Dutch firm’s latest creation is based on the longest Defender
Heritage Customs reveals its latest Defender reworking, giving us an open-backed Land Rover at last
Dutch coachbuilding outfit Heritage Customs has revealed a luxurious pick-up version of the Land Rover Defender 130.
The firm, founded by well-known designer Niels van Roij, is looking to build on the “success” of its recently revealed Defender 90 convertible with its latest exclusive creation.
It is priced from the equivalent of £131,000 before taxes (so £157,000 in the UK) putting it well clear of any factory-produced Defender model. That price includes the Defender 130 X Dynamic SE donor car.
Based on the longest version of the Defender, the Valiance Pickup is said to have been designed in-house with “meticulous attention to detail”, offering high levels of customisation and with a heavily reworked bodyshell.
“Each Valiance Pickup is a unique expression of its owner’s individuality,” said Heritage Customs, touting the wide array of “carefully curated” colour and trim packages on offer.
It can be specified so that owners “feel like the king of the road – and desert”, the company added, suggesting the makeover does not come at the expense of the Defender’s trademark off-road capability.
The company has not given full technical details of the conversion, but the Defender 130’s boot capacity is pegged at 1232 litres. The standard car also has a towing capacity of three tonnes.
Land Rover itself has previously hinted at the viability of a Defender pick-up, but has never categorically suggested it plans to put one into production.
Heritage Customs has not disclosed how many it will build, but previously said it would produce just five examples of the shorter Valiance Convertible.
Source: Autocar
