Taurus armoured Defender

The Taurus was built around 2000 in South Africa, one of three vehicles assembled from Completely Knocked Down Defender 110 Station Wagon kits and heavily modified into what was possibly intended as an off-the-shelf armoured car to be sold through Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations scheme. Registered MWX 394 GP (chassis SALLDHM871V842432) and powered by the 2.5-litre Td5 turbodiesel with five-speed gearbox, it is an unusually discreet conversion: the vehicle retains its full interior and standard 110 silhouette, while the engine bay and the underside of the bonnet are armoured, the solid windows open only hand-wide, and factory air conditioning compensates. The outer wings carry only the lights and form no part of the armour, and period photographs show it running run-flat tyres on custom rims.

Weighing roughly three tons, the Taurus was used as a demonstration and show car but never reached production. It is the only survivor of the three prototypes and now belongs to the Dunsfold Collection in Surrey, where its weight — impractical to trailer — keeps its public outings rare.