2008 Land Rover Defender SVX Edition 60th Anniversary
Registration no. SN58 LME
Chassis no. SALLDVBT790A770547
Engine no. ELD00080912115910

Following the successful reception of the all-new Land Rover Discovery in 1989, it was decided to give the traditional Land Rover its own name: Defender. Now boasting bold 'Defender' logos, the Land Rover continued its seemingly inexorable process of development, gaining disc brakes and power assisted steering as standard during the 1990s together with a host of other improvements. Despite, or perhaps because of, being recognisable related to the very first Land Rover of 1948, the Defender retained a steadfastly loyal customer base; indeed, in the UK in 2013 it even managed to out-sell the Range Rover. Improvements would continue to be made regularly until production of the traditional Land Rover Defender ceased in January 2016.

One of only 200 made for the UK market, this rare and highly collectible Land Rover Defender SVX 60th Anniversary Edition was delivered new to the Turks and Caicos Islands (a British Overseas Territory) and has had only one previous keeper in the UK. It comes with comprehensive service history having formerly been part of a private collection and has covered just over 12,000 miles from new.

The Defender 60th Anniversary Edition was released in 2008 to celebrate the original Land Rover's introduction at the Amsterdam motor show in 1948. Its power unit is the Ford-derived 2.4-litre direct injection diesel engine, which is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Notable special features include Recaro bucket seats; more luxurious carpeting; aluminium trim embellishments; five-spoke alloy wheels; and the distinctive silver grille and headlight surround that set this Defender apart from lesser examples. Unimaginable back in 1948, the car also boasts iPod connectivity and Garmin satellite navigation. All SVX models were finished in black. Since the vendor purchased the Defender in August 2021, dealer-kit alloy kick-plates have been added.

The vehicle comes with its book pack and other documentation including service records, which begin in 2012 at 6,166 miles. By the 2013 service the Defender had covered 10,010 miles. There is then a four-year gap until the 2017 service when the indicated mileage was 10,256, followed by services at 10,521 miles in 2018 and 10,613 in 2019.

The end of Defender production only served to increase the demand for good late examples such as this rare 60th Anniversary Edition, and there can be very few with such little mileage under their wheels. A true future collectable.