With ECD becoming the World’s Largest Land Rover Restoration facility, the company consistently receives questions about whether it offers services for other vehicles. While ECD has continuously added more Land Rover vehicles to its product line over the years, ECD has been consistent in the model of vehicles offered. This means your options for a custom vehicle from ECD are limited to a Jaguar Land Rover vehicle, most recently including the classic Jaguar Etype.

Why Custom Defenders?

ECD was founded based on the original founder Tom, who worked in luxury vehicle sales, importing a few Defenders to the US for other friends and family members. The nostalgic vehicle is heavily popular in Tom’s home country, the UK. After getting one look at a friends and family barbecue, ECD’s other founder and fellow “petrol-head,” Scott, fell in love with the concept of bringing this vehicle to the US full-time. For the first three years of its establishment, ECD stuck to its roots by restoring and customizing the Land Rover Defender.

Defender History

A little history of the Land Rover Defender could also provide insight into the company’s decision to stick to this vehicle as its main product line. The Land Rover Defender was readily available worldwide as a full-stock utility vehicle capable of handling multiple terrains and military and domestic use during the mid-’80s. After finally earning the name Land Rover Defender in the early ’90s, the vehicle was still widely available everywhere except in North America. North America had a vastly different set of rules and safety regulations for vehicles, and many of those regulations with the Land Rover defender failed. The solution from Land Rover was to create a special version of its Defender and call it the NAS (North American Spec) Defender, available in the D90 and D110 models, meeting all of the requirements needed to pass regulations. The market for a vehicle like the NAS Defender in the United States simply wasn’t as demanding at the time, so production was limited and ultimately cut after 1997. As time passed, the only classic Defenders one could see roaming the US were from the NAS production line (and possibly some other illegal imports). This made the vehicle extremely rare as time went on. The US also allows for “vintage” or “classic” vehicles to be driven freely as long as they meet state regulations and follow the 25-year rule where the vehicle must be 25 years or older to be deemed a classic.

So while importing the vehicles into the US jumped once the vehicle hit its 25-year mark, the logistics of import and maintenance still had to be dealt with. Not only did the vehicle have to be 25 years old, but it also had to be in its original condition; it couldn’t be a newer Defender model with the newer Puma dashboard, right-hand drive, and A/C. The desire for a vintage Defender had to be strong for a collector to go through the process of finding a Land Rover Defender that was fully legal to import, continuing its rarity in the United States. It is also well known that the original Land Rover Defenders could last in a pinch and go the distance, but the vehicles broke down frequently, usually due to leaks or engine issues. With the vehicle being rare, it was also rare to find a shop knowledgeable enough to fix and maintain the vehicle.

Experts of Custom Land Rover Restorations

For this reason, ECD took the time to learn the vehicle inside and out, growing capable of rebuilding custom Defenders from scratch and becoming defender restoration experts before extending its line to other vehicles. The process of learning the vehicle took years, and several experts in the automotive field joined the team; the company even made an import of their own by hiring a Land Rover expert from back home in the UK. These years of immersion into the Defender are one of the top reasons ECD is #1 in Land Rover restorations. Once ECD felt completely competent on the subject matter of Land Rover Defenders and restoring and upgrading them, the company felt confident in venturing to other Land Rover lines.

Today, ECD offers several Land Rover vehicle restorations to clients and currently has over 400 vehicles restored under its belt. Its current lineup includes the D90, D110, D130, Series IIA, the Range Rover Classic, and the newly introduced restored Jaguar Etype. The company builds every single vehicle 100% in-house at its facility, currently measuring over 100,000 sq ft with a full paint facility, upholstery team, and warehouse. With ECD’s founders being from the UK, the company sticks to its roots in a love for the British classics. If asked today if the company plans to venture away from Jaguar Land Rover sales, you’d likely hear the founders say, “not any time soon,” as ECD continues to offer some of the world’s most brilliantly restored classic British vehicles. The company continues to focus on producing the highest quality restorations and satisfying the growing market for the Land Rover Defender for sale in the US.

To get started on your custom Defender from ECD, get in touch at [email protected].