cons: The phrase ‘money
start off by buying the best you can possibly afford – and at the top of the market, they don’t come cheap. Get it right, though, and this is as good as a modern Land Rover has ever been.
Pros: Most LR fans’ idea of what a Range Rover should be like Cons: Still a potential money pit, and the best are expensive
Discovery Sport (2015-19) £600-£22,000
body and dishes up an appealing all-round blend of comfort, kit and general driving manners.The third row of seats is only suitable for little ‘uns, though, and off-road it’s a Discovery in name only.
It’s a more practical proposition than the closely related Evoque, and you won’t need to live with the fear of Posh Spice jokes.
There are some tidy deals to be had on late high-spec examples now – though if you do a search for ‘Ingenium reliability’, you might end up deciding to buy something Japanese instead…
Pros: Seven seats. Practical, and capable enough off-road
Cons: Back seats only for kids. Reliability worries over engines
it to be – but it’s much more luxurious than anything else short of a Range Rover.
All the engines in the range are refined and flexible, and its chassis is remarkably supple for such a big vehicle. There’s no end of electronics working away in the background, but the effect is very convincing indeed.
£13,500-£77,000
One in five Disco sales go to the commercial model, which is available as a high-spec luxury tax buster. But every model is a supremely able, flexible all-rounder for work and play.
Pros: Immense blend of class, comfort and practicality
Cons: Feels more like a softroader than a proper Discovery
Series IIB HCB Angus Firefly Fire Engine (1970). Rebuilt bulkhead. New brakes, wheel bearings, seats, 9.00x16s, fuel tank, exhaust, doors. Small amount of fettling required. £9000. Loughborough. 07815 559025 1/25/010
Series IIA 109 Safari (1963). GM 6.5 V8 diesel on veg oil. 3” exhaust. NV 4500 box, Ashcroft trans. PAS. Custom props, Salisbury axles. Galv chassis, parabolics. Custom body and interior. £23,000. London. 07545 167541 03/25/009
Defender 90 XD Wolf FFR HT (1997). 55,000 miles. Remus upgrade. 300 Tdi. Refurbed wheels, Exmoor front seats, Raptor coated chassis. Comes with soft top, gun racks, radio kit. £16,995. Peterborough. 07740 411919 03/25/005
Defender 90 (1987). 184,180 miles. 200Tdi, 5-speed, PAS. Galv chassis, Disco engine and axles. New clutch, brakes, bulkhead, seat box, exhaust, fuel tank. SVX wheels, NAS step. MOT Oct. £17,500. Worcester. 07711 591000 03/25/002
Defender 130 (2006). 156,000 miles. Ground-up rebuild in 2019. Custom Campers pop-top body, full expedition spec, Scheel-mann seats, air-con, Webasto heater, on-board air. £85,000. Aberdeenshire. 07393 985999 1/25/012
Series II 109 (1960). 89,000 miles. Barn find. Needs light commissioning. Chassis looks solid, bulkhead needs welding
Defender 90 Tdi (1992). 110,810 miles. Two owners. Recent battery, slave cylinder, windscreen seal. Around £1200 spent at last MOT. Seats like new. Comes with original steel wheels. £8900. Bristol. 07880 518585 03/25/008
Series I 80” (1950). 25,000 miles. Unleaded valves. Hard and soft tops. SIII Lightweight axles, Facet fuel pump, Zenith carb. On the button. Some work required but nice to drive. £12,500. Llanberis. 07973 853301 1/25/011
Defender 90 300 Tdi (1986). Ex-MOD winterised soft-top. Disco box and axles, uprated brakes, lifted suspension, Cooper STTs. Home-made modified hard-top. MOT May. £5800. Chesterfield. 07891 579071 02/25/006
Defender 90 off-roader (1986). Road legal. 300Tdi, LT77, 1.4 T-case. Snorkel, Warn 8274, ARBs, Ashcroft shafts, cage, Insas, 3” lift, RAC twist kit, LEDs, Gwyn Lewis props, Sparco buckets. £9995. Basildon. 07749 033834 1/25/003
Mobile bar or coffee shop with Roger Young. box body. Stage 1 tune, LOF clutch, Momo wheel on Optimill boss, Wolf rims, BFG KO2s. £22,000. South Queensferry. 07872 181734 1/25/006
Range Rover 6.2 GMC V8 diesel (1982). 190,300 miles. Owned 29 years, over £30k spent inc £12k crate engine. Brooklands bodykit. Stainless side pipes. No rot or leaks. £16,000. Barnsley. 07931 655911 02/25/005
Pickering. 07905 842567 1/25/001
The original Minilite wheel, was probably the most successful competition wheel of the 1960’s and 70’s. As the name suggests, it was originally developed as a magnesium competition wheel for the then revolutionary new Austin ‘Mini’, but its instant success meant that it was soon to be seen on many of the serious race and rally cars of that era. A new iconic style was born, and to this day, all genuine Minilite wheels are made to that original classic design. Originally conceived for race and rally, demand soon grew for road car applications, and has remained so ever since. Minilite wheels are ‘Low-Pressure’ die cast, in high grade aluminium alloy; machined on the latest CNC equipment, 100% pressure tested, and finally powder coated for maximum protection against the elements.
Series 3, Defender 1987 - 2016
Range Rover Classic & Discovery 1
DA3785 8 x 18 Anthracite
DA3786 8 x 18 Black
DA3787 8 x 18 Silver
> Load Rating: 1,220kg
> Offset: ET0
> PCD: 5 x 165.1
> Weight: 11.7kg
> Test Standard: JWL
