Photo: Mecum
A little more than a year ago, British carmaker Land Rover introduced the new generation of the Defender. Just like the original, the revived SUV was launched in two body styles, called just like before 90 and 110. But that is where all similarities with the old generation end.
Originally, the Defender of the 1980s was offered in several body styles, ranging from a 3-door SUV to a 3-door panel truck. Somewhere in between, there was the funky-looking 2-door pickup. The current generation lacks that, at least for the moment.
That means that, at least for now, if we want a taste of British-made pickups, we should look at the pre-owned and custom markets to find one. And that’s exactly what we did, as we uncovered this 1987 Defender 90, waiting to go under the hammer at the end of the week, during Mecum’s Houston, Texas auction.
Granted, this is not an all-British affair per se, as it has been modified across the pond and turned into an almost cutesy, passive-aggressive, short high-rider (still a right-hand drive, though).
Starting with the orange paint and ending with the black detailing in key places, this here pickup is quite a sight. The massive 20-inch wheels shod in rugged tires sit very close to each other, taking the body even higher from the ground than you would expect and making one wonder about how stable the whole thing is.
In case it topples over, the pickup is fitted with a custom roll bar out back. If it doesn’t topple over, it can move along under the power of the 2.5-liter diesel engine (we are not given the specs of the engine), worked through a 5-speed manual transmission.
Mecum does not say how much it hopes to fetch for this crazy-looking Defender, but we’ll find out pretty soon - the pickup is scheduled to go under the hammer on Saturday, December 5.
That means that, at least for now, if we want a taste of British-made pickups, we should look at the pre-owned and custom markets to find one. And that’s exactly what we did, as we uncovered this 1987 Defender 90, waiting to go under the hammer at the end of the week, during Mecum’s Houston, Texas auction.
Granted, this is not an all-British affair per se, as it has been modified across the pond and turned into an almost cutesy, passive-aggressive, short high-rider (still a right-hand drive, though).
Starting with the orange paint and ending with the black detailing in key places, this here pickup is quite a sight. The massive 20-inch wheels shod in rugged tires sit very close to each other, taking the body even higher from the ground than you would expect and making one wonder about how stable the whole thing is.
In case it topples over, the pickup is fitted with a custom roll bar out back. If it doesn’t topple over, it can move along under the power of the 2.5-liter diesel engine (we are not given the specs of the engine), worked through a 5-speed manual transmission.
Mecum does not say how much it hopes to fetch for this crazy-looking Defender, but we’ll find out pretty soon - the pickup is scheduled to go under the hammer on Saturday, December 5.
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