Never heard of the Limited Production NADA Land Rover?
Between 1967 and 1969 a limited production of 811 NADA 109 Safari Station Wagons were shipped to the U.S. market. (N.A.D.A. stands for North American Dollar Area) These were NOT the standard 109 (Long Wheel Base or LWB) 5 door Safari Wagons, they had a modified version of the Rover P4 Saloon 2.6 liter, 6 cylinder engine. The engine used a Weslake cylinder head and some other modified equipment in attempt to win back customers who complained of the lack of power from the original 2.25 liter, 77 bhp, 4 cylinder engine. The NADA 6 cylinder engine increased the horsepower to 123 bhp, making it the most powerful bonneted leaf sprung Land Rover ever sold to the public. Even the 3.5 V8 Stage 1 from the late 70s/early 80s only delivered 105-110 bhp.
The NADA 109's are different from other 109 Safari Wagons in many ways. The NADA wagons had dual heated windscreens (like a window defroster, heater wires are encased in the glass horizontally), the unique 6 cylinder engine, dash parts that were covered in black textured plastic, not painted as usual, larger 16 inch wheels, larger brakes and lug nuts, modified bulkhead and they all have serial numbers that start with 343. This now rare version failed to jump start the slow sales of 109's, and it could not compete with the cheaper, faster, and more reliable U.S. built trucks of the time. Land Rover stopped importing the 109 completely in late 1969. Only 88's (Short Wheel Base or SWB) were available from 1969 to 1974.
