My favorite classic Defender edition right there, a 110” wheelbase panel van that is actually used by the owner for his profession, in this case landscaping. Its straightforward livery is the finishing touch.
The landscaper’s Defender is powered by a 2.4 liter, Ford Duratorq ZSD-424 four-cylinder diesel engine, turbocharged and intercooled. This series of engines was also used in the Ford Transit vans and trucks. For this off-road/SUV segment that’s a rather small turbodiesel and with 122 DIN-hp it’s also substandardly powerful. Alright, let’s say ‘adequately’ then, just for the sake of it.
More than adequate though is the Defender’s registered payload capacity of 1,240 kg (2,734 lbs), whereas its towing capacity of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) is exactly what one would expect for such a vehicle.
The usual, portable landscaper tools, clothing and other small stuff are stored behind a closed door (singular, because Defender). Anything bulky and heavy goes on an open trailer, such as loose mulch/soil, trees, shrubs, sod rolls, sand, brick pavers, tiles, poles, fencing materials, clippings, wheeled/tracked machinery, a Wacker, you name it. As long as it’s landscaping related, for the record.
To meet the Dutch regulations for a registration as a commercial vehicle, specifically the inner height dimensions, the center section of the roof had to be slightly raised. So that’s not a pop top roof à la cozy Volkswagen camper van. All work and no play.
Roger Carr’s in-depth Land Rover article:
A no-nonsense work truck; what’s not to like?
In a semi-CC effect, I recently read a web post about the short-lived 63-65(?) Jeep Panel Delivery, which was based on the then-new Wagoneer. It was, at least conceptually, a lot like this Defender. But apparently not many Americans felt the need for a 4WD delivery vehicle, so it sold poorly and only lasted a couple years.
Back then the Wagoneer was also available in 2WD. I suspect that the delivery panel was more likely to have that than the expensive 4WD.
True. But everybody else sold 2WD Panel Deliveries, too, so buyers had choices. There was a tiny niche market for a 4WD panel, maybe rural mail carriers in the snow belt and large-animal veterinarians? And they bought the handful they needed and the market dried up.
Strictly speaking, 4WD/SUV panel vans are never used here as pure delivery vehicles. These are simply an ideal combination of a registration as a commercial vehicle (cheaper to buy and to run), a satisfactory towing capacity and -when needed- good off-road capabilities (especially with the trailer attached). Under the hood: an obligatory turbodiesel.
I found the picture below on the owner’s FB-site, hooked up to the Defender is a flat-/dump bed trailer. Very common among landscapers, you see such trailers with all sorts of dropsides (low, tall, double layers, metal fences).
I’ve never seen a panel van version of the Defender in person because the few European examples that make their way across the Atlantic are inevitably passenger versions.
I do like how the owners kept the Land Rover sticker at top of the windshield that reads “The Best 4 x 4 x Far” – in my opinion, that’s one of the best advertising slogans ever.
This example is representative of the European Defenders that are most often imported to the US – saw this one just last year:
Nice presentation, Johannes! Stateside, we certainly had them with four-wheel drive. Attached is a 1967 International Travelall Panel Truck 4×4. So, Evan, yes, we had them!
It’s a funny thing that the stripper commercial variants of certain vehicles are the most attractive: a windowless T3 VW van springs to mind, for example. Or a Morrie Minor windowless van.
Perhaps this Landie could only be bettered by a long-wheelbase ute version, though I’m unsure if later Defenders were sold in that form.
Anyway, stripper or not, the Queen ‘erself used to drive these, so I guess you’ve gotta defend ‘er. (See what I did there? Actually, I’m a republican, so I don’t, but you get the drift. Also, for any monarchists lurking about, I didn’t mean to imply the Queen was a stripper, though of course, old Phil may’ve had other views – literally, I’m guessing – but I digress).
Order! Order!
Landrover made pickup versions of the 90 and 110 until the end of production in 2016. They also had a 110 double cab that was based on a 110 station wagon with an open rear, a 110 High Capacity Pickup with a more conventional separate box as well as a 130 Double cab and the 110 and 130 were available as a chassis cab which could be fitted with a flat bed or tray top in Australian. At one point they als made a 110 double cab “van” with no rear seats or side windows and some sort of bulkhead behind the second row.
Apparently Landrover still had to tweak vehicles to meet Dutch regulations. I have a book of specialist Landrovers from the 90s, and Dutch Discovery vans had to have a fiberglass raised roof (made by Terberg) to meet interior volume requirements and the Dutch market Defender 130 double cab was a unique variant with an integral rear body like the 110 pickup instead of the usual 110 Hi Capacity style bed and a 129″ wheelbase instead of the usual 127″ to meet the required length of cargo area ahead of the rear axle.
Very few 110 hard tops make it to the US, but I did see a Swiss registered 110 hardtop with a pop top camper conversion in 2009 or so and I occasionally see priately imported 110 hardtops.
In this case, only the center section of the roof had to be tweaked. An aftermarket job done by some Dutch specialist. Multiple companies do SUV-to-panel van conversions, but the article’s Land Rover was a simple job, as these already come from the factory as a van (110 Hard Top 3-door). Unlike, say. a Land Cruiser 150-series (Prado), Jeep Grand Cherokee or Mercedes-Benz GLE.