Amsterdam workshop performs incredibly intricate Land Rover Defender customizations where they'll add anything you ask for and even make them into EVs

At this workshop in Amsterdam, you can get a Land Rover Defender customized down to the finest detail – and we mean it when we say the finest detail.

No stone is left unturned in personalizing these vehicles.

Customers have free rein when it comes to colors, materials, and a whole range of features.

And believe it or not, this whole business came out of a planned road trip that never went ahead.

This business has its roots in a planned road trip to South Africa

At the head of The Landrovers is Peter Zeisser, Daniel van Oostern, and Frank Tijs.

Peter and Daniel founded the company back in 2011, inspired by a proposed road trip to South Africa.

Daniel, while studying in Port Elizabeth, had fallen in love and wanted to do a big cross-continental road trip down to see his girlfriend.

He and Peter decided that a Land Rover Defender would be the ideal vehicle for such an excursion.

“We had this picture of a safari vehicle, that we could just imagine driving through the wildlife in Africa,” Daniel told Supercar Blondie.

“So we found an ex-army, right-hand drive with no electronics. We started to play with that car and prepare it for the trip.”

It had been acquired from the UK, but it wasn’t in great shape.

“It was 68hp when we picked it up – probably 18hp by the time we got it back to Amsterdam,” Peter admitted.

“We had no experience in engineering, but it was super fun.”

Unfortunately, the romantic relationship ended before the two friends could even embark on their road trip.

So now they had a Defender on their hands that they needed to part ways with. They found a buyer in no time, but it was the second interested party that really got the ball rolling.

An American banker wanted one Defender to take on a trip to Iceland, and wanted Peter and Daniel to put a second Defender on the market.

“He had a lot of faith in us,” Daniel said.

“At that time, we still saw it as a nice way to go see places in England and have a nice adventure. And he was the one who said, ‘Guys, you need to turn this into a business’. He saw the potential.”

Want a Land Rover Defender that’s personalized in practically every way? You’re in luck

Each Defender is designed as a collaborative effort between The Landrovers team and the customer, taking approximately nine to 12 months to complete.

Practically every detail can be finetuned, from the upholstery to the dashboard and the name.

You need only look at the Defender Dan Dan for proof of that.

“We had a customer whose wife worked at Audemars Piguet,” Bastiaan Wolters, the Head of Design, said.

“They asked for this to be fitted inside a 3D-print, to sit in the center of the dashboard.  It was originally a clock that sat on the desk, but now it sits inside the car. 

“These clock-faces are a unique selling point for us. Every customer has their own name for the car, so we’ll be in touch with them to make the car more special.

“We make nameplates all over the cars, so this customer wanted his to be Moose, so we made a logo. It’s the same thing with this Strawberry Fields car.”

With a mission statement of ‘endless possibilities’ and ‘pushing the boundaries of design’, no idea is ruled out as being ‘too big’ – but there have been some challenges.

“One customer wanted a trail door from a Jeep Wrangler on his Defender. It was a bit more challenging, but we made it work with aluminum,” Bastiaan recalled.

“That was a very big project. And now that’s a product we can sell to customers off-the-shelf.”

Everything is made in-house, from the tech down to the upholstery – which is designed to match an accompanying bag and fire extinguisher cover.

The infotainment system inside the Defenders comes with tons of information about the car, alongside a personalized render.

In a neat touch, the eyes of the lion logo turn red when the car gets revved.

“I think [the infotainment system] is one of the first points of personalization that a customer sees,” Ole Salet, a software designer at the company, explained.

“It’s one thing that shows this is custom to the car, it’s a first impression. It shows the customer that the software is made for their car specifically. That’s the standard.”

Building up the tech in-house has been a challenge for the team, but it’s one they’ve taken on keenly.

“There’s not a lot of material online about making infotainment systems – BMW aren’t going to tell you, Volkswagen aren’t going to tell you,” Ole said.

“It’s a learning curve, but we’ve gotten better and better, and we’re really proud of that.”

At the heart of the tech is a desire to make it accessible.

“Even if you’re not as technical, we want you to understand what’s going on with your car,” Ole explained.

“Messages can come through on the screen explaining what to do if [something goes wrong].

“We still want to include a lot of Easter Eggs that a car guy would appreciate, but we also want that luxury feel where you don’t feel forced to do as much work.”

You can also turn your Defender into an EV

Frank Tijs joined the team in 2018 to run the electric department – named ‘Panterra’.

Since then, the company has upped its production of electric Defenders, with roughly 25 percent of its yearly output now being electric.

It’s a prospect that has come with some challenges.

“The chassis aren’t designed for anything like this, so you have to remake almost the entire chassis – all the different brackets, have to change the entire suspension,” Job Hennekes, a Lead Engineer, explained.

“Then you come into the high voltage wiring, where you have to find a way to route it all and put it in the vehicle – and that’s not even just talking about the whole homologation side.”

He said there was a clear divide among customers, with Europeans being more drawn to the EV Land Rover Defender than their American counterparts.

In the minds of many, Defenders will be associated with the roar that a V8 can provide.

But Job argued that the EV had its own set of perks.

“If you’re driving around Spain with your top down and all you can hear in the background is the roar [an EV might be preferable],” he said.

“These EVs, the quiet drifting on the highway, the independent suspension, it takes the vehicle to such a quiet and easy driving experience. In my opinion, it’s something else.”

Looking forward towards the future

The Defender evidently means a lot to the team at the Landrovers.

When asked what the Defender meant to him after 15 years at the head of the company, Daniel didn’t hold back.

“It represents the ultimate feeling of going on adventure,” he said.

“We were thinking there has to be something in the [Defender’s DNA] that attracts children, the mother, the entrepreneur, the farmer, the businessman, the millionaire. 

“What is they all like? I think there’s some kindness in the car. Cars like the Range Rover or the G-Class or the Ferrari, there’s a lot of muscle, it’s loud, it’s screaming. Not everybody appreciates that. The Defender, it arrives with kindness, I think, and with a certain style. It’s kind of like a gentle giant. 

“That’s why our logo is the lion. The lion is not the fastest of all the animals, nor is it the strongest. But his reputation is that he’s the leader of the animals, the king of the jungle. He’s respected.”

And what lies ahead for The Landrovers?

“We don’t want to become a mass producer of the Defenders. We want to stay small, like a boutique shop,” Daniel said.

“My dream is that we keep inspiring people all over the world to experience nature. In this digital world, there’s a lot of disconnectedness with people, but also with nature. I’d love to inspire people to go out and play, to explore the world.”

And what better vehicle to go exploring in than a Land Rover Defender?