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Slideywindows



Member Since: 09 Sep 2016
Location: North Essex
Posts: 1283

England 
Defender "County Hard Tops".
I have an interest in the early Hard Top "County" variant of the 300Tdi Defender.

Have been trying to establish when they were first offered by the factory.

I'd thought it was for 1997 model-year, but is was clearly earlier as I've been keeping an eye out for them on eBay, and seen a couple of earlier ones, including this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-rover-defe...rk:23:pf:0

I've only seen two others, and both have been altered/modified.

If anyone owns a County Hard Top of this era, or has photos of them, please put them on here.

I don't expect many because they don't seem too common.



Click image to enlarge


Am also interested in what was the full list of "extras" specified for the County.

Finally, James Taylor suggests they should be shod with Freestyle alloys but the ones I've seen, including mine, all had Boost alloys.


So this thread is for anyone interested in these vehicles - and hopefully the thread title will come up if someone searches for them on here in the future.


And yes, I realise that I might find myself talking only to myself! Laughing
Post #750823 12th Jan 2019 9:30pm
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Slideywindows



Member Since: 09 Sep 2016
Location: North Essex
Posts: 1283

England 
So, just to keep, talking to myself, here's a couple of pics from a brochure I found in the US.


Click image to enlarge




Click image to enlarge


I think they make quite a smart vehicle.
Post #750824 12th Jan 2019 9:36pm
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JOW240725



Member Since: 04 May 2015
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 7866

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Orkney Grey
I can't contribute but I'll happily listen in Thumbs Up James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html
MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641
MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557
Instagram @suffolk_rovers
Post #750825 12th Jan 2019 9:44pm
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JOW240725



Member Since: 04 May 2015
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 7866

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Orkney Grey
Would this suggest 95-96?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defe...SwA~VaCai8 James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html
MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641
MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557
Instagram @suffolk_rovers
Post #750827 12th Jan 2019 9:50pm
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Outlaw1



Member Since: 11 Aug 2016
Location: east sussex
Posts: 266

England 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
Hi slidy I have a 1998 300 tdi 90 hardtop county and although not fitted came with original freestyle wheels Unsure of correct colour perhaps venetian red .
If i can work it out i'll put a couple of photos up
What have you found out about what was inclusive in the county pack ?

Alpine windows
Rear roof lining
Checker plate wing top and sill ?
Cloth seat covering instead of vinyl ?
Post #750830 12th Jan 2019 10:10pm
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey
Obviously modified but this one has the correct wheels:


This one looks more original:


Click image to enlarge

I'd always assumed that particular spec came in with the 300tdi engine. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #750832 12th Jan 2019 10:15pm
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 597

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
Standard spec for the county hardtop was sunroof, alpine windows, full length headlining. Heated rear window with wiper, factory fitted radio cassette / dash speakers. Three front seats in moorland tweed trim (later Rayleigh trim). Standard rubber gearbox/ tunnels mats, only the county Station wagon had the carpeted tunnel etc.

Exterior metallic paint with colour coded wheel arches (I think colour coded roof was optional), Defender decals with “county”.
All windows had the “county” green tint as standard.
I think the folding side steps were standard too but was a long time ago!

James Taylor is wrong about the wheels - White Rostyles were standard fitment wheel with 205 tyres, freestyle alloys optional extra but vast majority seemed to have them. Boost alloy didn’t come out until approx 1998 (was two tone graphite / silver) and only then the fitted to very late 300tdi discoverys, didn’t become a standard defender fitment until a few years later.

I always thought that the county 90 Epsom green/freestyles/white roof looked great, I had one in 96.

Ps The county hardtop actually came out end of 200tdi from memory - 93?? Hence the rostyle wheels.
Post #750864 13th Jan 2019 1:12am
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JeremyJ



Member Since: 16 Nov 2011
Location: Aylesbury
Posts: 1758

United Kingdom 
As above spot on!

My mum had an early 300 County Hard Top, had steel wheels with Michelin XS tyres on it as a build option. May have a photo somewhere, was M486UTM
Post #750865 13th Jan 2019 5:53am
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Grouse



Member Since: 16 Apr 2012
Location: on the hill
Posts: 512

Although not an official branded County, a 90 hard top could be ordered from launch in 1984 with most of the County features (County seats in Houndstooth Check, rear wash wipe / heated rear screen, Alpines, 205/80/16 radials on 6x16 steels etc etc). You could have most of the County features available at the time but in a hard top configuration. It just didn’t have the County name. I specified this on a new LR 90 bought new in Feb 85.
Post #750867 13th Jan 2019 6:56am
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 597

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
... I almost forgot - you got an analogue clock in the unused dial space in the dash too!
Post #750873 13th Jan 2019 8:39am
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Mike c



Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Maldon, Essex
Posts: 904

England 2004 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Belize Green
These pictures remind me of my first Defender, a 1994 90 300tdi csw in Epsom green Cool
Post #750907 13th Jan 2019 11:05am
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Lodelaner



Member Since: 04 Feb 2010
Location: Lambourn
Posts: 621

United Kingdom 1988 Defender 90 V8 Petrol ST Shire Blue
Slideywindows wrote:
So, just to keep, talking to myself, here's a couple of pics from a brochure I found in the US.


Click image to enlarge


I think they make quite a smart vehicle.


Agreed!

To help date the car in the pics I have P442 NAB (an ex-LR owned car) which was registered 26th Sept 1996. JB

@Lodelaner Instagram

Youtube greenlaning and other LR related content
Post #750911 13th Jan 2019 11:24am
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Slideywindows



Member Since: 09 Sep 2016
Location: North Essex
Posts: 1283

England 
Interesting replies, thank ypu very much.

May I comment as folllows:

I knew that you could order County "extras" from the beginning of coil-spring production, eg. the earliest One Ten price list had various Option Packs.

I am trying to establish the point in time when someone in Marketing thought "We should offer a utility Land Rover with line-built County bling" (or words to that effect) and I have now found, in another of JT's books that the County HT was indeed introduced at the end of 200Tdi production, for the 1993 model year.

Sadly there are few details of the actual extras included, apart from County seats and body-coloured wheelarch eyebrows.


Thank you Oldowner for your list of standard extras for the 300Tdi version, which is quite comprehensive.

However, perhaps I should also add: a second interior light, operated by the rear door; two grab handles above the rear door; rear wash as well as wipe; three fold-up steps and front mud flaps.

My own CHT has grey Twill vynil seats rather than County cloth seats, which is strange as nothing else seems to have been altered.

Metallic paint? Do the County HT's in the photos above have metallic paint?

Always learning.....
Post #750914 13th Jan 2019 11:30am
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Slideywindows



Member Since: 09 Sep 2016
Location: North Essex
Posts: 1283

England 
Widget wrote:
Slideywindows wrote:
So, just to keep, talking to myself, here's a couple of pics from a brochure I found in the US.


Click image to enlarge


I think they make quite a smart vehicle.


Agreed!

To help date the car in the pics I have P442 NAB (an ex-LR owned car) which was registered 26th Sept 1996.


Widget, is yours a Station Wagon or Hard Top?

The Brochure hard top P404 NAB also appears in James Taylor's book. It is accompanied by a County Station Wagon, P136 NAB. They were LR publicity vehicles so yours may have been as well..
Post #750915 13th Jan 2019 11:35am
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Oldowner



Member Since: 26 Dec 2018
Location: South west
Posts: 597

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Aintree Green
Slideywindows wrote:
Interesting replies, thank ypu very much.

Metallic paint? Do the County HT's in the photos above have metallic paint?

Always learning.....


Yes, both of them. Epsom green metallic most popular. That blue was quite rare, there was a lighter blue too and Rioja red. I think a few were Ardennes metallic green. I expect any of the disco 300tdi colours could be ordered.

I don’t think standard basic hardtop were available in metallic colours until 04/05 - they still retained the white roof through Puma production until quite near the end I think - but to my eyes the standard plain roof without alpines looks wrong in any colour other than white.
Post #750940 13th Jan 2019 1:18pm
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