1996 Land Rover Defender 110 300Tdi Is For Sale on Bring a Trailer with 4 Days Left at $25,000
A 1996 Land Rover Defender 110 300Tdi, the turbodiesel, five-door wagon version of the iconic British off-roader, this right-hand-drive example was refurbished in South Africa and imported to the US in 2025. It is offered for sale on Bring a Trailer with bidding at $25,000 and four days remaining. The hook is a characterful, diesel-powered Defender wagon bid below market, though its high mileage and a few paperwork items call for a careful look.
What it's worth right now
The model has strong fundamentals. According to Classic.com market data for the Defender 110 wagon, the average sale price is about $55,351, and The Classic Valuer pegs a 300Tdi in average condition at roughly the equivalent of $52,000, with dealer asking prices on clean examples running far higher. Against those figures, the current $25,000 bid sits well below the market, and with four days left, it has room to climb.
The important caveat is that this is not an average example on paper: at 233,000 miles, it is a very high-mileage truck, and while the engine is said to have been rebuilt recently, the odometer and the unknowns around the overseas refurbishment mean it should not be valued like a low-mileage, fully sorted car. Realistically, fair value here lands in the $32,000 to $45,000 range, depending on how the refurbishment checks out, so the current bid is still under that band, but buyers should price in the mileage rather than anchoring to the $55,000 average.
Condition and details
The truck presents well in Metallic Olive Bronze with a black roof, 16-inch Sawtooth wheels, a roof rack, a snorkel, and a leather-trimmed interior with a touchscreen head unit, and the seller reports an extensive South African refurbishment including a media-blasted and sealed chassis, a rebuilt 300Tdi, overhauled brakes, and a serviced gearbox with a new clutch. Several points warrant scrutiny, though.
Much of the work is described as what the seller "was told," since he bought the finished truck in 2026 and has added only about 1,000 kilometers, so the refurbishment quality is not something he can personally verify. There is an active lien on the truck that the seller's lender must be paid off before the title can transfer. The North Carolina title lists the truck as a 1998 rather than a 1996, a discrepancy common with imports but one to confirm. Cosmetic flaws include paint chips on the front bumper and paint cracks on the right quarter panel, and the custom dash deletes the factory bulkhead fresh-air vents, though air conditioning is fitted.
The offer
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
Make | Land Rover |
Model | Defender 110 300Tdi |
Year | 1996 |
Mileage | 376,000 km, approximately 233,000 miles |
Engine | 2.5 liter 300Tdi turbodiesel inline-four |
Power | Roughly 111 hp |
Transmission | Five-speed manual |
Drive type | Four-wheel-drive with a dual-range transfer case and locking center differential |
Exterior color | Metallic Olive Bronze |
Interior color | Black leather |
Current bid | $25,000, with four days left |
Interested in this 1996 Land Rover Defender 110? View the listing here.
What makes the Defender 110 300Tdi unique
The Defender 110 is the long-wheelbase version of Land Rover's legendary utilitarian off-roader, and the 300Tdi engine holds a special place among enthusiasts as arguably the sweet spot of the range. Introduced in 1994, the 2.5-liter 300 TDI turbodiesel four is prized for its mechanical simplicity, torque, fuel efficiency, and durability, qualities that make it ideal for overland travel and hard use far from a dealer.
Paired with a five-speed manual, a dual-range transfer case, and a locking center differential, it delivers the Defender's famous go-anywhere capability. Because these diesels were never sold new in the US, they arrive through the 25-year import exemption, which makes right-hand-drive, South African, and UK-market trucks like this one an increasingly common and sought-after path to Defender ownership. The 110 wagon body, with seating for the whole family, adds practicality to the legend, and values for clean examples have climbed sharply in recent years.
My take
The Defender 110 300Tdi is one of the most desirable classic off-roaders you can buy, and a diesel wagon in an attractive color with a rebuilt engine is a genuinely appealing thing, so the interest here is easy to understand, and at $25,000, the bidding is below where these trade. The honest framing, though, is that this is a high-mileage, overseas-refurbished truck with a few open questions, so it deserves more diligence than a typical listing.
My advice is to treat the refurbishment as unverified until proven: have a Land Rover specialist inspect the chassis and bulkhead for rust despite the claimed blasting and sealing, confirm the 300Tdi's health, understand the lien payoff process through Bring a Trailer's checkout, and clarify the 1996-versus-1998 title question. If it checks out, fair value is in the $32,000 to $45,000 range, so there is still margin at the current bid. Buy it to use and enjoy as the rugged, characterful overlander it is, not as a low-mileage investment piece, and do the inspection homework first.
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. We are not a dealership or broker. All vehicle specifications, pricing, and availability are subject to change without notice. We are not responsible for typographical errors, omissions, or the accuracy of the provided information. Please verify all details directly with the seller.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 8:44 AM.