Land Rover Defender

Arde

Arde

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On Friday there was a stunning Land Rover Defender retro, British Green, parked in front of our office. I started reading about these cars and I see that have been illegal in the US for quite a while. It had Montana plates, but still US illegal. Is this the limited edition that costs 350k$ that may be legal (they built a handful), or the Himalaya restorations? (https://drivehimalaya.com/content/The-Vehicles.html).
Are these cars worth it or just snobbism?
 
Apparently they had no airbags when the US made them mandatory.
 
Not illegal. My wife always wanted a Defender, we test drove a bunch in the 90's at the dealership. IDK if illegal now, certainly not then and also grandfathered.
 
Weird, I was just looking at a Defender classified ad in my area on Friday.
 
They sold them in the US for a few years also, but not that many. It is cheaper to import them. Since they have been made for so long, people were importing them with a swapped VIN to bypass the 25 year restriction.
 
Not that one, this one I mean:
www.caranddriver.com

Land Rover Launches Rough, Ready, Retro Defender V8 Trophy Edition

Nostalgic conversion of the old-school Defender is not cheap at $270,000, but only 25 people around the world will get one. None of them will be in the U.S.
www.caranddriver.com www.caranddriver.com

Dick Steinkamp said:
europe.autonews.com

Land Rover Defender returns to North America after 21 years

Jaguar Land Rover confirmed U.S. and Canadian dealers will, for the first time in a generation, again be selling the all-new version of the Defender off-road vehicle.
europe.autonews.com europe.autonews.com
Click to expand...
 
Arde said:
On Friday there was a stunning Land Rover Defender retro, British Green, parked in front of our office. I started reading about these cars and I see that have been illegal in the US for quite a while. It had Montana plates, but still US illegal. Is this the limited edition that costs 350k$ that may be legal (they built a handful), or the Himalaya restorations? (https://drivehimalaya.com/content/The-Vehicles.html).
Are these cars worth it or just snobbism?
Click to expand...

My good buddy is a Defender fan, and there are myriad possibilities for the identity of the one you saw.
In the 90s, there was a four door North American Defender with the external roll cage. About 500 imported, before they stopped US Defender sales. But I think all of these were white.

Many companies, Arkonik, HImalaya, East Coast Defender, and others will sell you a pre 1995 ROW (rest of the world) Defender, which is legal to import now, that has been modified and tricked out. My buddy has an 80s four door Defender built by East Coast Defender, with basically everything new. A Chevy V8 and an six speed auto. New leather, front and rear AC etc. He paid 125k about 4-5 years ago and then sold it during COVID for significantly more. These would be not CARB compliant I bet, hence the Montana tag. My buddy was living here in FL when he bought his.

What you saw MIGHT have been a ROW Final Edition Defender, but it would have to come into the US under "show and display" rules, which limit you to 2500 miles per year. Some Porsche 959 came in this way.
 
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I remember high school with a single house on the entrance road. Blonde women drove a Defender. At cross country practice seeing this women (70's so actually seeing this women!). So I married a blonde haired women who wanted a Defender. What's wrong with that!
 
Pictures, or it didn't happen.

bavbob said:
I remember high school with a single house on the entrance road. Blonde women drove a Defender. At cross country practice seeing this women (70's so actually seeing this women!). So I married a blonde haired women who wanted a Defender. What's wrong with that!
Click to expand...
 
craterface said:
My good buddy is a Defender fan, and there are myriad possibilities for the identity of the one you saw.
In the 90s, there was a four door North American Defender with the external roll cage. About 500 imported, before they stopped US Defender sales. But I think all of these were white.

Many companies, Arkonik, HImalaya, East Coast Defender, and others will sell you a pre 1995 ROW (rest of the world) Defender, which is legal to import now, that has been modified and tricked out. My buddy has an 80s four door Defender built by East Coast Defender, with basically everything new. A Chevy V8 and an six speed auto. New leather, front and rear AC etc. He paid 125k about 4-5 years ago and then sold it during COVID for significantly more. These would be not CARB compliant I bet, hence the Montana tag. My buddy was living here in FL when he bought his.

What you saw MIGHT have been a ROW Final Edition Defender, but it would have to come into the US under "show and display" rules, which limit you to 2500 miles per year. Some Porsche 959 came in this way.
Click to expand...

The NA spec defenders came in yellow and green. Back in the late 90’s my GF’s neighbor had a yellow one. In the early 2000’s I knew a
guy who had a forest green one.
 
Markos said:
The NA spec defenders came in yellow and green. Back in the late 90’s my GF’s neighbor had a yellow one. In the early 2000’s I knew a
guy who had a forest green one.
Click to expand...
I think the NAS four door Defender only came in white--two doors were in many colors.
 
Have not seen one yet that did not cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road. Worked at a British car shop for a couple of years , not so long ago and when any Defender came in, it had a multitude of problems, used to rub our hands together because the rent was easily paid that month.

Thanks, Rick
 
Love mine.

94CB89F6-596F-43E6-956B-70FAB40054C6.jpeg
 
Arde said:
On Friday there was a stunning Land Rover Defender retro, British Green, parked in front of our office. I started reading about these cars and I see that have been illegal in the US for quite a while. It had Montana plates, but still US illegal. Is this the limited edition that costs 350k$ that may be legal (they built a handful), or the Himalaya restorations? (https://drivehimalaya.com/content/The-Vehicles.html).
Are these cars worth it or just snobbism?
Click to expand...
Hi guys ,
I’m in Ireland so it doesn’t affect me over here. But the Us authorities definitely don’t seem to want them on the roads.
Mind you considering that this one has had its identity altered, it could be stolen or something so I can understand why they crushed it if that was the case .
 
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