The custom car market has been flooded with vintage 4X4s, but the classic Land Rover Defender is still a serious contender for cult-followers. In fact, the North American Spec (NAS) two-door 90 and four-door 110 models have a coveted collectible value that’s hard to ignore — and they can go well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on condition.
Is the Defender rare?
The ecdautodesign Custom Defender has a mighty cool factor, thanks to the loping rear doors on the 90 and 110. That two-door shape preserves the Defender’s off-road heft and sophistication without adding too much bulk, allowing the interior to feel spacious.
Heated rear seats and bright metal pedals add a touch of luxury inside the cabin, while an available surround-view camera renders 3D images for passengers, enabling them to see their surroundings at highway speeds. It’s a cool feature that demonstrates the powerful processing power behind the Defender’s infotainment system, which also includes a number of off-road-friendly settings.
What’s more, the Defender’s cabin features a modernized cockpit that’s much more comfortable than any American-market Defender sold prior to 2020, thanks to E.C.D.’s own design and upgrade efforts, which include things like custom gauges and a new switchgear.
Himalaya builds a new frame that provides a more precise platform to build from, while retaining that laser-straight shape to ensure the body panels can be installed with close tolerances. A Chevy LS3 V8 crate engine is squeezed in, giving the truck some serious horsepower. It’s backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. The rest of the upgrades are pretty typical for a vehicle that’s being transformed from stock to custom, but the attention to detail is what makes Himalaya’s Defender so special.
