Find of the Week: 1987 Land Rover Defender Is More Than Just Another Restomod

“Art” is a tricky thing to define.

It is, by its nature, subjective, fickle and nebulous. But there is one thing that all art has in common.

Anyone who has ever committed to making art will tell you: You have to be blindly, wildly, unhealthily obsessed with what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a renaissance painting or punk rock, whatever your art form is, you just pour everything you have into it until you’re absolutely sure it's the perfect expression of what you’re trying to achieve… even though it never will be.

By that definition, I think then you could consider something like this 1987 Land Rover Defender 110 a work of art. It’s a pursuit of perfection — the ultimate example of everything a Land Rover Defender could or should be.

We’ll call this one a “restomod” just for the sake of clarity, but it feels like more a remix or reimagining.

In 2006, Arkonik founder Andy Hayes began restoring his own 1984 Land Rover Defender in his driveway. Following a motorcycle accident and having been released from hospital, Hayes’ wife purchased him the old Defender to “give him something to do.”

Hayes used that Defender to travel around Europe, and after restoring and flipping yet another Defender, an idea for a business was born.

By 2010 “Land Rovers UK Ltd.” was selling 100 restored Defenders a month. In 2012, they were able to open sales to the US market and shifted their business model from retail to full production.

If you have an old Defender, they can restore it for you. Or you can simply order one from them.

A donor vehicle is sourced and stripped down to the frame, which is treated and preserved. The original engine undergoes a full rebuild. New body panels are fitted and painted to customer specs. Likewise, a new interior is constructed and can be customized to order. Brand new electrical systems are fitted (which is great because now they’ll actually, you know, work) and Arkonik takes care of all the quality control and road safety standard business in-house.

See what I mean? It’s far more than just a “restomod.” It’s more an obsessive effort to try to create the perfect representation of what a Land Rover Defender is in your mind. And you can’t really call that anything other than “art.”

This particular Land Rover Defender 110 is vehicle #06 of 200 which were built for the American and Canadian markets in 2018. While it’s currently in the hands of Jaguar Land Rover of Laval, QC, it was originally delivered to an owner in Toronto, ON.

It began life as an original 1987 Defender 110 — albeit a top-trim model powered by the well-traveled Rover OHV 3.5-litre V8 that featured analogue fuel injection and was mounted to a five-speed manual transmission.

While the powerplant remains the original 3.5-litre V8, output has been bumped from the 135 hp to a more respectable 200 thanks to modern fuel injection and a stainless steel exhaust system.

Body modifications are subtle and tasteful. From the raised lettering on the hood and tailgate, to the A-frame nudge bar, to the “fire and ice” side steps. The bodywork has been painted in “Santorini Black Metallic” with satin black accents (such as the “chequer plate” accents over the front fenders). The wheels are a modern 18-inch Land Rover “Sawtooth” design wrapped in BFGoodrich KO2 Tires. Dual LED headlights are a given.

The interior seamlessly blends the classic, analogue Range Rover touch points with modern conveniences and comfort. The seats may look original in straight forward black leather and stitching, but they’re now heated. You’ll also find a USB and 12V power port, as well as a Pioneer sound system with Bluetooth connectivity and Apple CarPlay. It’s even got an Alpine rear-view camera that’s been mounted to the license plate bracket — as if it was a modern car off the showroom floor.

So, it’s a superb blend of new and old, a tasteful reimagining of a timeless classic, and a true “pièce unique.” It’s art. Plain and simple.

But… the downside to really good art is that it usually comes at a high price and this driveable passion project is no different.

The asking price is $129,900 CAD.

Now in all fairness, the original bill of sale from Arkonik was $163,921, and you’d certainly have no trouble spending that kind of money on a brand new 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 with a V8 engine.

And if you’re actually comparison shopping, the ‘87 Arkonik, in addition to having its Land Rover Heritage Certificate and complete documentation, including the original Arkonik build sheet, has been maintained by an authorized Land Rover service centre. So, you can keep getting it serviced just like you would a new Rover at the dealer. Heck, it even comes with two sets of keys just like any brand-new car.

It’s a real bargain, when you convince yourself of it.

If none of this seems enticing, that’s fine. Art is subjective, fickle and nebulous and for you, this might just not be “it.”

But if you’re after something timeless, yet contemporary, and born of stupid passion and unreasonable obsession, then never mind a new one, this is the Land Rover to get.