After the Defender XD (or Wolf to give it, it’s more common name) of 1998, Land Rover hadn’t really chased the military markets. Whilst Defence contracts had made up a significant proportion of Land Rovers history, it didn’t really reflect the way Land Rover were heading. So, imagine my surprise when, at a recent auction, I noted a Military Defender based on a Puma no less. The Defender in question? The Taipan.

Named after a highly venomous snake who is renowned for being very agile, the Taipan was based on a Left-Hand Drive 2008 Defender 110. This meant that under the skin it had the Ford 2.4 litre Turbo Diesel straight four developing 120 bhp, mated to a 6-speed manual and two speed transfer box. The Taipan name being very apt for a fast-moving flexible strike vehicle.

Above – The Taipan certainly meant business with its heavy duty front end

Developed by Special Operations for the Paraguayan Army, not a lot is known of the vehicle’s history. No records exist to show it had an active military life for example, and being British registered it would suggest it was little more than a one-off demonstration exercise that never came to fruition.

However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t an interesting vehicle. As it shares more than a passing resemblance to the WMIK’s, it’s safe to assume this was its inspiration and not a coincidence. The last iteration of the WMIK’s had a lot of learnings from previous experiences, meaning more underbody protection from IED’s and heavy-duty alloy wheels. It is interesting to note that these learnings were not passed onto the development of the Taipan, maybe due to a difference in operational scenarios perhaps?

Above – There is more than just a passing resemblance between the Taipan (Left) and the WMIK (Right)

One of the more striking features of the Tapian was its roll cage which was based on the WMIK and was used to mount a 50 Cal machine gun on top. One unusual difference however was the front central post. On a WMIK, this post was mounted on the bulkhead. This made sense, it was a very strong part of the structure. On the Taipan, however a different approach was taken, the front central post extending further forward, being mounted in the middle of the bonnet. To enable the bonnet to be opened, the central post was hinged further back but it still looked more complicated than it needed to be.

To compliment the 50 Cal, a GPMG was mounted on the passenger side (LHD remember) of the vehicle. The machine gun post being mounted to the outside of the bulkhead (Similar to the WMIK) but featured a multi pivoted mount meaning the gun could be swung out further than the WMIK equivalent. Similar to other passenger seats that had the optional extra machine gun fitted, the seat was mounted higher to give the gunner a better field of vision.  To protect the Gunner, a wire cutter was mounted to the windscreen frame to prevent unintentional decapitations during operation use. A handy feature that.

Viewing the Taipan from the side, you note side lockers behind the doors, similar to other Military Land Rovers, but hold on, doors? Yes, unlike the WMIKs the Taipan had doors, which were subtly different to the norm. The doors were half height, nothing unusual there, but the door handles were the latter type first featured in 1987. Again, nothing to write home about here except that every time Land Rover had offered half doors in the past (and Im thinking the NAS 90’s here) Series 3 doors were used with the lift up handles. This would suggest the doors were cut from standard Puma items rather than using legacy off the shelf parts. To help get in and out, and perhaps stand on whilst shooting the GPMG, robust side steps had been added, wrapped in checker plate.

Above – The Spare Wheel is mounted internally rather than externally as the later Military Defenders. Below – The front post of the cage extends to sit on the bonnet but is hinged further back to allow it to be lifted.

At the front, the Taipan did have a unique look. Heavy duty light guards were fitted along with a bespoke grill which had the word Taipan cut into its metal work. The bumper was also bespoken and had a Super winch fitted and two holes for a high lift jack, both intended to aid recovery. Checker plate wing tops and Wolf style steel wheels completed the look and the whole vehicle was painted in a sand colour.

With an asking price of £30 to £40k, it was strong money for vehicle that would only appeal to a collector and that didn’t really have much in the way of a history. It had been part of an unspecified museum before it was put up for sale, but that’s pretty much what it is going to be used for going forward. A Museum piece or a toy to be taken to the occasional show. Whilst it is an interesting Defender, it is just a folly after all, and remained unsold after the auction.