As you might just have noticed, classic Land Rover Defenders are having something of a moment. Perhaps because their authenticity cuts through the swathe of transport-as-appliance electric SUVs populating driveways up and down the country. What you see here is a high point of the classic Defender renaissance. A Defender 90 Soft Top, yes, but one rebuilt down to its last nut and final bolt by the obsessive perfectionists at Coolnvintage from their workshops in Lisbon. Perfection in one Land Rover.
What’s more this Defender is for sale. And given Coolnvintage have a waiting list of up to a year, that’s very good news indeed. So let’s look at what you’ll be getting. First is the Coolnvintage process which founder Ricardo Pessoa has been obsessive about since the start in 2012. As he puts it: "Years of discipline before mastery, because art cannot be rushed.” Pessoa’s point is that each Land Rover that passes through their workshops - about ten each year - is totally taken apart, documented and meticulously rebuilt, often using new or newly fabricated parts with significant upgrades, by craftsmen who are as dedicated to their task as he is.
This Defender 90 Soft Top has been a development and demonstration vehicle for Coolnvintage, now refreshed and offered as a newly built project. That’s 1,000 hours of restoration in total. Panel fit? Better than new. Paintwork? Layer upon layer, painstakingly applied. Land Rover's original production line would be, let’s say, surprised. Under the bonnet is a fresh 2.4 litre diesel engine. Under the skin is Coolnvintage’s reworked suspension system, which this Defender helped perfect.
But you’ll be inside driving this piece of motoring history and that’s often where the classic Defender experience can be, understandably, a little agricultural. Not here. Interior is fully trimmed in sumptuous brown leather. Reworked dashboard will be totally unfamiliar to the average farmer. Apple CarPlay is fitted, as is air conditioning, which you might argue is already provided by the open top extending to the rear, with - naturally - a bespoke cover.
“I’ve always thought,” founder Ricardo Pessoa has told interviewers, "that the Land Rover is among the greatest pieces of industrial design, so it was never my intention to mess around with it too much.” This Defender is instantly recognisable as a near relative of the 1948 original. And you could, should you want, muddy up the pristine nuts, bolts and paintwork that Coolnvintage’s craftsmen have worked hard to perfect. Spoiler alert: we would.
And so it comes down to the vexed question of price. Artistry, naturally, is priceless. But these guys have to earn a living. And classic Land Rover Defenders aren’t getting any cheaper. Coolnvintage suggest you enquire if you’re interested in their impeccable Defender 90 Soft Top. We’d suggest if you’re serious in buying it you have at least £170,000 handy. A lot? Art, as we’ve said, is priceless. See you at that gallery opening on the mountain top.
Next up: Take a look at this Twisted T90 Defender.
