In one form or another, a Land Rover has traveled the world's most remote regions, conquering countless boulders, traversing rivers and rutted two tracks, and scaling massive dunes along the way. Land Rovers make the best off-road machines ever. And thanks to its impeccable off-road credentials, Land Rovers continue to be used in the military, explorers, and even off-road enthusiasts.
Though as brutal as they are, Land Rovers are also a symbol of prestige. The Queen of England still uses one to roam around her country estates, and even one of Pope John II's pope mobiles was a Range Rover. That said, below is a list of some of the iconic Land Rovers every off-road enthusiast should drive.
8 Camel Trophy 110 Defender
The 110 Defender is one of the best vehicles to take on off-road adventures — and the Camel Trophy edition is one of the most capable of them all. The Camel Trophy was an adventure that touched parts of the globe and took Land Rovers through the harshest conditions in Madagascar, Mongolia, Zaire, Siberia, and Borneo.
The 1998 Camel Trophy off-roader is a unique Land Rover Defender powered by a 2.5-liter 300tdi turbodiesel inline-four paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It comes equipped with a Mantec steering wheel, fuel tank guards, Warn winch, Brownchurch bull bar, Hella spotlights, roll cage, and Michelin XZL tires. This defender is worth the adventure.
7 Land Rover Series IIA Pink Panther
The Pink Panther often referred to as "Pinkie," is a customized Land Rover Series 2A built for the British Special Service who operated in the desert warfare in the Middle East. The choice of color may seem odd, but it is believed that it was the most effective livery for camouflaging vehicles in the desert, especially at dusk and dawn.
These vehicles were accoutered with four fuel tanks, a heavy-duty suspension, sand tires, front and back differential guards, and a spare tire mounted to the front. It also came with a general-purpose machine gun, an anti-tank weapon, rifles, and grenade holders for military purposes. With only 20 left, this legendary rover is now sold for $82,600. And even with that price tag, the Pink Panther is one of the cheapest military vehicles civilians can buy.
6 Bowler Bulldog
The Bowler Bulldog is an impressive race and road car known for its winning credentials in rally racing. Under its hood, the vehicle comes with a choice of gasolline or diesel V6 engines from the Range Rover Sport. The 280 horsepower diesel engine is the most popular choice for rally raiding, since it requires a much smaller tank to complete the 250-mile rally stage without a stop.
As for the transmission, it uses the Land Rover eight-speed ZF gearbox coupled with Bowler's clever cooler. The Bulldog may look odd at a glance, but it is for sure the best for going in ultra-tough desert conditions.
5 110 SVX Spectre Defender
The 110 SVX Spectre Defender were vehicles exclusively made for the 24th James Bond film — Spectre. With ten 110 Defenders needed, the British marque — Bowler modified the cars, while only seven survived during the movie-making process. Among the seven, one was a road-legal used for the drive-by scenes.
The car came with massive 37-inch Maxxis Trepador tires, an upgraded suspension that included rose joints, and Bilstein rally dampers to their race specifications. The interior had the notorious traditional feel but with an added class of Recaro Sports Seats which added its dominance. Overall, these cars are "The Ultimate Defender."
4 Cuthbertson Tracked Land Rover
The Cuthbertson Land Rover is a tracked vehicle built to go where standard 4x4s cannot — heavy snow, waist-deep mud, and thick marshes. The military purposely used them in the explosive clearing as it was lighter than a tank. It came equipped with wheel-sized sprockets to drive the tracks and a mighty crankshaft-driven power steering to make turning possible.
It's not known how many Cuthbertson units were built, but it's estimated that less than 20 left the factory. For this reason, these Land Rovers have popped up on the radar of both collectors and enthusiasts.
3 Trans-Americas Expedition Range Rovers
The British Trans-Americas Expedition was an event intended as the first vehicular crossing of the entire American continent. Although not the first of the Darien Gap, the expedition was one of the first real-world tests for the first-generation Range Rover.
As a result, two 1971 Range Rovers with registered numbers VXC 765K and 868 were released to take the 18,000 miles long Pan-American Highway. The only upgrade given to these Rovers were heavy-duty towing eyes, unique bush bars from the two bumpers, and a petrol tank guard. In all, the Trans-Americas Expedition Range Rovers are worth an off-road enthusiast's companion.
2 Flying Huntsman 6x6 Pickup
The Flying Huntsman 6x6 Pickup is a modified Land Rover designed by the team at Kahn Design. It wears an intimidating set of extended front and rear fenders with integrated vents made from lightweight materials. Powering the monstrous pickup is a 6.2-liter GM-supplied LS3 V8 engine that produces 430 horsepower.
With only a limited number of 20 units produced every year, along with everything else that comes with this car — image, many wheels, open load space, and diesel engine — one will also get a plaque with names of the team who coach-built the vehicle. The Huntsman 6x6 pickup is an iconic Land Rover every off-road enthusiast should drive.
1 Land Rover Hot Rod
This outlaw Land Rover Hot Rod may have some cringing, but this thingy represents all that is good about the British automotive legend. The grille of this Landy is from a 1948 Series 1, and the rest of the front end is a Frankenstein Monster, with bits and pieces taken from subsequent editions. It's been assaulted with the grinder and welder approaching reckless abandon — but for sure, it screams creativity.
The Hot Rod has been sold on a few times, but once in a while, it makes people gaze while others smile when it gets spotted on highways. In all, one has to be a Land Rover enthusiast to drive this vehicle.