They don’t make them like they used to

This Land Rover Defender ‘tipper’ is not an aftermarket conversion, but was built by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations on a Defender 130 Crew Cab chassis. J346UDU was first registered in april 1992 and was powered by a 200tdi engine.

It could be ordered new at any Land Rover dealer, and not just in commercial white. The 1992 Land Rover Special Vehicles sales brochure (LR SVO584/92) shows an identical 130 tipper conversion in red, also with chequer plate on the front wings, and a drawn version in yellow. Besides the 200tdi engine, the 130 was available with a 3.5 litre V8 petrol engine. The wide rimmed 6.50jx16 wheels (ANR1534) were standard on 127/130 wheelbase Defenders, and are now very sought after. The bonnet mounted sparewheel looks standard 6jx16.

The photos of J346UDU were taken in the early nineties during a Land Rover model presentation on the parking lot of the Dutch distributor (also Rover and MG) in Vianen.

Ronald Janus
De Autoboerderij