Countys for Beginners

**JDNSW** · 23rd September 2011, 05:55 AM

"County" is a trim level term used by Leyland/Landrover for Rangerover, Series 3, 90/110, and, I think, Defender. However, since the 110 station wagons sold in Australia pre-Defender were all County trim, and labelled prominently as such, the term is often misused to describe all pre-Defender coil sprung Landrovers in Australia.

The models of these that were sold here were only supplied with the choice of the Isuzu 4BD1 and V8 in the 4x4 and the 4BD1T only in the 6x6. All were assembled in Australia with varying amounts of Australian input.

All were described as "110" but included a 120" cab/chassis and a 6x6 cab/chassis. 90 and 127 were not sold in Australia in this period. First introduced in 1984, and discontinued in 1989 with the change to Defender, which was not sold in Australia for about another 18 months. Body styles of the 110 were cab/chassis, station wagon, utility, and hardtop, and a limited production of dual cab V8s in 1987 for the bicentennial authority. The most common was probably the wagon or the cab/chassis. Probably most wagons had the rather unsuccessful factory air, which did away with the vents.

There is, however, no distinct break between the Defender and its predecessors, with progressive changes to both - the Defender was not a new model, it simply was a new name, coincident with the introduction of the Tdi200 engine that was introduced for the Discovery. With the Defender, the only engine sold in Australia has been the diesel. As examples, the push button doors came in about 1987. These required the seats to be moved inboard and a smaller steering wheel, and the body capping became painted rather than galvanised at this time. Similarly, the LT95 box was replaced in the V8 in 1985 and the 4BD1 in 1986. All 6x6s had the LT95. And only the first couple of years of Defender production had drum rear brakes. Side facing rear seats were fitted to most 110 wagons, but only early Defenders, although always optional, as was the centre front seat.

John

**OLR-067** · 23rd September 2011, 07:43 AM

A couple of small things I have noticed include:

Factory green glass tint. Not sure if this for all 110 run or if was included in Defender range.
The headliner material is different to later defenders.
Stage 1 type B pillar material covers on interior.

Cheers,
Paul

**Bush65** · 23rd September 2011, 08:21 AM

As JD said 'County' refers to the trim. Only the wagons - not the cab chassis or tray tops - were supplied with county trim.

**Loubrey** · 23rd September 2011, 08:23 AM

As JDNSW said, County is a trim level. In the UK all Defenders are still available in XS which is "full house" with heated leather seats, heated windscreens and a host of pretty things for those who stay on the black stuff most of the time. The next level down is the County, which still retains carpets, but is your more functional set-up and significantly cheaper than an XS. From there you go down in luxury until you reach plastic seats, mats and all the rest.

Wikipedia has a very accurate timeline for the development of the first 90/110’s and how the vehicle developed. Defender was a name given as a marketing exercise and many countries’s have since had specific editions of the car, but they all remain Defenders.

Australia is the only country with Isuzu influence on the car, while South Africa had the 2.8 V6 petrol out of the BMW 325. Therefore XS, County, Extreme, Tomb Raider, Signature and all the other names associated with Defenders are for marketing purposes only and has little or no effect on the mechanical development of the vehicle. Obviously Puma relates directly to the engine, but it’s a name used as a nickname by users like us alone. The vehicle’s actual name is Defender Tdci or Td4 depending on where you are same as previous ones where Td5’s, 300Tdi’s etc. Land Rover does not use “Puma” as a marketing description for the vehicle at all.

Early 80’s 90/110 had V8 petrol engines, 2.5 normally aspirated diesels (turbo strapped to same engine a year or two later) and a few specific ones for various countries like the Leyland straight six petrol in South Africa and Australia’s specific development the other guys have been talking about.

**p38arover** · 23rd September 2011, 08:26 AM

Were the rear seats (2nd row, not loadspace) mounted higher in Defenders? I once had this mentioned by a Defender owner.

**VladTepes** · 23rd September 2011, 10:00 AM

A 127 diesel twin cab would be my ideal landy !

**JDNSW** · 23rd September 2011, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by p38arover

Were the rear seats (2nd row, not loadspace) mounted higher in Defenders? I once had this mentioned by a Defender owner.

I don't think so - but I do think they had thicker and deeper cushions, and I suspect may have been mounted further back by an inch or two to allow for this.

John

**Quarks** · 23rd September 2011, 11:18 AM

Quite a few things changed during production anyway.

By '89 the gal cappings were colour coded; and the roof ribs had gone too.
The second row seats in the County were of later style continued in the Defender: however I do suspect they may have been lower or shorter in length or something as there seemed to be more legroom in the County than in the Defender.

**isuzurover** · 23rd September 2011, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by p38arover

Were the rear seats (2nd row, not loadspace) mounted higher in Defenders? I once had this mentioned by a Defender owner.

Yes - but the later 110 (countys) got that too.

"County" models were sold until 1991 AFAIK. As mentioned there were lots of changes along the way. A friend has a '91 county which has push button doors, painted (non-galvanised) cappings, the "defender position" seat which is also split-folding, etc etc...

My 1987 county has painted and galvanised cappings.

These vehicles also have thicker/stronger trailing arms.

**isuzutoo-eh** · 23rd September 2011, 11:54 AM

Most of a County's mechanical bits are stronger/heavier duty, except the three bolt steering box.
The Counties that I have seen have all had a bench rear seat rather than split fold like Deffer 110s. They also had the rear side facing seats, albeit most removed by now. In that glorious brown colour that Defenders owners are glad to miss out on.

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