This 1997 Land Rover is one of 656 Defender 90 examples built for the South African market between 1997 and 2001 with a 2.8-liter BMW M52 gasoline inline-six, and it was acquired by the seller in 2025. It was refurbished in blue over black custom leather upholstery before it was imported from South Africa to the UK, and it has been retrofitted with LED lighting, a Defender-branded hard spare tire cover, 16″ Sawtooth alloy wheels, and a Boss touchscreen stereo head unit linked with Kenwood speakers. Additional equipment includes a five-speed manual transmission, a dual-range transfer case, a locking center differential, a blue hardtop, disc brakes, inward-facing rear bench seats, all-weather floor mats, and air conditioning. The seller notes an intermittent starting issue. This Defender 90 project is now offered by the seller in the UK with a refurbishment summary and V5C registration.
The seller-provided summary in the gallery indicates that the body was removed from the frame during the refurbishment, and the seller tells us that Arles Blue was selected to finish the exterior. Replacement weather seals are said to have been installed, and equipment includes a blue hardtop with alpine windows as well as fog lights, LED headlights and turn signals, folding side and rear steps, mud flaps, black wheel arch extensions, windshield vents, and a custom front bumper with LED fog lights. The fuel filler cap lock is inoperative, bubbles are present in the paint near the rear door handle, and the seller notes corrosion on some of the exterior hardware.
Gloss black 16″ Sawtooth alloy wheels and 265/75 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A K02 tires were installed during the refurbishment, and the seller notes that the steering linkage and stabilizer were replaced, along with the springs and ball joints. A swing-away spare tire carrier has been added out back, and stopping power is provided by discs at each corner.
The front bucket seats and inward-facing rear benches are upholstered in black custom leather upholstery with quilted inserts, and matching leather extends to the center console armrest. Interior sound insulation and carpeting were installed during the refurbishment, and additional appointments include front seat heating elements, a heated rear window, air conditioning, electric front windows, all-weather front floor mats, a Land Rover-branded rear cargo area mat, Kenwood speakers, a rearview camera, and a Boss touchscreen stereo head unit with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto connectivity. A portion of the front headliner is sagging, the left door lock only engages from the outside, and the retrofitted central locking system is inoperative.
A two-spoke steering wheel fronts a speedometer with a replacement 125-mph dial as well as a tachometer, and auxiliary gauges for coolant temperature and fuel level. The digital odometer shows 297k kilometers (~184k miles), approximately 2,300 kilometers (~1,500 miles) of which were added under current ownership.
The BMW 2.8-liter inline-six was factory rated at 192 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. The seller tells us that fluid changes were performed in September 2025, and a replacement ECU and fuel pump are said to have been installed in March 2026. An intermittent starting issue is present, and the seller tells us that further diagnosis will be needed. A video of the engine cranking is viewable in the gallery.
The seller-provided summary above lists work performed during the refurbishment, and the remaining portion of the document is viewable in the gallery.
Power is routed to all four wheels through an R380 five-speed manual transmission, a dual-range transfer case, and a locking center differential. The seller tells us that the chassis was media-blasted before it was finished in black during the refurbishment. The clutch was adjusted in 2025, per the seller.
The vehicle is being sold on its UK V5C registration.