With Mercedes Benz, Tesla and Bentley, the options are abundant for luxury and marginally customized vehicles in the U.S. But with the variety of high-end brands, there isn’t quite the same range of rare luxury SUVs; there definitely aren’t any that are readily available at dealerships. Add to that a truly rare luxury vehicle that is fully customized with a history of heritage and hand-crafted quality. E.C.D Automotive Design is a restoration shop based in Kissimmee, Florida, building custom vehicles that blend every luxury car owner’s and collector’s dream. The brand has a 30,000 square foot facility called the Rover Dome dedicated to fully rebuilding custom Land Rover Defenders, a vehicle that stands out in its British Heritage and its history as a full utility vehicle. The vehicles average at $200,000 per custom Land Rover Defender, and besides its rarity as a vehicle, several other factors make these vehicles so unique.
Completely hand-built by master craftsmen from the ground up, the E.C.D. facility offers a range of custom classics that are the true definitely of luxury model vehicles. E.C.D offers both a British Classic or the made for the USA North American Spec Defender. Originally built in the U.K., bringing these classic vehicles to the U.S. means E.C.D. can offer its clients a unique experience with their Fly and Drive program. The program is relatively simple, allowing those who are interested and qualified a trip to the Rover Dome shop, including hotel stay, full facility tour, and a test drive of one of our custom restored Defenders — all on E.C.D. This world-class concierge service and experience is what separates E.C.D. from the usual luxury vehicle buying experience.
E.C.D.’s ability to customize every vehicle and make them, unlike any other sets E.C.D. apart from other restoration shops. Every element is hand-picked by the vehicle’s owner, even down to the stitch color. Through this customization process, each client has thousands of options to make their custom luxury custom Defender a vehicle that uniquely reflects both their lifestyle and personality. Whether the vehicle was built for family vacations to America’s most popular urban cities or shipping their restored luxury Defender out to Costa Rica for crashing through sand dunes, every aspect of the build is tailor-made. Included with their custom build, clients also receive a visit to the shop for their first design meeting, where they see a live 3D rendering of exactly what their vehicle will look like. Regardless of the request for a specific custom feature, E.C.D. will go above and beyond to make sure the request can be met if possible. The level of customization from the E.C.D. facility isn’t just your typical “go to the dealership and get a standard model repainted set up,” either. The quality and craftsmanship are visible in every element of each build.
Every component is handmade right here in-house. Upholstery, paint, and electrics are all done in-house. The design selections are made well before the original base Defender for the build has even landed in our shop. The many options and lack of limits with E.C.D’s custom Defenders make them true custom luxury SUVs. Give someone a custom E.C.D. Land Rover Defender, and it can be guaranteed that your loved one will be the only one with a vehicle of its kind in any direction for miles.
A 400-point inspection and being test-driven to perfection accompany each build as they come off the line. E.C.D. also offers a range of drivetrain options that include their own warranty. Builds with GM drivetrains all have a 2-year, 50,000-mile warranty that is fully serviceable at any local GM dealership. No need for clients to go to a specialty shop for parts or wait around to get their custom vehicle serviced. E.C.D. also offers an extended warranty so that clients can keep their build at home while E.C.D. sends its Warranty Tech to them instead, or they will handle to have the vehicle shipped back to the facility for repair if necessary. E.C.D. vehicles are built with ease of maintenance in mind, taking the time and care to ensure cables, wiring, and installation are easy to follow for regular service as needed.
What also makes E.C.D.’s custom Defenders true luxury vehicles are the quality vendors they work with, such as other luxury brands like Brembo, Kahn, Thewlis Gregson, and more to ensure every custom part of the vehicle is installed with the utmost quality. You could spend hours just staring at how every aspect of the vehicle came together and looking at every detail that makes the custom Defender unique.
These classic Defenders fully rebuilt and customized are rare, unique, classic vehicles unlike any other, and having one custom built to your every specification makes them a true luxury worth their $200,000 price tag.
