The model now known by the moniker Defender began in 1983 as the Land Rover 110, followed by the 90 and 127, names that reflected the length of their respective wheelbases. On the surface, the 90 looked a lot like the Series III Land Rover, but subtle changes like a one-piece windshield, longer hood, flat front end and wheel flares to account for the wider axles give the 90 a cleaner, yet still delightfully boxy look. 

Throughout the 1990s, in order to keep pace with SUVs being churned out by other automakers, Land Rover began to get a bit more luxurious and mass-market including the offering of limited-edition variations like the SV90 in 1992 with accoutrements like a roll cage, alloy wheels and metallic paint, and the 50th anniversary 90 in 1998, which came with an automatic trans and even air conditioning. For the record, the only air conditioning you’ll find on this 90 is the breeze from the twin vents directly under the windshield.

All in all, the 90 didn’t change much over its run. The biggest change was when Land Rover decided to change its name, along with the 110 and 127, to the Defender 90, Defender 110, and Defender 130, respectively. In 1989, Land Rover introduced the Discovery model, which represented a switch over from a numeric nomenclature system to something that evoked a bit more emotion. They backtracked a bit on this strategy for a minute with the LR3/LR4, but we’re back to names like Evoque and Velar.