Land Rover Defender by Paul Smith
British fashion designer, Sir Paul Smith, has created a special Defender to commemorate the iconic Land Rover’s final phase of production.
British fashion designer, Sir Paul Smith, has created a special Defender to commemorate the iconic Land Rover’s final phase of production.
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 result features 27 exterior colors plus hand-painted exterior detailing, while the interior is a mix of fabric and leather.
Smith says that his design and the final color palette were inspired by the British countryside and by the British armed forces, the Defender’s two natural habitats: “I wanted deep rich colours, but at the same time, I wanted them to work together yet be surprising.”
The cabin is a huge step up in terms of comfort from a standard Land Rover: “This is a complete one-off; I wanted to give this Defender a feeling of luxury,” explains Smith of his cabin choices.
So black leather with contrasting blue stitching adorns the seats and contrasts with the striped fabric panels.
Black leather has also been used to cover much of the usually utilitarian dashboard and as a final touch; the normal clock has also been swapped out in favor of one with a Paul Smith facia.
The Paul Smith Land Rover is the latest in a series of special models and events that the company has organized to mark the iconic SUV’s final production year.
Production of the Defender ceases this December. No date has been set for the arrival of its replacement.