Land Rover® 90 *Imminent Tax & MOT Exemption – Late Release* (UAV)

For sale, Land Rover® 90 in Drab Olive Camouflage (1987). 

Diesel 2945cc. Will be supplied with 12 months MOT (last one required before exemption). Only 78,152 Miles From New – Just 2000 A Year From New! Late Release From Forces in 2011. Just 2 Former Keepers Since Release. Bonnet Mounted Spare. Exterior Side Aerial. Pioneer Tools. Rocky Mountain Aluminium Door Tops. Central Cubby Box. Outer Standard Seats With 3 Point Inertia Belts. Rear Bumperettes. NATO Hitch. Military 750×16 Tyres.

We are delighted to present for sale this low mileage Land Rover® 90, which was only released from the British Armed Forces in 2011, and has had just two former keepers since release. This particular example has covered just 2000 miles a year since new, and next year, will not require road tax or an MOT test.

Externally, as the photos show, this Land Rover® is finished in original Drab Olive Camouflage, with lots of period military details of note – from the front bumper with towing pintle, to the bonnet mounted spare, red bonnet catches, external whip aerial, pioneer tools mounted on the rear (as they should be, and very handy for adverse weather!), military screw lenses for no tools required bulb changes, rear bumperettes and a NATO hitch to allow towing a trailer, with associated electrics. We really enjoy selling early 90s sporting their military looks – they are “ready to use” and look great no matter the environment – whether at a show, on a city street, or out on the tarmac, or an off road course! Black steel rims with military 750×16 tyres fill the arches and complete the look well.

On the inside, there are a pair of front standard seats, both of which enjoy inertia reel belts for usability and safety. There is a central cubby box fitted, which is handy for stowing items out of sight. The whole vehicle locks, so it is good to note that it is also secure, should you wish to leave anything inside. It is great to see surviving military touches, like the passenger map light and central convoy switch, which is still used to operate the side and main lights. The rear is entirely unfitted, but could house bench seats on request for £595 to bring seating to six people including the driver – at present, there is just a rear load mat to protect the floor, should you wish to carry something without causing any damage. Interestingly, if you also wanted to turn this into a Station Wagon effect type vehicle, this can be achieved for just £995 for a set of proper, Defender-type sliding side windows…. meaning that for just £1590, you could have a vehicle which sat the whole family in comfort, should you wish to do this. We prefer in these cases to keep the blank canvas, so that an owner may put their own spin on things… as you may wish to convert the rear into a camping area, or a coffee shop, or to carry tools, the dogs, or bikes – etc etc.

Out on the road, the barely run in 2.5 Diesel engine is a joy – whilst it is true that they will not win any speed rewards, the reason the forces retained these vehicles was both down to rugged simplicity… there are no ECU’s or OBD ports here, just mechanical engineering… as well as low down torque, which makes them ideal for towing. We have seen these vehicles with verified mileages of over 5x the 78,000 currently on the clock, just with routine servicing and no real dramas. This feels like a Defender 90 to drive, with coil springs and front disc brakes and a five speed all-synchro gearbox – but it can be maintained at home with a £15 Haynes Manual, without having to pay painful dealer labour rates. If you aren’t “handy” , don’t worry – any old school garage can easily look after this motor, and they do not need to be a Land Rover® specialist to do so.

As an added bonus this vehicle is just one year away from MOT & Tax exemption – a real bonus if you plan to only use it at specific times of the year, or if you live in London (it will be ULEZ and Congestion charge exempt too, under current regs!), or if you want to leave it at a holiday home. Saving £350 a year on road tax is a real plus, and when compared to a later TD5 or TDCI engined Defender 90, which can attract a yearly bill of £785 a year for just the road tax, this one starts to make a lot of sense… and it’ll still be rocking thanks to that mechanical engineering set up long after the TD5 and TDCI have succumbed to “electrical arthritis”.

In summary then, if you are looking for a low fuss, cost effective Land Rover® 90 to run about in – this could be ideal. With the added benefits of rugged simplicity, vintage cool “army looks”, classic insurance and impending MOT & Tax exemption – this really is a great opportunity for the new owner to get a raft of benefits without being lumped with a driving experience of a Series…. it really is the thinking mans choice, wanting a Land Rover® which will stand the test of time and be a loyal companion for years to come, at likely minimal ownership expense.

SOLD