The Defender Valiance is an off-roader in evening wear
Dutch “studio for carchitecture” Heritage Customs has dressed up the new Land Rover Defender with a host of tailored tweaks.
Designed by Niels van Roij, who is currently also working on a Ferrari Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage, the Valiance requires no structural or mechanical modifications, instead offering “unique exterior jewelry” alongside custom wheels, paintwork, and re-trimmed interior.
The €90,000 ($106,000) conversion sees the fender air vents being swapped for aluminum, and the plastic diamond protective plates on the hood are also switched for milled aluminum. Wheels come in 20- or 22-inch designs, and the cabin is retrimmed in sumptuous leather, including the door trims.
Like a tailored tuxedo or evening gown, each Valiance will be designed to its owner’s exact needs, with options including laser engraving, personalized treadplates, and monogrammed headrests. Materials and colors are limited only to the buyer’s imagination.
“We celebrate both the Defender and the owner through each commission,” van Roij says. “In a co-design process with the patron, we shape exterior and interior. We process materials, such as aluminum, leathers, denims, teak woods, and even copper. We have been commissioned to design an interior symbolizing a Caribbean island where our clients met each other. For another client we color matched paints for his Valiance, to the classic Defender in his collection.”
Aside from the wheels, Heritage Customs won’t touch the running gear of the Defender, so it remains as capable off-road as ever. Should you decide to venture further afield than the country club ball, then we would recommend choosing your attire more carefully than the model in Heritage Customs’ publicity shots.
