Left-hand drive North American specifications

Mr. Funayama owns a soft-top version of the Land Rover Defender 90, released for North America. It is one of the few soft-top versions in the US, and even rarer when re-exported outside the US. How did he come to acquire such a Defender?

One of the rarest cars to be sold in soft-top specification

At the Defender Collection Owners Meeting held on 20 April 2024 at a special venue in Saiboku, Saitama Prefecture, around 50 old and new Land Rover Defenders gathered. Among these, one that caught my attention was a left-hand-drive Defender 90 with a soft-top.

The Defender is available in three different wheelbases-90, 110, and 130 inches-and each has its own body variants, such as station wagon and pick-up. The vehicle presented here is based on the 90, with a very thick roll bar and a soft top like a bikini top on the roof. The car has not been customized and was sold in this condition. The owner is Mr Funayama, a father-and-son team. We asked him for more details.

This is one of the few soft-top cars in the USA

This car is one of the few 1995 Defender soft-top models exported to the US, and he has owned it for 29 years since he got it six months after new.

Mr. Masato, the father, says that about 5,000 NAS (North American-bound) 90 soft-tops were sold in 1994, 1995, and 1997, of which about 130 were re-exported outside the USA. Furthermore, it is estimated that only about five of these vehicles made it to Japan. In 1994 and 1995, the 3.9-litre V8 was combined with a five-speed manual transmission, while in 1997 it was a 4-litre V8 with an AT. Naturally, this 1995 car will have a 3.9L V8 with a 5-speed manual. In any case, it seems certain that this is a rare car, not only in Japan but also worldwide.

The Funayama family defender is passed down from father to son

Mr. Masato used to participate in trial competitions, so the front end is fitted with a burly ARB bumper. The suspension has also been lifted 3 inches at the front and 2 inches at the rear, but in reality, due to the weight of the V8 engine and bumper, the front ride height is only about 2 inches higher than the hard top vehicle, while the rear ride height is higher than the hard top vehicle thanks to the soft top, so the front-rear balance is just right. The balance between front and rear is just right.

His son, Gakuto, has just obtained his license this year. He also obtained qualifications in car maintenance and welding to be able to drive this car for a long time. He has just started to get behind the wheel of the Defender, which he inherited from his father.

“I’ve enjoyed myself a lot with this car, so now I want my son to drive it for a long time.”

“I’ve enjoyed this car a lot myself, so I want my son to drive it for a long time,”

said his father, Masato.

translated by DeepL