This is a 1992 Land Rover Defender 110 200 Tdi that took part in the Camel Trophy in 1993, when the event was held in the jungles of Sabah, Malaysia.
After the Camel Trophy the vehicle was sold by Land Rover to one of its own employees, who kept it for 20 years, using it for family excursions. It was parked up a number of years ago and largely forgotten about, and it’s now being offered for sale in the hopes that the new owner will recommission it and get it back on the road.
Fast Facts – An Ex-Camel Trophy Land Rover Defender
- This 1992 Land Rover Defender 110 200 Tdi participated in the 1993 Camel Trophy in Malaysia. After the event, it was sold to a Land Rover employee, who used it for family trips. It has since been parked and is now being offered for sale to be recommissioned.
- The Camel Trophy, which started in 1980, became a major event, using modified Land Rovers for international off-road competitions. Vehicles were heavily upgraded with roll cages, auxiliary tanks, and winches, among other modifications. It ran until 2008 when it was replaced by the G4 Challenge.
- This specific Defender was one of a dozen or so specially upgraded by Land Rover for the Camel Trophy. Modifications included roll cages, heavy-duty suspension, and extended fuel tanks. After competing in Malaysia, it was returned to the UK and used by a Land Rover employee for 20 years.
- The Defender is powered by the reliable 2.5 liter 200 Tdi engine, producing 109 bhp and 188 lb ft of torque. It has a 5-speed manual transmission with a dual-range transfer case. The vehicle remains in original condition and will require recommissioning before being driven.
The Camel Trophy
The Camel Trophy was never originally intended to be the global juggernaut it would become. The first event held in 1980s was made up of three Jeep-driving German teams exploring the Amazon Basin.
Above Video: This is the official video recap of the 1993 Camel Trophy in Malaysia. Unfortunately it’s only available in German, however it does offer a good look at just how challenging the event was.
As the idea grew the organizers turned to Land Rover to provide the vehicles and to tobacco company Camel for primary sponsorship.
As a result, all of the Land Rovers (and Range Rovers) used would be painted in Sandglow Yellow and they would carry a “Camel Trophy” shield on the front of their roof rack.
Before the vehicles were shipped out by Land Rover they were significantly modified by the Land Rover Special Vehicles division with internal and external roll cages, auxiliary fuel tanks, uprated suspension, snorkels, underbody protection, winches, roof racks, spotlights, and more.
Once the competition was complete some Land Rovers remained in the country, some were bought by their teams, and others were returned to Britain where they were sometimes used for promotional purposes before being sold into private ownership.
Over the 20 years that the Camel Trophy ran they used a vast array of different Land Rover vehicles including the Range Rover Classic, Land Rover Series 3, Land Rover 90, Land Rover 110, Land Rover Defender, Land Rover Discovery, and finally the Freelander.
After the year 2000 with cigarette advertising being banned in motorsport the Camel Trophy morphed into the G4 Challenge which followed much the same format.
This Defender comes with a range of original spare parts that will be very interesting to those seeking an original Camel Trophy vehicle.
This series ran until 2008 when the Great Recession sounded its death knell. It’s never been held since.
The Ex-Camel Trophy Defender Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is one of the original dozen or so 110 Defenders built by Land Rover and upgraded by them specifically for the Camel Trophy. The upgrades list is extensive, and often incuded things like internal and external roll cages, an additional fuel tank for extended range, upgraded heavy duty suspension, underbody bash plates, winches, roof racks, and much more.
This particular ex-Camel Trophy Defender was shipped back to the UK after its time competing in Malaysia, where it was bought by a Land Rover employee. He would keep it for 20 years, using it for family excursions and the like before parking it up a few years ago in a garage and largely forgetting about it.
The vehicle now remains in largely original condition throughout, but it will need a recommissioning before any driving is attempted – either on road or off. It’s powered by the Land Rover 200 Tdi engine, this is a 2.5 liter turbocharged and intercooled inline-four with an iron block and an aluminum head.
The 200 Tdi is capable of 109 bhp at 3,900 rpm with 188 lb ft of torque at 1,800 rpm. It uses a Bosch fuel injection system, a Garrett T2 turbocharger, and it has a compression ratio of 19.0:1. The engine quickly gained a reputation for good reliability and fuel economy, and it was used in the Defender, Discovery, and some Range Rover models.
This Defender is powered by the 200 Tdi, a 2.5 liter turbocharged and intercooled inline-four, which is capable of 109 bhp at 3,900 rpm with 188 lb ft of torque at 1,800 rpm.
Power is sent back through a 5-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case to either the rear wheels only or all four wheels. The Defender is built with body on frame construction, a steel ladder frame chassis, and live axles front and back on coil springs.
This Defender is now due to roll across the auction block with Iconic Auctioneers. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Iconic Auctioneers
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