Land Rover Defender 30th Anniversary Edition celebrates the original

The original Land Rover Defender’s stint on the American market started during the 1993 model year. The company is commemorating this anniversary by releasing a limited-edition version of the current model called the Land Rover Defender 30th Anniversary Edition that features a throwback design.

Based on the Defender’s four-door 110 P300 S trim, the 30th Anniversary Edition is exclusively offered in Fuji White with 18-inch steel wheels painted white. The first Defender 110s sold here were white with white wheels as well. Land Rover added wheel arch flares, mud flaps, side steps, a deployable ladder on the driver’s side and a roof rack, while a classic-style emblem on the rear door adds a finishing touch to the look.

While the first-generation Defender was as tough as it was rudimentary, the 30th Anniversary Edition offers a long list of features including LED headlights, a sliding panoramic roof and a three-zone climate control system. It also comes standard with the Cold Climate, Tow, Black Exterior, and Off-Road packs, which bundle equipment such as an electronic active differential, a trailer hitch and a heated steering wheel.

Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. By comparison, the 1993 Defender sold here was powered by a 3.9-liter V8 shared with the Range Rover among many other British cars (trace its roots for long enough and you’ll end up at the Buick headquarters in 1960). It was tuned to deliver 180 horsepower and 227 pound-feet of torque, and powered the four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

Land Rover will build 500 units of the Defender 30th Anniversary Edition for the American market, a number chosen because only 500 units of the 1993 Defender 110 were modified to meet regulations and sent to the United States. Pricing starts at $75,000, meaning it’s cheaper than its predecessor. In 1993, Land Rover charged $39,900 for the Defender 110, a figure which represents about $81,000 in 2022.