FARMERS REJOICE! YOU CAN NOW HAVE THE DEFENDER 130 AS A PICKUP
So far, Land Rover has rejected calls to build a pickup version of the new Land Rover Defender. And yes, we will continue to call it the new Defender even though it was first unveiled almost FIVE YEARS AGO. God, we’re old.
Luckily, if you’re dead set against the new Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster but still want to spend an inordinate amount of money on a pickup truck, Dutch coachbuilder Heritage Customs has the answer.
This is the Heritage Customs Valiance Pickup – essentially a Defender 130 with the rear section of roof chopped off and a pickup bed plonked out back. We’re sure the work required to create said pickup was a little more complicated than it sounds though, not least because the donor Defender 130 X Dynamic SE and conversion will set you back a total of €155,000 excluding VAT (around £157k if you convert and add taxes). Yikes.
You do get a completely bespoke exterior paintjob for your money, plus a retrimmed interior in ‘premium leather’ with options of different patterns, colours and additional materials like Alcantara. You also get a choice of 20in or 22in forged alloy wheels and there are further accessories and options like the roof rack you see above.
We’re told the whole process takes around three months from start to finish. So, this or the same coachbuilder’s Valiance Convertible?