Osprey Custom 4×4 has made a name out of reimagining the Land Rover Defender, but its latest project — the British Racing Green 2024 OC110 Station Wagon — isn’t just another resto-mod. With a $249,950 price tag and a Corvette-sourced V8 under the hood, it raises bigger questions about what today’s buyers really want from an SUV and why the most compelling ones might not come from automakers at all. In fairness, we asked the same question in 2017 with this $285,000 Corvette-powered Defender 130.
From Utility Icon to Bespoke Status Symbol
On paper, the OC110 sounds like a gearhead’s fever dream: a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 delivering 430-plus horsepower, a six-speed automatic, and a heavy-duty transfer case, all wrapped around a galvanized chassis and cushioned by Terrafirma shocks. The exterior stays true to the Defender’s classic boxy charm but is dressed up with satin silver wheels, smoked LEDs, and modern bumpers that give it presence without diluting its heritage. Overall, this green machine gives us “Project Barbour” Heritage Edition Defender 90 vibes.
It’s a statement about where custom SUVs are headed: away from mainstream sameness and toward something far more personal.
Inside the old school Defender, the transformation becomes even more dramatic. Caramel leather sport seats, a suede Alcantara headliner, and a 12.3-inch digital cluster erase any memories of bare-bones Defenders from the ’80s. Add in wireless Apple CarPlay, GPS, and a Rockford Fosgate audio system with twin subs, and you’re looking at a cabin more luxurious than anything Land Rover itself is building for this body style.
This isn’t just restoration; it’s reinvention. And buyers lining up for rigs like this aren’t looking for nostalgia alone. They want exclusivity and craftsmanship in a market saturated with SUVs that feel mass-produced and interchangeable.
What This Says About Where SUVs Are Headed
The OC110 proves a point: the appetite for authenticity and individuality is alive and well. While major automakers churn out EV crossovers and “rugged” trims designed in boardrooms, boutique shops like Osprey, ECD, and Arkonik are doubling down on character. They’re building machines that balance old-school charm with modern-day performance, and customers are willing to pay house money for the privilege.
It also underscores a shift in what defines luxury. For some, it’s not just heated seats and big touchscreens, it’s owning something no one else has, something built by hand with obsessive attention to detail. That’s why Osprey’s creation isn’t just a Defender clone. It’s a statement about where custom SUVs are headed: away from mainstream sameness and toward something far more personal. Well, that’s the hope anyway.
And while purists might call it overkill, the truth is clear: the future of the SUV might just belong to builders who aren’t afraid to throw heritage, horsepower, and high style into the same mix.
