New Land Rover Defender gets aftermarket RUST option for added authenticity

An aftermarket Land Rover Defender company –  Niels van Roij Design’s Heritage Customs – is offering rusted body parts for the new Defender.

‘Original Patina’ or concourse restoration has become something of a thing for Classic Car Specialists and collectors of late, with many preferring to retain a classic’s worn look rather than restoring the paintwork to its original glory.

We’re not a fan, but there is perhaps some sense in having a classic workhorse like the Land Rover Defender, with battle scars from a working life, looking like it’s lived a life rather than come fresh from the factory.

Of course, if you’ve decided you’d rather have a new Land Rover Defender than invest in a classic, then it’s going to be a long time before your paintwork gets weather-beaten and bashed and looking like it’s worked for its living. But an aftermarket Land Rover Defender company – Niels van Roij Design‘s Heritage Customs – has a solution – aftermarket rust.

Yes, they will endow your shiny new Defender with a suitably rusty bits for the bonnet and front wings (and more), although it does feel a bit like a PR stunt to get coverage. Which it’s now getting.

The ‘Rust’ finish for the Defender is just one of their options, with a thin layer of aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, zinc, or gold applied which can then be finished with a brushed, polished or sanded finish, or oxidized to deliver rust.

But it’s not just the plates on the bonnet or side vents which can be treated, they’re happy to do it to the dashboard, door inlays and wheels.

Blimey.