A batch of 13 as-new Defenders from the final weeks of production is being put on the market.
Each of the six-year-old Land Rovers has been dry-stored since rolling out of Solihull. They all still have between 10 and 20 miles on the clock, ensuring they all remain in pristine condition. All are top-spec XS models with 90 and 110 wheelbases, in Corris Grey, Indus Silver, Santorini Black or Montalcino Red.
The Defenders are part of a batch of 240 which TwistedAutomotive bought from Land Rover as production ceased on 29 January 2016. All were registered after the factory line had shut down. Nearly 200 have been modified and sold to customers since then, but the time has come to thin the collection further, says Twisted boss, Charles Fawcett. ‘Our workshop is fully booked for a year, if not longer, and I’ve always thought I’d like to release some to private individuals as they are – so it makes sense to sell them now.’
How fresh are they?
Although the Defenders are currently unmodified, they will require a small degree of modification before sale, in order for Twisted to fulfil a contractual obligation to Land Rover. This can be limited to a power upgrade, wheels or suspension work, adding around £2000 to the listed price (see below).
Despite not being on the road, all the delivery-mileage Defenders have been regularly started, cleaned and maintained. They've also all received replacement fuel pumps, says Charles. ‘They’ve had half a tank of fuel all this time, and when we were giving them a service last October we noticed that one or two of the in-tank fuel pumps were just starting to have some gremlins, so we replaced 60 of them at once. They’ve all had some love and are ready to go.’
What are delivery-mileage Defenders really worth in 2022?
When bought from Land Rover in 2016, these Defenders would have been worth around £30,000-£35,500. Today they’re expected to fetch around double that, even after accounting for inflation. Including VAT, they are priced between £69,600 for the 90 XS Hard Tops and £88,800 for the 110 XS Station Wagons.
If those valuations may seem far-fetched, take a look at recent auction results. There are buyers willing to spend this kind of money. Last September a 2016 Defender 90 XS with 107 miles on the clock fetched just over £61k. Two months later a 2016 Autobiography Edition 90 with 180 miles set the auction record for very late, delivery-mileage Defenders, reaching £77,063. Even so, those mileage are still beaten by this latest batch of 13.
Coming a close second in the auction rankings is the 20-mile 110 XS Utility Wagon which attracted £75,900 at this summer’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. That vehicle was also from Twisted’s stable.
Any further appreciation is debatable, and would depend on the vehicles continuing to be dry-stored. But anyone doing so would be unable to benefit from tax incentives which may make the purchase price easier to swallow in the first place. Charles says: ‘I think they’d suit someone with a business that has a legitimate use for a Land Rover workhorse. They’ll make use of the current 130% capital-investment tax relief in year one, then use the vehicle carefully, and buy it out of the business a few years later.’
All of the 13 Defenders have N1 commercial status.
