Land Rover Defender history: from the Series to the 2020 Defender

Land Rover Defender (1990–present) history

The Defender grew directly out of the Series Land Rover. In 1990 Land Rover relaunched the line and renamed it Defender 90, 110 and 130, introducing a new 2.5-liter turbocharged direct-injection diesel. Land Rover counts more than 67 years of continuous Series-to-Defender production at Solihull.

In the US, the original Defender was last sold for the 1997 model year. Land Rover notes that North American-specification ('NAS') Defenders have since become sought-after collectors' items. Global production of the original ended in 2016, after a trio of end-of-line editions in 2015.

An all-new Defender debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019 in 90 and 110 body styles, with petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid power and wading depth up to 35.4 inches. In the US the Defender 110 went on sale in spring 2020 from $49,900 and the Defender 90 First Edition in summer 2020 from $65,100.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]

Years and production numbers

Generations and key variants

Engine and drivetrain facts

• The 1990 Defender introduced a new 2.5-liter turbocharged direct-injection diesel.
• The 2019 Defender was announced with petrol and diesel engines plus mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options; Land Rover's reveal release did not list US horsepower figures.

Sources:[1],[5]

What changed over the years

1. 1990Utility Land Rover renamed Defender 90, 110 and 130.
2. 1997Last US model year for the original Defender.
3. 2015Trio of end-of-line limited editions.
4. 2016Last original Defender built at Solihull.
5. 2019All-new Defender revealed at Frankfurt in 90 and 110 bodies.
6. 2020New Defender on sale in the US.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[5]

What to check before you buy one

• For an original Defender in the US, confirm whether it is a factory NAS truck or a later import, and check the VIN and import paperwork match the title.
• Inspect the original Defender's steel chassis and bulkhead for corrosion beneath the aluminium body.
• For a 2020-or-newer Defender, decode the VIN to confirm body style, engine and any hybrid system before comparing listings.
• Run the VIN for open recalls and confirm the work with a Land Rover retailer.

Model-specific problems by generation are tracked on our Land Rover Defender known issues page.

Land Rover Defender (1990–present) prices and values

Medians of asking prices, not transaction prices; every trim is blended, so performance variants usually sit well above these medians. "Below new median" compares each model year's median used listing with the median listing price of a new 2026 Defender today. More in our Land Rover Defender depreciation study.

How to verify a Land Rover Defender (1990–present)'s factory options

Decode the VIN to confirm a Defender's body style, engine and build, and check that imported originals carry matching import paperwork.

Defender-badged vehicles all postdate the 1981 VIN standard, but the Series models that came before them do not; most original Defenders were never sold in the US, so imported examples need their import paperwork checked.[7]

For pre-1981 examples, the data plate and engine stampings carry the original factory codes; a VIN-based build lookup does not apply to them.