In the world of off-roading and overlanding, simple and spartan are king. Dirt gets everywhere, things break and, coincidently, things need fixing. And when you’re out on the trail it pays to have a vehicle that’s easy to hose down, easy to mend can take a beating. With that in mind, this 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 NAS Fastback is the ideal overland chariot.
The Defender 90 NAS Fastback sat as the entry-level model to the entire Defender family, and it’s as basic as it gets. This particular Defender comes with all the standard features you’d want in rough and ready off-roader like permanent four-wheel-drive, a locking center differential, BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires, easy to hose down vinyl flooring, plus a 3.9-liter V8 to pull it all along. So far, it’s checking the simple and spartan boxes with heavy marks.
However, even as the base model, this exact set up for a Defender 90 NAS is oddly rare. The 90 NAS was so basic that if the original owner didn’t spring for any optional extras, you’d get no roof or back seat. Luckily, this Defender has a top, though it’s the less popular fastback-style tonneau cover that dropped at a sharp angle from the roll cage. Most of the time, prospective buyers went for the full safari roll cage, full fabric soft top and back bench seat. Yes, the back seat was optional too.
There’s not much in the way of luxury, but that means there are fewer things to get destroyed and little to repair and replace — vehicles like this make the best off-roaders for that exact reason. If this Defender 90 NAS were a tool in a shed, it’d be a sledgehammer, without question. Undeniably simple, incredibly focused and able to take a pounding.
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