My old Land Rover Defender has seen better days. The instrument binnacle is cracked, the headliner has been replaced with cheap vinyl, the body is scratched and dented from a thousand trails, and the motor has covered 300,000 tough miles across continents. If not a beloved part of the family, my Defender would likely be, as many classic Defenders have become, the base vehicle from which talented hands create a modern classic—a vehicle built to retain the lines and character of the old Defender while becoming a near-perfect, head-turning V8 or EV toy for the well-heeled.
The Landrovers is a boutique workshop based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that specializes in restoring and building premium, custom Land Rover Defenders. Founded in 2011 by two school friends, Peter Zeisser and Daniel van Oort, the enterprise emerged from their shared dream of driving a modified Defender from Amsterdam to Cape Town. Though legal hurdles prevented the journey, a lawyer’s interest in the newly rebuilt vehicle prompted a business idea.
A Defender was purchased and upgraded, the pair “read the room,” and realized there was broader demand for bespoke builds. In 2018, the founding duo was joined by their friend Frank, who assumed responsibility for the electric-vehicle and product-development departments, thus completing the core leadership team and enabling the company’s subsequent expansion into electric builds.
Since its inception, The Landrovers has constructed a diverse array of vehicles, all rooted in the classic Defender platform. To date, the company has completed over 200 Defender builds, demonstrating both its growing capacity and extensive experience with custom, specialist vehicles. About 65 percent of these vehicles make their way to the USA, where demand for bespoke Defenders is insatiable but highly selective.
That said, a rebuilt Santana Land Rover and trailer recently sold at auction for close to $400,000—about $380,000 more than it should have been—a clear indication that wealth and good taste are not always synonymous. The Landrovers sell their bespoke Defenders from a starting price north of $400,000, which is still eye-wateringly expensive but arguably more deserving of that price tag than a spruced-up Santana pickup.
The attention to detail in these builds is nothing short of obsessive, while also playful and creative—a fine line. The Strawberry Defender is an excellent example. Where other builders might simply fit a new Britpart hinge, seat-belt spool, or dashboard vent, The Landrovers’ technicians instead customize these parts within a theme, creating something visually impressive, nuanced, and not at all brash or crude.
These Dutch Defenders are the opposite of, for instance, the Turkish style (with respect to our Turkish friends) of rebuilt Defenders, where chrome, gold, superfluous bolt-on accessories, and 37-inch extreme mud tires dominate the design language. The Landrovers’ style is more subtle and refined, and the market has responded positively, as has social media, where the company enjoys almost two million combined followers.
Due to demand, The Landrovers workshop’s workforce has grown to include over sixty skilled builders, technicians, and designers. It operates as an integrated team, with the operations unit managing each custom Defender build from concept through delivery, and the final assembly team ensuring meticulous craftsmanship by installing interiors, upholstery, wood trim, and tailored accessories that match each client’s vision.
The company offers both traditional combustion-engine Defender restomods and full-electric variants.
Conventional builds often begin with a Defender chassis that is at least 25 years old. The team disassembles the vehicle, evaluates each component for reuse, reinforces the frame, and reworks the subframes and motor mounts before fitting new bodywork. Clients may choose from Defender 90, 110, or 130 variants, with styling options that include soft-tops, roll cages, custom interiors, unique paintwork, suspension upgrades, and more.
For combustion power, the entry-level build includes a Chevrolet LS3 V8 producing approximately 450 horsepower. More powerful options include a Chevrolet LT1 V8, delivering around 525 horsepower, or a supercharged LT4 V8 capable of roughly 650 horsepower.
In parallel with combustion variants, The Landrovers has developed an electric Defender series known as the Panterra. This model features four in-wheel motors, which together deliver 600 horsepower and a remarkable 6,400 newton-meters (4,720 foot-pound) of torque. The Panterra lineup includes two versions: the “Cheetah,” equipped with a 120-kilowatt-hour battery and a range of approximately 224 miles, and the “Lion,” with a 200-kilowatt-hour battery and a range extending up to 373 miles.
These vehicles feature modern independent suspension systems and advanced electronics, including ABS, ESP, torque vectoring, regenerative braking, hill-hold assist, and hill-descent control. The Lion variant can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 5.0 seconds, with the Cheetah completing the sprint in around 5.5 seconds.
Services at The Landrovers extend far beyond the final vehicle. The company engages clients in a detailed and immersive build process that spans approximately nine months. Each step, from design approval to final delivery, involves close coordination with the team. A “build book” accompanies each delivered Defender, documenting the process and providing owners with a curated record of their vehicle’s creation. The operations team orchestrates every detail, ensuring seamless progression, while the final assembly team integrates each custom element with precision.
In addition to being an atelier for custom builds, The Landrovers presents itself as a pioneer in both preserving and evolving the Defender legacy. The combustion-powered builds honor the classic Defender form while enhancing performance and luxury, while the Panterra brings that ethos into the electric future. The silent power of electric propulsion introduces a different experiential dimension, where environmental impact, quiet operation, and cutting-edge engineering converge.
Though the work is necessarily specialist and comes with a significant price tag, the output is unique. Prospective buyers should anticipate a build timeline of up to nine months and begin their journey with an understanding of the bespoke nature of each vehicle. That said, the sky seems to be the limit: you can bring your dream Defender to life with a personality of its own and the capability to match.
Image credits to The Landrovers
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