1988 Land Rover Defender 90

- 2.5L 4 Cylinder Turbo Diesel
- 5 Speed Manual
- 115k Miles
- Imported From The UK
- Tons of Paperwork and Recent Service

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1988 Land Rover Defender 90 on a website other than our GarageKeptMotors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 140 high-definition photographs, a short walk-around-and-startup video, and a link to its accident-free U.S. Carfax report, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)

“As the ultimate version of the original Land Rover, (the Defender 90) proved capable of meeting just about every off-road challenge.... “ –Hagerty

The Land Rover Defender has a 70-year history across five generations of the model. “Legendary”—too often applied to various automobile brands—is an apt description for this rugged, simple, highly capable four-wheel-drive vehicle. A veteran of British military service, many an African safari, and service to celebrities from Winston Churchill to Paul McCartney, the Defender satisfies in a way no lesser off-road-capable vehicle really does.

Across its first three generations, the Defender hadsuffered from one criticism: those vehicles could be uncomfortable, and so, hard to live with. The Land Rover people addressed this issue head-on with the launch of the Defender 90. “(The Defender 90) marked the first time a Land Rover utilized the coil-spring suspension from the Range Rover to replace the old cars' archaic leaf-spring design. Various quality-of-life improvements like a more comfortable interior and modernized engine lineup made tremendous strides in on-road driving manners.” (Motor Trend)

Alas, only a very few Defender 90s were ever allocated to the U.S. market, just 2,000 per year over a four-year run. Offered here, is a right-hand-drive Defender 90 privately (and legally) imported to the U.S. from England in 2018. Showing just under 116,000 miles (or fewer than 3,500 miles per-year, on average) on its odometer, the well-earned Land Rover reputation for longevity promises many times that number still remain to be traveled, explored, and conquered.

The truck's exterior dark-gray metallic paint is shiny and uniform across the body with some minor chips and routine wear indications. The roof is painted silver whileblack bumpers, grille-surround, mirrors, wheels (in textured black), running boards, and other trim complete a restrained look, but undeniable presence. Cabin glass and lighting lenses are free of cracks or damage. Badges and emblems are all in place, and the spare-tire cover still sports the identity of the British servicing dealer in East Sussex. The rear of the body features bumper steps and a ladder for roof access.Out front, the tops of both fenders feature factory textured-steel anti-slip surfaces for safe servicing during inclement weather.

Inside, the gray-and-black theme continues with the straightforward Land Rover dashboard in gray. An under-dash shelf and between-seat storage box are in place. Black vinyl seat upholstery on the front bucket seats (the inside bolster on the driver's seat shows some wear) and two rear, center-facing bench seats. In keeping with the overall character of the vehicle, cabin floors in silver are covered in easy-to-clean rubber matting. The floor-mounted 5-speed manual transmission shifter and transfer case controls operate in standard fashion.

Under the hood, the 2.5-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder powerplant resides in a very clean and tidy engine compartment. All components are in place and properly mounted. The vehicle's undercarriage is similarly tidy and very clean for its age. There is no indication of suspension or exhaust-system damage from too-aggressive driving. All data tags are in place and unaltered, and the Defender comes with extensive documentation and service history.

The sound condition of this Defender 90 is faithfully presented in the more than 140 high-definition photographs together with a short walk-around-and-startup video and a link to its accident-free U.S. Carfax report are available at the GarageKeptMotors site. That said, there is no substitute for an in-person, up-close inspection. We encourage such inspections by interested parties at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. We ask only that an appointment be made by phone or email in advance. Our showroom is not open to the public.

The group marketing director of Jaguar Land Rover once put it this way: “Defender is the epitome of toughness, of ruggedness, and of strength and most importantly, of capability.”

We'd call that “truth in advertising.”