The 1997 Land Rover Defender 90 you’re looking at has already attracted bids well in excess of the starting price of a 2023 Defender 90. Is it worth it?
This particular Defender is a left-hand drive model that was acquired by the seller in Spain last year before being exported to the U.S. in early 2023. It now has a clean Oregon title and a clean Carfax report and recently underwent a refurbishment. Prior to this refurbishment, the Land Rover was painted green but it is now finished in a lovely shade known as Brooklyn Metallic Grey that suits it perfectly.
Read: Land Rover Refuses To Let Go Of Old Defender, Keeps It Alive With New Parts
While it obviously lacks the creature comforts and luxuries of a modern-day Defender, the fact that the black soft top and the top of the doors can be removed and the windshield can be folded down transforms it into the ultimate beach cruiser. The listing adds it is also sitting on black 15-inch steel wheels wrapped in 235/85 Cooper Discoverer STT Pro tires.
The Defender’s cabin is dressed in brown leather with microsuede inserts. There is also wood-slat flooring, an electronic rearview mirror, a Marshall speaker incorporated into the center console, a Pioneer head unit with Bluetooth, and two cupholders. The Nardi Torino steering wheel with a wooden rim also catches the eye.
Power comes from a 2.5-liter turbodiesel inline-four engine that produced 111 hp and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque when it was new. This engine is coupled to a five-speed manual transmission and there’s also a dual-range transfer case and a locking rear differential.
The high bid at the moment of this writing is at $72,500 over at Bring A Trailer.
