Lot details
Registration No: DPB574J
Chassis No: 35001249G
Mot Expiry: Oct 2019

- Lovely example restored to a high standard

- Later five bearing 2.25 diesel fitted, new Exmoor seats, original waxoyled solid chassis

- Deep dish steel wheels with recent tyres

This immaculate long wheelbase Series IIA Land Rover has been the subject of a very high standard restoration as recently as 2015 and is presented in the pleasing combination of Cream over Light Green with Black interior trim. The original solid chassis has been retained and Waxoyled, and is powered by a five-bearing 2.25-litre diesel unit. The Landie rides on deep dish steel wheels shod with new tyres. The vendor presently regards the bodywork, paintwork, interior trim (including new Exmoor seats), powerplant and four-wheel drive transmission as all being in 'excellent' order. Though exempt, 'DPB 574J' is MOT'd until October 2019.

That the last of the Defenders is immediately recognisable as a direct descendent of the Land Rover launched at the 1948 Amsterdam Motorshow is huge testimony to Maurice Wilks' original design. The Landie was designed for light agricultural use and to create the cashflow required to kickstart Rover's post-war passenger car production. The irony of its longevity is that production was only intended to run for two-three years. Instead, it rapidly became the workhorse of the world. The model steadily progressed from a single offering with 1.6-litre petrol engine to a complete family of long and short wheelbase derivatives with an ever increasing choice of engines. By the time of the Series IIA, production was at its all-time peak of over 60,000 vehicles per annum. In addition to record sales, the model dominated many world markets, accounting for around 90% of the 4x4 sector in Australia, Africa and the Middle East. The Series IIA is considered by many to be the most durable of all the Land Rover Series vehicles.