South Carolina-based Himalaya is one of the go-to names for vintage Land Rover Defenders, whether you're looking for a faithful restoration or a badass, luxed-out resto-mod version. The company just unveiled its latest build, the "Pre-Defender," is a little different: it's not based on a Defender, and it's a collaboration with rugged men's fashion brand Taylor Stitch.
The restored vehicle is a 1970 Land Rover Series II-A, a precursor to the Defender (hence the build's name). Himalaya gave it some mechanical improvements to make it more modern and less agricultural: they swapped the engine for a mid-1990s 300 TDI Defender engine, and added an automatic transmission, disc brakes and power steering. Himalaya says this Series II-A can cruise comfortably at 70 mph.
Taylor Stitch handled the interior design, which features the same waterproof wax suede used in their boots for the seats, center console, gearbox and emergency brake.
The Land Rover is painted in a vintage, Porsche-inspired shade called Aga Blue. It also has a wood-lined truck bed and Himalaya's custom audio setup.
The press release did not mention whether the Pre-Defender will be sold, merely noting that all available builds will be on the website. Two of our favorite Himalaya Defenders — the 70th Anniversary and the Spectre — are already accounted for there; however, you can still buy the Corvette-engined Alpinist build. Or if you have some serious cash lying around, there's the $3 million Kodiak and Himalaya package, which includes both a custom Defender and a Kodiak 100 Series II aircraft.
