The Land Rover Defender, initially called the Land Rover Ninety and Land Rover One Ten, is a British four-wheel-drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948. In the final year of US production the engine was improved, designated 4.0 and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. In 1998, regulations changed to require the fitting of airbags for both front seat passengers in all vehicles, as well as side door impact requirements. The Defender could not be fitted with these without major modifications, which given the small numbers of NAS vehicles sold in relation to Land Rover's global sales, were not economically viable. Land Rover retired its utility vehicles at the end of 1997 to focus on its more up-market Discovery and Range Rover models, as well as the then newly launched Freelander. MotoeXotica Classic Cars is pleased to offer the rarely seen, three owner 1997 Land Rover Defender 90 Soft Top you see pictured. This SUV is a rare find due to the fact that only 1500 Defender 90 Soft Tops were imported into the US by Land Rover in 1997 because Land Rover didn’t want to reconfigure the vehicle for the standard required airbags. This Defender even has its original number tag on the back, stating that it is #836. Finished in a shade of teal, the paint on this SUV is in great shape, showing only a few minor imperfections here and there. The entire body is made from aluminum which shows all of the rivet marks throughout the body and prevents rust to the body. The body is in great shape and is exceptionally solid. The black canvas removable soft top is in great shape and shows no signs of staining or wear. The Defender has been lifted and has a few aftermarket options on it. There is an aftermarket external roll bar and brush guard on the front of the SUV. There are cables attached strung to the roll bar to prevent branches from smacking the windshield. Upon the brush guard sits a set of Hella lights and a functional Warn winch. Inside, the interior is finished in black and all looks great. The seats are wrapped in gray Duragrain that shows no signs of imperfection or wear. Duragrain is a durable, vinyl material that is weatherproof which is perfect for when you get muddy offroading! The dashboard houses all of the original gauges and looks awesome. In the back, there are two Tuffy boxes. There is an aftermarket JVC AM/FM/CD player in the center console and a Cobra CB radio in the dashboard. Under the hood, you’ll find the 4.0L V8 Land Rover engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with available 4x4. The SUV is equipped with power brakes, power steering and AC. It also has four wheel disc brakes. The Defender sits upon a two ARB air locking differentials – one in the front and the other in the rear. The Land Rover wheels are wrapped in 35” tires and look great. As this is built for offroading, there is an onboard air compressor if you need to deflate the tires for rough terrain, sand or snow and then want to inflate them later. The air compressor is an excellent tool to have on board and it was a very pricey installation! As mentioned before, this is a very rare SUV as only 1,500 of the soft top 1997 Defender 90s made it to the United States. This would make an excellent investment vehicle, addition to any car collection or a weekend offroad warrior! The VIN is SALDV2247VA109659 and the mileage currently shows 77,013. It is being sold on a clean and clear title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!
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