- The North America–spec Land Rover Defender sport-utility vehicle came to the U.S. between 1994 and 1997.
- This yellow softtop, up for auction at Bring a Trailer, is one of only 7000 official imports during that period.
- Its 3.9-liter V-8 makes 182 horsepower and works with a five-speed manual gearbox and twin-speed transfer case.
We love the current Land Rover Defender, but it will always be a tribute act to an iconic original. That original was the classic square-edged Land Rover that was produced through various iterations all the way from 1948 to 2016. Today’s top find on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is one of the last to be officially imported into the States: a 1994 Defender 90 convertible in a vibrant shade of yellow and with just 38,000 miles on the clock.
The Defender brand was created for the U.S., inspired by Land Rover’s popularity with the British military and first applied when the coil-sprung model was introduced here in 1990. Prior to that, like all of its predecessors, the Land Rover’s only model designation had been its wheelbase in inches, so 90, 110, or 130. The Defender was much more advanced than the earlier leaf-sprung Land Rover, but it was still a simple beast, using live axles at both ends with permanent four-wheel drive through a two-speed transfer case.
North America–specification Defenders had substantial modifications over versions sold elsewhere, including full external cages to allow them to meet rollover protection standards. All were powered by a 3.9-liter version of Rover’s long-lived pushrod V-8, the one that had started life as a Buick motor. In the Defender, this made 182 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, sufficient to propel the five-speed manual version from zero to 60mph in 10.2 seconds when we tested it back in 1994. That’s sprightly for any off-roader of that era.
Both hardtop and softtop Defenders were sold here, with our BaT pick being one of the cabriolets finished in what was known as AA Yellow. It’s a color shared with the vans from the U.K.’s leading breakdown service of the era. It looks superb in the pictures, and although there are some subtle modifications including LED headlights and taillights, it still presents as standard. Acknowledged minor faults include a missing speaker cover on the driver’s door, cracked trim around the hood release catch, and a fading rearview mirror.
One thing this Defender does lack is the option of air conditioning, which would be controlled by an absent two-dial console that sits above the clock on the dashboard. Something potential buyers in hotter states may want to consider; the car is currently in Florida. (And yes, it is possible to retrofit air relatively easily.)
NAS-spec Defenders remain relatively rare and highly desirable. Just over 7000 were sold between 1994 and 1997, when airbag regulations forced an end to sales. Although there are increasing numbers of Europe-spec Defenders coming here under the 25-year rule, there are some well-documented risks to such imports. This one is a true original.
Senior European Correspondent
Our man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond. He has previously held staff roles on U.K. titles including CAR, Autocar, and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend toward the Germanic: he owns both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16.
