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Highlights
Trans-Atlantic Trading Company Restomod
300TDi with an four-speed automatic
Low 700 Miles Since Rebuild
Overview
Some people have been craving something like this, a Defender that anyone can get into and get cruising - it’s an automatic! Rarer than hen’s teeth on a Sunday here in the States, but built that way from the get-go by Trans-Atlantic Trading Company during their resto-mod of this 1996 Land Rover Defender 90.
TATC has been building Land Rovers for around 10 years, and it shows in the overall presentation and experience of this Defender 90. It’s quieter, smoother driving, and better riding than the original, and is one of the more unique examples to roll through here as the result.
Inside is a utilitarian but more civilized interior with a full center console with armrest storage and cup holders, dashboard center stack with aftermarket toggle switches for accessories, and a Continental head unit that looks old school while still having modern connectivity like Bluetooth. The seats are a soft vinyl that’s durable with new sliders underneath, a solid upgrade over stock. This is an area we consider an OEM-plus build, as most of the changes are rooted in the spirit of the OEM components, but upgraded here and there for better function and fit.
Underneath, this Defender 90 has had a nut and bolt restoration by TATC, and overall, the result is a well sorted machine mechanically. It drives as good as one of these chassis can in its smoothness, handling, and tractability.
Beneath the bonnet is Land Rover’s iconic 300TDi diesel, an all-mechanical wonder that has served the British military and their civilians faithfully since the 1980s in one form or another. Its mechanical simplicity and reasonable performance make it a sweet spot, without the potential complications of an electronically-controlled diesel. And the automatic is a four-speed unit that’s paired well to the 300TDi’s modest power delivery, keeping it up in its power band where needed.
Overall, if you’ve been looking for a Defender that’s just a little more civilized than the box-stock version, this TATC offers just that. From our inspection, it appears that it was well-built overall, and it does offer something a little nicer while still retaining everything that defines the Defender experience.
Upgrades and Features
Newly-completed restoration by Trans-Atlantic Trading Company
Refreshed chassis components, drives like-new
Automatic-swapped
Custom interior with updated seats, center console, gauges and more
Refreshed 300TDi powertrain
18-inch wheels with 265/65R18 (about 31.5” diameter)
This 1996 Land Rover Defender is available for drivers in Augusta, Aiken, North Augusta, Graniteville, Warrenville, Batesburg, Beech Island, Edgefield ...
