East Coast Defender, otherwise known as ECD Design, is a Florida-based purveyor of high-priced custom Land Rover Defenders.
The company recently unveiled one of its most impressive projects yet, a custom Defender 130 that was built by the company’s high-end “Ultimate Vehicle Concept” (UVC) division.
Dubbed ‘Project Barge’, this Defender 130 features a Brazilian teak trimmed pickup bed, White Diamond Pearl exterior paint, 18-inch Kahn Mondial Retro wheels, and bronze exterior trim.
The cabin also features copper plated metalwork trim, soft brown Nappa leather seating, a Sony infotainment system, a full JL Audio sound system, onboard wi-fi, rear seat air conditioning controls and an aftermarket blind-spot monitoring system.
Of most interest to readers of this site will be the General Motors-sourced 6.2-liter LS3 V8 found under the hood. The LS3 is stock (though it’s still much more robust than any of the available factory Defender engines) and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. ECD Design’s Defender 130 also gets a 920 Engineering braking system, a custom aluminum radiator and a full Borla exhaust.
Tom Humble, co-owner of ECD Design, says this vehicle’s copper elements give it a purposefully aged look.
“We’ve effectively given a brand new built vehicle an aged patina. The look is quite superb,” he said.
You can check out ECD Design’s website for more information on the company’s various Defender-based custom builds. It also has custom two-door and four-door Defenders in addition to the four-door pickup truck variant shown here. The company has begun to restore and apply aftermarket upgrades to the Range Rover Classic as well.
At a time of year when luxury car ATP usually rises.
Sales decreased 5.6 percent to 16,670 units during the first ten months of 2024.
Specifically critical minerals supply chain development.
Scheduled for a Spring 2025 launch.