LONDON: Land Rover has collaborated with British designer Sir Paul Smith to create a bespoke design. Crafted by Land Rover’s newly-revised Special Vehicle Operations, the one-off Defender has been built entirely to Sir Paul’s specifications, and is on display at the designers shop at Albemarle Street in Mayfair, London. The designer is a long-standing Land Rover enthusiast, owning several over the years.
The exterior panels of the bespoke 4X4 are painted in 27 different colours, all chosen individually for different reasons. Inspiration was drawn on everything from the British countryside to Defenders used by the Armed Forces. “I wanted deep rich colours, but at the same time, I wanted them to work together yet be surprising.” Smith said.
The Defender’s utilitarian interior hasn’t been left alone either. He elaborates: “This is a complete one-off; I wanted to give this Defender a feeling of luxury, so I used a mix of leather and fabric for the seats. I actually used the fabric that I design for Maharam, the American upholstery company.”
As well as the special upholstery, there are several “tongue-in-cheek” design touches dotted about the cabin. For example, a hand-painted bee on the roof, apparently a reference to the car’s heritage and another nod to the influence of the countryside.
Although this Defender was created as a design showcase for Sir Paul’s collection, it’s part of a year-long celebration of the rugged off-roader’s demise after 67 years of production in several forms, alongside three previously announced special editions. It will be replaced by a new model in mid-2016.
