Overland Classifieds :: 1990 Land Rover Santana 2500DL

The Land Rover Santana 2500DL isn’t something you see every day. This model from 1990 has a 5-speed manual transmission, 2.5-liter 12J diesel engine, and 125,000 miles on the odometer. Its most recent jaunt was a surf trip to Baja, Mexico. “I cruised it 2,000 miles to Baja and back with no problems, and it happily roared through 2,000 highway miles and absolutely dominated extremely rough and flooded roads without any complaints,” the owner says. “Many other vehicles were stuck, and the defender ate it for breakfast.”

From the Seller:

“I love this car a lot. It’s goofy, it’s old, it’s a bit rough, and it’s not too fast, but it gets you where you need to go, and it does so in style. Everyone loves to point, and it’s always a conversation starter. I’ve put a significant amount of work into this beast since I acquired it in 2019, and it’s in excellent shape. I recently had it fully worked over before a major expedition to Baja, and aside from a few small fluid leaks (it’s a Land Rover, they all have fluid leaks), it was in great shape.”

1990 Land Rover Santana 2500DL

Between 1959 and 1983, Santana produced and assembled officially licensed Land Rovers in Spain. By 1983, the official license between Land Rover and Santana ended; however, Santana continued producing a vehicle they called the 2500 (aka the Land Rover Santana “Defender”). The 2500 differed in its evolved Series III chassis, parabolic leaf springs, and 4WD system evolved from the Series III 88 and 109. Both the 2500 and the Defender used the 2.5-liter diesel engine, 5-speed transmission, power steering, and front disc brakes.

Distinguishing Features

With a clean California title, this beast can hit 60 to 65 mph but, according to its owner, prefers to cruise slightly slower. Here’s a chance to enjoy the ride.

Additional distinguishing features include:

  • Front Runner Slimline roof rack
  • Front Runner jerry can and mount
  • Parabolic leaf springs
  • Fully rebuilt rear end/differential in 2020
  • New alternator in 2021

This Land Rover Santana is listed for $35,000 and is currently located in Santa Cruz, California. Check out the full vehicle specifications via the original Expedition Portal forum post here.

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Ashley Giordano completed a 48,800-kilometer overland journey from Canada to Argentina with her husband, Richard, in their well-loved but antiquated Toyota pickup. On the zig-zag route south, she hiked craggy peaks in the Andes, discovered diverse cultures in 15 different countries, and filled her tummy with spicy ceviche, Baja fish tacos, and Argentinian Malbec. As Senior Editor at Overland Journal, you can usually find Ashley buried in a pile of travel books, poring over maps, or writing about the unsung women of overlanding history. @desktoglory_ash