Man who bought 200 Land Rover Defenders in 2015 and is making a huge profit on them revealed why people are paying $275k for one

A man who bought a staggering 200 Land Rover Defenders in 2015 made a huge profit with people paying $275,000 to get their hands on one.

Charles Fawcett is the owner of Twisted – a company that specializes in bespoke modified Defenders. 

Fawcett bought 200 Land Rover Defenders before the model stopped being produced in 2016.

And he’s since made a serious profit after modifying them and selling them on.

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He visited the Land Rover Defender production line

Land Rover launched the Defender back in 1983 but after 33 years, production drew to a close in 2016. 

Shortly before this, in 2015, Twisted owner Charles Fawcett headed out to the Land Rover factory in Solihull in the UK, where he visited the Defender production line and met with the people who built the cars.

He ended up snapping up 200 of the Land Rover Defenders, which would have cost around $44,300 (£35,000) apiece back in 2015. 

However, Twisted’s custom Defenders will set you back a lot more than that. 

After splashing out on a couple of hundred Land Rover Defenders, Fawcett placed them into storage and began the task of customizing and modifying them.

Each Defender is custom-built for its new owner

Back in 2023, he had 16 of the bespoke Defenders up for sale and each one was unique.

“These sixteen 110s were hand-picked for their chassis numbers and build dates,” he told the Sun.

“They’re special, and when twisted, each one is the only one. Hence the limited run is called One of One.”

The custom Defenders, which come with either gas or diesel engines, go through a serious set of upgrades including boosted suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and LED lighting.

The inside is treated similarly and kitted out with new leather interiors, soundproofing, and a flash new infotainment system.

However, Fawcett explained that as each vehicle is custom-built it can be made however the new owner wants. 

“All of the 16 will be Twisted, but exactly how depends on the lifestyle and tastes of the customer,” he told the publication. 

“The Twisted way isn’t to tell people what their Defender should be; it’s to work with them to create a Defender that’s the best fit for them.”

But of course, all of these modifications cost money – and the Twisted Defender comes with a starting price of $171,000 (£135,000) for a diesel model and $233,884 (£184,500) for a gas-powered one – and can sell for as much as $274,700 (£220,000).