Do they sell 90 and 110 HARD TOPS in OZ?

**jimr1** · 31st March 2015, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by JDNSW

The windowless hardtop is, as far as I know, unique to the UK, a side effect of vehicle classification rules. They have never been sold in Australia, although a few would have been personal imports. For example one Series2a I have is such a vehicle - with side windows added since it arrived in Australia!

John

I had a Series 2a hard top , with tail gate , and lift up hatch . It was ex army , with a Holden 186 motor , ended up on the ex son-in-laws farm . I think It is still there !!.. Jim

**JDNSW** · 31st March 2015, 06:26 PM

Not clear from your reply , Jim, whether you referred to a windowed or windowless hardtop. Windowed hardtops have been sold in Australia since Series 1, and windowless ones have been made to special order from time to time, including some for the army. Windowless hardtop nineties have never been sold in Australia, and even windowed hardtop 110/Defenders have been becoming less common over the last couple of decades.

Nineties have only ever been sold here for a few of the years since they were introduced, and have never been anywhere near as popular as the 110 five door and the cab/chassis 110.

John

**YOLO110** · 31st March 2015, 07:22 PM

Many thanks guys. Useful info.

I guess it would be no worse than a 'panel van'!

**Pickles2** · 1st April 2015, 07:43 AM

"Hardtops" seem to be very popular in the UK, still are from what I've read & seen.
Never appealed to me as much as the Station Wagon version though.
Pickles.

**Lagerfan** · 5th April 2015, 01:17 PM

Hardtops are crazy popular in Ireland too, you see more of them than windowed Defenders driving around. My guess is there is some kind of tax break there as all kinds of 4x4s seem to have "solid" rear windows, maybe classes them as commercial vehicles or similar for rego purposes.

**JDNSW** · 5th April 2015, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by Lagerfan

...... My guess is there is some kind of tax break there as all kinds of 4x4s seem to have "solid" rear windows, maybe classes them as commercial vehicles or similar for rego purposes.

I'm pretty certain that is correct, at least for the UK. Same way as five door 110s tend to have twelve seats in the UK and 9 or 10 everywhere else (makes them into buses!).

John

**Cobber** · 6th April 2015, 08:18 PM

A 110 hardtop was sold here a couple of years ago but that's one of only a couple of new ones I've ever seen anywhere in the country so I wouldn't imagine they are that common ... maybe 1 in 100 Defenders sold?

**JDNSW** · 7th April 2015, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by Cobber

A 110 hardtop was sold here a couple of years ago but that's one of only a couple of new ones I've ever seen anywhere in the country so I wouldn't imagine they are that common ... maybe 1 in 100 Defenders sold?

I have not seen a new one for years. Hardtops (windowed) used to be one of the most common varieties of Landrovers, at least into the 1980s, but the mix has changed as Landrover in Australia has largely abdicated the utility market for the lifestyle market, with a real break being 1989-90 when there was a gap of about two years from when the 110 ceased Australian production to when the Defender was introduced.

John

**Reads90** · 7th April 2015, 07:03 AM

Mine is pretty close with the roof on As it does not have windows in the side

ImageUploadedByAULRO1428357777.802751.jpg

**Reads90** · 7th April 2015, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I'm pretty certain that is correct, at least for the UK. Same way as five door 110s tend to have twelve seats in the UK and 9 or 10 everywhere else (makes them into buses!).

John

The ones in the 80's did have 12 and as per the Highway Code. A bus is a vehicle with 12 or more seats. The problem with this is they would try and charge you for a bus on tolls and bridges and not a car
Was also was a tax advantage for company cars as was a commercial vehicle and not a private one so company car tax was very low. It is very high for company cars in the U.K.

But in the Uk new cars don't have to have a roadworthy (MOT) for the first three years. But 12 seat defenders does need one from the first year , which a lot of people did not know and realise , including most of the police thankfully.

In the early 90's Land Rover put in Center cubby box instead of a seat and this then made them 11 seats

My dad had 5 of them for some of the very reasons above.

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