Dynamic paint for
Classic Defender
For OEMs offering factory custombuild options and restorations, exceptionally complex paint finishes are a customer expectation.
Aftermarket paint upgrades aren’ t just about enhancing vehicle life with better corrosion protection. When wealthy collectors want to create a restomod vehicle through a custom builder, special paint is the final formulation that gives a project vehicle life.
Many traditional automotive OEMs are reviving their heritage models to profit from the demand for classic and youngtimer vehicles. It’ s especially the youngtimer vehicles, graded as being between 15 and 30 years old, that are attracting a lot of interest in the aftermarket industry.
Specialist fabricators and restorers are realising the value of these youngtimer collector vehicles, with the generation that pines for vehicles of this vintage as teenagers, now in a position with ample disposable income to fund project cars.
Land Rover Classic is the official home of the British brand’ s classic Defender restoration and customisation. To prove the depth of its in-house expertise, Land Rover has revealed new custom classic Defender builds.
As part of an extensive customer project, the Land Rover Classic team completed significant upgrades to four iconic Defenders: a 90 station wagon, 90 soft top, 110 station wagon, and 110 Double Cab bakkie.
Each vehicle features an extensively reupholstered cabin, with semi-aniline vanilla leather and contrasting green stitching. The leather upholstery is sourced from the renowned automotive supplier Bridge of Weir, one of the few dedicated luxury leather automotive suppliers with ethical certification.
Two weeks of painting
The most striking aspect of these four classic Defender builds is their Spectral Green paint finish. This paint finish seamlessly transitions between green, purple and gold- depending on prevailing light conditions.
Dynamic colour-changing paint on a 1 / 64 scale model car can be challenging to do correctly. Making it work on a full-size vehicle, especially one with the number of rivets, external hinges, and bolts like the classic Defender, is exceptionally difficult.
Applying and curing the Spectral Green paint requires exceptional patience and skill to ensure its dynamic colourchanging spectrum is true, without dead spots or blemishes.
To achieve an exceptional finish true to the customers’ expectations, paint specialists ensure meticulous surface preparation, colour matching, and polishing to bring the true splendour of the Spectral Green paint finish to its full potential.
Evidence of how measured and challenging that process was, is reflected in the time it took to paint each of the four custom Land Rovers. Each Defender spent 400 hours in the paint facility at Land Rover Classic.
WORDS IN ACTION 16 JULY | AUGUST 2026