1997 Land Rover Defender Wolf 90 - Special

The Wolf, based on the Defender 90 and 110 Defender, was introduced in 1994 but it took two years of testing, rejection, upgrading and further testing before the Ministry of Defence was satisfied. It was far stronger and more reliable than the standard car on which it was based as a result. An order for some 8,000 Wolf Defenders was placed in 1996 by the Ministry of Defence at a cost of some £40,000 each for the basic Wolf. Some 97 variants were produced and they included the Air Drop, Ambulance, Helicopter Support Platform, Tropical Field Ambulance, Waterised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit and Winterised/Waterproofed Field Ambulance

The Wolf’s mechanical list is extensive but, in brief, it featured a 113bhp, 300TDi engine with no electronics except for the fuel pump solenoid, rust proofed chassis from new, gearbox cooling system, reinforced front bulkhead, rails and sills, reinforced Salisbury rear axle and standard reinforced front axle with uprated differentials. It's not known how many Ministry of Defence Wolf Defenders were scrapped due to combat damage or quietly sold to foreign armies and NGOs, but most open topped 'canvas tilt' Defenders rarely survived Army use and Royal Navy cars suffered from their proximity to the sea. Far outnumbered in production by their hard-topped siblings, the canvas backed Wolf rarely saw domestic service as the hard top was better suited to the British weather and most were therefore in left-hand drive for overseas use.

This 90 Wolf was originally registered in 1997 to the Ministry of Defence and used by the Royal Air Force, bearing the military registration mark KA71AA. We are informed it was stationed in various regions within the UK and the odometer reading, (in kilometres, like all Wolf Defenders), of 117,000km, suggests that the Wolf traversed nothing more arduous than the occasional 'cat's eye' or a motorway rumble strip, whilst being maintained by the diligent technicians on base. Upon decommissioning, it was registered to the first of two civilian keepers on the 1st January 2020, later undergoing a significant programme of works to such a high standard that this Wolf has been likened to a former SAS trooper tailored by Armani, stylish but still capable.

Finished in metallic grey with high quality fixtures, the interior is trimmed in quilted black leather with contrasting stitching, polished metal accents and the front seats are heated. The black canvas tilt is lined in cream cloth whilst the rear features high quality woodwork upon which the two quilted leather bench seats for four sit. The front doors are a unique combination of period and luxury and the entrenching tools are a wry nod to the car’s history and capability.

Presented to auction with its V5C, an advisory free MOT valid until July 2023 and records of its interesting history, this Wolf is more than just a “tarted up” Defender. It offers a unique opportunity to own a high-quality, luxuriously appointed Land Rover that was built to defend this country.