The Legacy Defender line ceased production in early 2016 after nearly 50 years of related construction. To be legally imported into the US, they need to be at least 25yrs old. There are NAS (North American Spec) versions that have been originally shipped to and sold here (93, 94, 95, 97 NAS). With the limited number and special heritage of the NAS spec trucks, we believe those defenders should stay as they were originally constructed. So, to build the finest legacy defenders, we need to start with importing 25+ year old Defenders from the rest of the world (ROW) as a foundation for our trucks.

The biggest challenge with Land Rover restoration projects (taking an existing vehicle and improving it to a better state) is knowing how far to go with the restoration. With all of the trucks being 25+ years old, commonly found issues include rust, mechanical issues, wear and tear degraded suspension and bushings, and interior and exterior cosmetic issues. The list is endless and everyone has a different opinion of what "full restoration" is. 

Because Defenders are commonplace work trucks in the UK, "restoration" shops there often do a cursory refresh of the big parts that are easily identifiable. We believe that painting over or Waxoiling (European hard undercoating) rusty bits does not make them new. In addition, most of the customers rarely see more than a handful of photos prior to purchase showing the steps and process behind the build. ‘Restored’ vehicles have to then overcome the challenge of passing strict importation guidelines that often lead to vehicles becoming ‘stuck’ in Customs. All of this can culminate in delays in getting the truck to the end-user, disappointments in what is seen in person vs. how things looked in the pictures, and overall buyer frustration. There are too many stories that do not end in an amazing customer experience. 

That said, no 25yr old defender would meet our target criteria for regular use in North America. All Imported ROW Defenders are in need of at least restoration and upgrading and more likely a complete repower to function within the US market. These vehicles were built for off-road and low-speed driving in areas of the world where 50MPH is faster than you can drive safely.

Our builds deliver the factory feel, fit and finish with the highest-end Defender options in conjunction with improved performance and drivability for North American motorways.

That is the goal of our process.