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Last of an Era at Scottsdale Auction ... The Final Land Rover Defender 90


 

Santa Monica, Calif., 10th January, 2020

Gooding & Co. is offering a rare opportunity to acquire a Land Rover of particular significance at their Scottsdale 2020 auction starting January 17: The #300 Limited Edition (of 300 produced) Land Rover Defender 90, making it the very last Land Rover Defender 90 built for the North American market. Estimated at $200,000-250,000, it will be sold at No Reserve.

A Commemorative Limited Edition

In 1947, Maurice Wilks and his brother, Spencer, designed and built the first Land Rover on his farm in Newborough, Wales, UK, using military parts and equipment. Even the now-famous pale green paint on early exteriors was military surplus for aircraft interiors. First unveiled at the 1948 International Amsterdam Motor Show, the rugged off-road Land Rover was an immediate success and quickly became a mainstay for military, police, and civilian use throughout Great Britain. In 1951, King George VI issued Land Rover a Royal Warrant, the first of many throughout the revered company’s existence.

The Defender was introduced in 1983 as the Land Rover Series III, a modern truck compared to its predecessors, including coil-spring suspension, full-time four-wheel drive borrowed from the Range Rover, an updated interior, a one-piece windscreen, and a new series of more powerful engines. A faithful Land Rover workhorse, the Defender continued as the vehicle of choice for British and Australian military and police units. The British Special Air Service and even US troops famously used Defenders in the Gulf War when it was found they worked better than the US Humvees in urban situations. In the US, Defenders were a highly coveted recreational vehicle, a more exclusive alternative to Jeep.

Unfortunately, in 1997 domestic safety regulations put an end to the Defender’s success in the States. Unable to fit the U.S.-required passive restraint systems, Land Rover announced in 1997 that it would stop exporting the iconic British 4 x 4 to the States. To commemorate the end of the line, Land Rover had built 300 Limited Edition North American Specification (NAS) Defender 90s, in Willow Green.

Exceptional Features

The swan song of the Land Rover NAS Defender 90 – #300 of 300 – was originally acquired from a North Carolina dealer, and has been appreciated by six subsequent owners, covering 36,000 miles since. It has a white roof and gray twill vinyl seat upholstery with gray rugs. It also features diamond-plating at the front wings, lower sills, side steps, and ladder rungs. There is an original full sleeper rack with two ladders, A-bar front-brush guard, Warn 9,000-pound winch, rear light guards, and four high-mount Hella driving lights. Powered by a 4-Litre V-8, the car comes with automatic transmission and air-conditioning.

The Scottsdale Auctions
Dates
Friday, January 17 at 11:00am and Saturday, January 18 at 11:00am
Location
Scottsdale Fashion Square, 4700 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 | Corner of N. Scottsdale Road and E. Highland Ave.
Public preview
Wednesday, January 15 – Saturday, January 18 Auction catalogues: $100, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General admission
$40, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Live auction broadcast
www.goodingco.com

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