Unique: The locally made 1999 110 Land Rover Defender
Something I have noticed while working in the motor industry is the love the people of our nation have for bakkies and off-roaders. In fact, we almost can’t get enough of them. Whether it’s the Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger, there’ll always be a passionate discussion about the utilitarian vehicle sector.
We are seeing companies such as Peugeot attempt to take on the off-roading bakkie segment with the Landtrek. Look, the discussions about 4x4s have taken place in bars and at sports fields and work sites for generations. We all have a family member or friend who will take any opportunity to share their story of the Toyota Hilux or Land Cruiser that they drove for one million kilometres.
But there were a few 4x4s that never really caught the eye of the public and yet have a special history developed right here in South Africa.
The vehicle in question is a Land Rover Defender. A rather special one. Over the decades, it’s been the vehicle of choice for intrepid adventurers and movie stars.
The Land Rover Series One is where this British legacy begins. Series One ruled between 1948 and 1958. World War II changed the mindset of consumers, forcing vehicle manufacturers such as Rover to broaden their horizons. Many began building trucks similar to the Willys Jeep, which showed the world the capability of a rugged all-wheel-drive vehicle during the war. The Land Rover was inspired by the Jeep’s capabilities and saw an increase in demand for off-road capable, utilitarian cars.
The four-wheel drive workhorse entered production in 1948. It displayed to the world a new name that would stick around — the indomitable Land Rover. Coming in a variety of options with different body styles, wheelbases and door numbers, Land Rover ploughed its way to the farmland of the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Land Rover Series Two and Three ruled the farmlands until the early 1980s when we saw a minor change, the 90 and 110 models to the world. These numbers refer to the length of the wheelbase in inches. The Land Rover 110 was introduced in 1983 and the 90 a year later. But only in 1990 did we finally see the name that off-roaders have grown to love, the Defender. Still available in the 90 and 110 wheelbase variants, the Defender was a brilliant option for general farm use.
In South Africa, a special variant was brought to life by a rather curious man, BMW chassis engineer Frank Isenberg.
The story of the BMW-powered Defender is a typically South African story, where a man had a car and a different engine and asked the question that has sparked many a braai-side debate: “Will it fit?”
Fortunately for Frank, the engine fits well. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise because the previous motor that was originally fitted to the Defender was a 3.5-litre V8. The transplanted motor was the M52 2.8‑litre inline-six naturally aspirated engine from cars such as the E36 328i BMW.
One of the main reasons for this engine swap was that customers were unimpressed with the rather sluggish V8. Frank believed the M52 motor would make the vehicle more interesting to drive and he was right. Land Rover ended up manufacturing nearly 1 000 of these BMW-powered Defenders and they were sold only in South Africa.
My experience with this Frankenstein vehicle was highly enjoyable. And the owner, Vernon Keys, is passionate about his Land Rovers and has a sense of humour too. When we asked him where his passion for Land Rovers stemmed from, he responded, “I would prefer to collect Porsche 911s, but the kids changed that dream rather quickly.”
Nevertheless, while spending time with him and one of his prized Defenders, I quickly came to learn that this vehicle is full of character. Yes, you don’t have your typical comforts such as a radio or any kind of cooling apparatus. And yet, this SUV makes any trip an adventure. Even if you are just taking it to the shops.
Vernon reckoned it needed a once-over and a little performance boost, which is fair considering that this monstrously large vehicle produced just over 100kW. No official power figures were recorded for the BMW Defender but I can assure you it’s somewhat sluggish. So he tuned the Landie slightly and added a performance exhaust fabricated by Rob Green. When the car is pulling itself through the dirt tracks, it produces a spectacular noise.
Like most old cars, this one has a story. Well, the fibreglass roof has a story. Despite its inability to protect the driver from rain, the roof on this Defender was taken from a different Defender, which was used by an American photographer. He travelled all over Africa, showing the world the incredible landscapes and the diverse nature our continent has.
Vernon’s Land Rover has only 76 000km on its odometer, impressive for a 23-year-old vehicle. This Defender has a few extras that off-roading aficionados would enjoy: bead-locking wheels, a suspension lift kit and a custom-fabricated rear door.
This might not be the most powerful 4×4 out there but it most certainly is capable. When approaching an object the vehicle tackles it with ease. Since it is an old-school farm truck, it does creak and clank around but it puts a smile on your face because you know it was built for a purpose and not necessarily to be the most comfortable suburban runabout.
The locally made 1999 110 Land Rover Defender is powered by a BMW engine. About 1 000 vehicles were manufactured and sold only in South Africa.
What I love about this boxy beast is how long the bonnet is and how far forward the wheels are. It took me a while to trust the fact that the wheels are right out there in front and we won’t scrape the lip. We recently had a bakkie on test that traumatised the team off-road because of a compromised approach angle, but I won’t name any names.
It’s incredible that a farm truck with an internationally respected name has a model that was created right here within our borders. It is a bizarre connection between a sports car and a 4×4 that works. The 1999 BMW Land Rover Defender looks the part and sounds even better, but it’ll set you back a bit — about R300 000. It’s a truly beautiful off-roader with so much personality, style and enough space on the back perpendicular benches to fit a large family, about 12 members to be exact. I love how creative South Africans can be; it was a rare treat to experience such a beautiful Mzansi machine.