Land Rover’s latest rugged creation, styled with a retro theme in mind has been all the buzz in the media since its global debut in 2019. But what if you want its capability plus the summer loving convertible style of its Evoque counterpart? Say hello to the drop-top Defender.
Before you read any further, this has not been commissioned by the suits at Jaguar Land Rover themselves. Instead, it’s a unique creation from Heritage Customs. The Dutch coachbuilder has taken the bespoke theme for the three-door Defender 90 to heart since it will only be offering five of these models, titled Valiance, for now at least. See Ryan O’Connor’s video review of the Defender 90 D300 here.
There has been hearsay of a drop-top Defender ever since its launch in 2019, which would allow it to rival offerings from Land Rover’s competitors across the Atlantic, namely being the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Nothing has materialised so this may be the opportunity for British loving off-road aficionados to embrace the outdoors more so than ever before.
As with everything bespoke and cool, it comes at a cost. One that is probably a bitter pill to swallow if you have been reading this with excitement and intent. The Heritage Customs Valiance Defender Convertible plus the purchase of a donor Defender 90 should set the five buyers back a hefty € 138,500, or roughly R 2,3 million depending on the exhange rate.
For the money, a converted drop-top Defender can be finished in three themes and colour combinations: Côte d’Azur, Solihull Sand, and Kokkini Paralia – each named after European destinations. The first, named after the blue hues of the French Riviera, comes in exactly that colour; blue, while the Kokkini Paralia bears the rich red textures of the Greek beach of which it draws inspiration. The final model shown here, Solihull Sand, is inspired by the lush green of the English countryside.
