Charles Fawcett, the founder of UK-based tuning company Twisted Automotive, requested a large production batch of Land Rover Defenders from the automaker shortly before their market cycle came to an end. It seemed like a crazy investment at the time, but has now all but paid off.
The businessman invested roughly $7.3 million into buying out 240 Defenders from Land Rover just before the production ended. He managed to secure a 14.8% bulk discount, too, so it wasn’t the same as buying from a dealership or other third party.
For the several years that followed, Twisted Automotive proceeded to spend 1,500+ work-hours perfecting every Defender build and customizing it from top to bottom for those willing to pay. Customers were free to choose what they wanted upgraded, be it the body, the cabin, the suspension or the drivetrain, and how they imagined themselves using their SUV.
Initially, mildly tuned examples went in Great Britain and Europe for the equivalent of U.S. $95,000–122,000, but rates went up as the whole restomod market gained an aura of prestige and class during the Covid years. Right now, the company only has 20-something Defenders remaining out of its original stock of 239, and all recent shipments cost from $244,000 to $433,000 – that’s supercar money right there.
Fawcett estimates his total turnover from this investment at “well over in excess of £50 million”, which currently translates into U.S. $68,200,000. He admits that the risk was always there because luxury custom SUVs aren’t the most liquid asset. At the same time, however, it’s an asset that evokes vivid emotions and makes people want to be irrational with their spending as long as they can afford it. “Ultimately, we build something no one needs but the desire for it is huge,” he says, and we cannot stress enough how true his words ring in today’s market.
