RE: Twisted decides the fate of its last 80 Defenders

RE: Twisted decides the fate of its last 80 Defenders

Tuesday 13th November 2018

Twisted decides the fate of its last 80 Defenders

Firm will divide and conquer with what remains of its once 240-strong stockpile of 'new' Land Rover Defenders



Twisted Automotive went out on quite a limb when it paid £7.5m to secure 240 examples of the Defender's final production run in 2015. The move made obvious strategic sense given the firm's business model - but it still necessitated additional funding, and there was no cast-iron guarantee that the model's implausible popularity would continue in the years following its demise.

Now, of course, with two-thirds of the stockpile already gone, Twisted is sitting pretty. Thanks in part to Land Rover's own obsessive revisits via its Classic division, it feels like the Defender has barely left - and its fanbase appears no less inclined to fork out six figures for one. Particularly one with delivery miles on the clock and only the Thirsk-based specialist's name on the V5C. Values are said to be on the rise with every passing day.

And so with 80 cars left and plenty of time to kill until it has a new Defender to play with, Twisted has announced a fresh plan of attack. It will split its efforts into three distinct areas of focus.


Company founder and managing director Charles Fawcett puts it like this: "We really do see our role as defending the Defender; we've built this business around the vehicle, so it falls on us to protect and celebrate it. And with our stock in its final run, the time has come to take Twisted to the next level through diversification and broadening our business model."

One branch of this 'diversification' plan is familiar - the 'Rework' division, where existing owners can have their cars restored or modified has long been the firm's bread and butter, and will continue to function as before.

The other two - dubbed 'Make History' and 'Remake History' - deal specifically with the fate of the shrinking stockpile. For the latter, Twisted has allocated 44 cars which it intends to modify in a way that 'pays homage to the history of the original Land Rover'. They will include Classic Series II, IIA, III and Stage One V8 models, all built to high specification and doubtless with a price to match. Work is scheduled to begin on January 29th - three years to the day since Land Rover wound up production at Solihull.


That leaves Twisted with its final 36 examples, a batch it says will be sold only to existing clients. As the 'Make History' name suggests, the emphasis here will be very much on bespoke creations as the brand looks to reward the customers that have contributed to its success over the years (and, of course, get maximum bang for its final invested buck). Twisted doesn't expect to start work on these cars till late next year, although given their exclusivity, we'd imagine the bun fighting has already begun in the order books.

Fawcett said: "This will be our third major release of our iconic stock. We've been slowly re-engineering and ensuring that the vehicles are the best that they can possibly be and will soon be ready to share them with the world. I know there will be lots of collectors and fans who want a piece of history coupled with our Twisted treatment.

"Twisted going forward is about building on the success of recent years. We're making a fundamental shift in the market and adopting a new mentality. Everything we do from now on is to keep the spirit of Land Rover's rich heritage alive."


Author
Discussion

ducnick

Original Poster:

1,765 posts

242 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Let’s hope they have been stockpiling them in dehumidified storage. If not they will have rusted away in time honoured Land Rover fashion by the time they get round to selling them. I guess that would make them even more authentic.

alorotom

11,907 posts

186 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
I believe it’s called “patina” wink lol

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Defender is ruggedly handsome and an off-road virtuoso

despite a number of faults which, it must be said, disqualify it from large parts of modern living, most people are glad it was produced

but it seems a bit bizarre how frequent, some might say obsessive, the Defender presence is here on PH

sometimes it becomes like the monoculture brought to life in that comedy, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

"Welcome to my home. Over here is my brother, Ted... and his wife, Melissa, and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Over here, my brother, Tommy, his wife, Angie... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. And here, my brother, George, that's his wife, Frieda... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Taki, Sophie, Carrie, Nick, Nick, Nick... "






Turbobanana

6,159 posts

200 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
unsprung said:
Defender is ruggedly handsome and an off-road virtuoso

despite a number of faults which, it must be said, disqualify it from large parts of modern living, most people are glad it was produced

but it seems a bit bizarre how frequent, some might say obsessive, the Defender presence is here on PH

sometimes it becomes like the monoculture brought to life in that comedy, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

"Welcome to my home. Over here is my brother, Ted... and his wife, Melissa, and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Over here, my brother, Tommy, his wife, Angie... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. And here, my brother, George, that's his wife, Frieda... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Taki, Sophie, Carrie, Nick, Nick, Nick... "
What are you going on about?

406dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?

NJJ

432 posts

79 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
This (to an extent). Although new G-Class is much much better and demand for old G and Defender just shows that by engineering cars to be more and more perfect it has removed any trace of character and there is still a large market for those who want cars that are new but imperfectly perfect.

sgtBerbatov

2,597 posts

80 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
Quite agree, to a point. I always wanted a Defender growing up because they looked like proper manly rugged things and on the streets of Birmingham you hardly saw them. Now, however, the world + their dog have got one in various shades of ste. Loud exhausts, over sized rims, and the jackasses driving them thinking they own the road. The fact I tried to drive one a year ago and found out I was too long and too broad to fit inside one killed the dream.

Now though I'm courting a Lada Niva. That's something you don't see on the road very much, is iconic in a crap sort of way, and in the unlikely event of me needing to off road I know it'll be just as capable - if not more so - than a Defender.

rastapasta

1,846 posts

137 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
unsprung said:
Defender is ruggedly handsome and an off-road virtuoso

despite a number of faults which, it must be said, disqualify it from large parts of modern living, most people are glad it was produced

but it seems a bit bizarre how frequent, some might say obsessive, the Defender presence is here on PH

sometimes it becomes like the monoculture brought to life in that comedy, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"

"Welcome to my home. Over here is my brother, Ted... and his wife, Melissa, and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Over here, my brother, Tommy, his wife, Angie... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. And here, my brother, George, that's his wife, Frieda... and their children, Anita, Diane, and Nick. Taki, Sophie, Carrie, Nick, Nick, Nick... "

are you high??

Cotty

39,389 posts

283 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Still think bigfoot looks cool

Dale487

1,334 posts

122 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
sgtBerbatov said:
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
Quite agree, to a point. I always wanted a Defender growing up because they looked like proper manly rugged things and on the streets of Birmingham you hardly saw them. Now, however, the world + their dog have got one in various shades of ste. Loud exhausts, over sized rims, and the jackasses driving them thinking they own the road. The fact I tried to drive one a year ago and found out I was too long and too broad to fit inside one killed the dream.

Now though I'm courting a Lada Niva. That's something you don't see on the road very much, is iconic in a crap sort of way, and in the unlikely event of me needing to off road I know it'll be just as capable - if not more so - than a Defender.
There was an ex-Paris Dakar Niva up for auction earlier this year, it went for less than £5K - a lot of history for the money but a lot of money for a Lada, but very cool.

Bone Rat

361 posts

162 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Dale487 said:
sgtBerbatov said:
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
Quite agree, to a point. I always wanted a Defender growing up because they looked like proper manly rugged things and on the streets of Birmingham you hardly saw them. Now, however, the world + their dog have got one in various shades of ste. Loud exhausts, over sized rims, and the jackasses driving them thinking they own the road. The fact I tried to drive one a year ago and found out I was too long and too broad to fit inside one killed the dream.

Now though I'm courting a Lada Niva. That's something you don't see on the road very much, is iconic in a crap sort of way, and in the unlikely event of me needing to off road I know it'll be just as capable - if not more so - than a Defender.
There was an ex-Paris Dakar Niva up for auction earlier this year, it went for less than £5K - a lot of history for the money but a lot of money for a Lada, but very cool.
Had a Niva when they were still on general sale, wonderful little thing and endearingly shonky. Went absolutely everywhere once the Soviet tyres came off, full time 4WD with proper mechanical diff locks and a tool kit with tyre pump and starting handle.
The interior was made of black margarine cartons and the fuel gauge was un-damped and wildly inaccurate, the only time I've had to syphon fuel out of an outboards tank to keep going on M4.
It's high point was pulling my friend's LW military series 3 out of the mud as he tried to follow.

Have all very nice proper cars now, but it's one of the ones I miss most; far more than the Series 3 that replaced it in a mistaken idea that it wouldn't rust 'cos it's made of aluminium...' That worked out well.

Would have another as a pet now no problem

V8RX7

26,762 posts

262 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
sgtBerbatov said:
Quite agree, to a point. I always wanted a Defender growing up because they looked like proper manly rugged things

I tried to drive one and that killed the dream.
EFA

I always liked them, Mum had one for pulling the horse box etc

I drove them around the fields from around 10yrs old - crappy, bumpy, slow horrid things but that was because they were ancient

When I grew older I test drove later ones on the road - oh it seems they're all like that frown

So I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland - 4.7 V8 265hp with LSD front and rear - for buttons and it's better in every way (except image)


redroadster

1,729 posts

231 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
No doubt about it people mugging themselves spending big bucks on these piles ,Suzuki super size Jimmy double price still would look cheap against these things .

V8RX7

26,762 posts

262 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Perhaps they could widen them like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/landrover-chevy-blazer-...

Jonny_

4,108 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
Shhhh...

I want Unimogs to remain comparatively under the radar (and thus affordable) until such time as I can acquire enough driveway room to keep one!

aaron_2000

5,407 posts

82 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
Jonny_ said:
406dogvan said:
The Defender thing is weird - yes, they're iconic, capable off-roaders but all these specials and remakes are missing the core of that in favour of stuff like V8 engines (never the right choice), padded-leather drenched interiors (really?) and other frippery

The fact that the Defender is so in-demand but you cannot give-away a Series III also strikes me as odd - yes, their engines are absolute garbage but then so are many Defender engines...

This is really just a version of the G-Wagen thing - trundling along in relative obscurity until 'a celeb' gets one and suddenly every "no mind of their own" person wants one.

and the Unimog is still worthless - goes to show eh?
Shhhh...

I want Unimogs to remain comparatively under the radar (and thus affordable) until such time as I can acquire enough driveway room to keep one!
Knock your house down, you might just be able to squeeze one in then. A guy near me has one for his tree surgeon business, looks brilliant.

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Tuesday 13th November 2018
quotequote all
i never realised how crap the lightweights, s3, 90's 110's were until the day i drove a Landcruiser. and then in later years, with rose tinted glasses, i took a td5 as a company car. mistake. they hadn't really improved. sold it 6 months later. you can't polish a t*&d but full respect to twisted for defying this and puffing in a lot of rich people in the process.

Sa Calobra

37,000 posts

210 months

Wednesday 14th November 2018
quotequote all
I love the way they look but boy hateful to drive.


donutskidmark

1,198 posts

152 months

Wednesday 14th November 2018
quotequote all
Wonderful style over substance when you see fit blonds doing the school run to public schools in a pimped up Defender when actually they’d be more comfortable in a Ford Focus.

Hairymonster

1,419 posts

104 months

Wednesday 14th November 2018
quotequote all
donutskidmark said:
Wonderful style over substance when you see fit blonds doing the school run to public schools in a pimped up Defender when actually they’d be more comfortable in a Ford Focus.
They sell 'em with a free Hermes scarf, Barbour jacket and subscription to 'Horse and Hound'