When I interviewed entrepreneur and adventurer Jeff Willner in December about his plan to drive two old Land Rover Defender 110s from London east to New York City, he bemoaned the cost of his favorite adventure vehicle. “It’s just too valuable now,” he said. “You can’t get your hands on a 110 for under $100,000 in the U.S. or Canada. I think the price of Defenders has gone up 50% since COVID started just because people are putting their money into cars.”
Outrageous asking prices for original Defenders — that is, those made before Land Rover redesigned the vehicle — is not a new concept, and we’d agree that, unless you absolutely have to have one, it’s probably best to buy something else (like a new one). But sometimes a Defender comes along that will be worth the inevitably ridiculous price tag.
Today, one such vehicle has appeared: a 2016 Defender 110 Adventure, the last of its kind ever produced, and one of the last original Defenders ever to roll off the production line, which is currently up for auction through the site Collecting Cars.
“To mark the end of a 67-year production run, Land Rover celebrated the Defender with three special edition models: Autobiography, Heritage and Adventure,” the listing notes. On January 29, 2016, a two-door Heritage 90 was the last Defender to come off the production line at the company’s iconic Solihull factory in England after the original line was discontinued. But earlier that month, this four-door Defender 110 Adventure that’s up for auction was the last of its kind to drive away, number 600 of 600. The Adventure trim includes upgrades such as a snorkel, roof rack, rear ladder and better underbody protection, among other things.
As part of the listing, Collecting Cars has provided video of the event, where factory workers lined up to mark the occasion. Additionally, underneath the front passenger floor mat is the signature of Land Rover’s production director at the time, another mark of this vehicle’s importance.
Besides the symbolic number, this Defender has the distinction of only having been driven 52 miles in its six-year life. “The car remains in pristine, as-new condition throughout,” as the listing states, surprising no one.
So how much will this U.K. lot sell for? At the time of writing there are six days left in the auction and the top bid is £35,250 (about $47,940). Collecting Cars expects that price to eventually top £80,000 (about $108,500, right on the money for Willner).
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