Gung-ho activity on the special-body Land Rover front

There was strong interest in the ex-military and special bodied Land Rovers offered at Bonhams MPH sale in Bicester in September. A ’93 Defender 110 V8 ex-american Special Forces made £49,500, a 1968 Series 2a EX-SAS Defender Pink Panther sold for £47,250 and an ex-reuters 1990 Defender 110 V8 media truck – whose sister vehicle is in the Imperial War Museum – made £19,125.

Look at the wider market and you’ll see that anything Land Rover with rare military specs or unusual bodies now at strong money. A private seller in Surrey has a ’90 Defender Wolf 90 soft top (a toughened MOD version with stronger chassis and axles) for £19,995, while another private man in Cumbria has a ’76 Forward Control 101 V8, with full military markings and accessories for £21,995. There’s also a 2012 Defender 110 in Southampton with a £20k bespoke Dormobile camper conversion and 15k miles for £55k. Manor House Automobiles in Stretton Under Fosse has a ’94, 130 lhd 300TDI crew cab with canvas tilt and 95k miles for £29,995 and another private enthusiast in Corfe Castle is offering a 1954 Series 1 fire tender needing recommissioning for £24,950. There are several reasons for this price invigoration – 25-year-old-plus Land Rovers are exportable to the hungry US market, the official end of Defender production has galvanised interest, and Landy enthusiasts are now looking for the rarest variants with the lowest production numbers. Things like high-capacity pick ups, crew cabs, utility wagons, fire tenders and ambulances are all on the wanted list. Weird Landys are hot.