1998 Land Rover Wolf Defender 90 Bronze

The Kinlee Collection illustrates our vendor's lifelong devotion to improvement. Eclectic, yes, but each motor car represents an aspect of our vendor's personality. Having bought many cars from us over the years, we appreciate our vendor's loyalty in returning the nostalgic Escort RS16000 and much-improved E-Type back into our care for the next custodians. Before we come to the extraordinary Wolf Defenders, the unique restoration of the 110 Pick-Up started out as a wager between our vendor and his friend, who together have changed the skyline of a major city, and whether he'd recognise his old car once it had gone through our vendor's private workshop, he didn't!

Our vendor's appreciation of engineering started early, awarded Student of the Year five years running whilst ignoring the obvious distractions of 1970s college life. With success came fast cars and a classic Aston Martin or two, but one day, an interest for improving a certain type of Land Rover began and became a passion that has grown into a private workshop with skilled technicians who do take their time when restoring the cars and maintaining our vendor’s fleet of classic Astons, Jensens and more. Finally, when asked by this consignor of the significance of Kinlee, our vendor referred us to his favourite song by The Kinks: I’m Not Like Everybody Else.

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.

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.

These unique vehicles can’t be compared to a standard defender, as they were originally built to withstand the rugged requirements of the army for the MoD. This former FFR hard top model has been transformed since its retirement from the services in 2013 after a quarter century of service. Subject to a full body-off restoration in 2022, to give it a new civilian life whilst retaining its unique stance and muscular go-anywhere presence and converted to the soft top. In addition to the superb Nara Bronze and black colour combination with each panel being painted individually before being reassemble, the attention to detail is superb.

The exterior is fitted with black powder-coated stainless steel bumpers, rock sliders and body armour by Uproar 4x4. The complementary tan interior and steering wheel is by Exmoor Trim, load bay kit by Willis Systems and a bespoke mohair soft-top by All wheel Trim to top off the look together with Wipac LED lights. Fitted with a 'pioneer kit' and genuine Blindo wheels used by the Military for WMIK models, freshly powder-coated and shod with Cooper STT tyres. Like all Ministry of Defence Land Rovers, the odometer is in kilometres, and the current reading of 109,000km, or 67,729 miles, is largely immaterial

Our vendor has requested the Wolf’s history from the Ministry of Defence under the Freedom of Information Act, and should be available by the auction and will have a fresh MOT by that time.