It’s no secret that a vintage Land Rover Defender 110 is extremely cool. They aren’t exactly good trucks, but cool can outweigh good. If there were only a way to make a vintage Land Rover Defender reliable, comfortable, and more efficient, well, that would be quite the truck, indeed. Although there are many aftermarket Defender builders out there, few compare to Brooklyn Coachworks’ work. 

Brooklyn Coachworks is building some of the coolest vintage Land Rover Defenders we’ve ever seen

Unlike many of the other Defender builders who have popped up over the past handful of years, the folks at Brooklyn Coachworks aren’t just riding the trend. The Brooklyn-based builders have been about Defenders for over 20 years. For proof of their expertise and love of Defenders, look no further than this Land Rover Defender 110 HCPU 1-ton. 

As Expedition Portal states, the vision for this killer Defender 110 was to tip the hat to the Series 109 1-ton, which is an extraordinarily rare, heavy-duty version of the regular Series 109.

According to Brooklyn Coachworks ‘ site, only 700 examples were manufactured from 1968 to 1977, with roughly 60 vehicles still surviving. The 109” 1-ton was fitted with special Salisbury 1-ton axles in the front and rear, both with larger brakes. The rare steel wheels had a much deeper dish to offset a larger 9.00R16 (36”) tire. Increased suspension height and a larger 2.6-liter gasoline engine were fitted. Many were outfitted with cranes, power-take-off winches, and other work equipment for heavy-duty use. 

As with any good Defender restomod, the folks in Brooklyn started by swapping the original old tractor engine with a brand-new crate Cummins R2.8 turbo-diesel motor paired with a Tremec TR-4050 transmission. This Defender build has all of the other usual suspects for a custom off-road project; a PTO Superwinch H14, ARB air lockers, and heavy-duty axle shafts. In addition, the 110 also got a set of chunky 38-inch Michelin XZL tires. 

This truck was made to work

Brooklyn may be the land of the current, hip, and fashionable, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some serious trucks out there. As we previously mentioned, Brooklyn Coachworks has been deep in the Land Rover Defender world for a long time. And, despite the clear Instagramable-ness of this hip truck, it wasn’t made for being in pictures. 

Even though this one is in the land of the hip, BCW clearly intends this custom Defender to be a work truck. Seeing as how most potential customers aren’t likely to need a crane on the back of their truck like some of the original 1-ton Defenders, the Brooklyn shop threw a serious, 14,000-lb winch on to honor the crane spirit. 

However, unlike the originals, this Defender 110 comes with air conditioning, heated seats, Bluetooth stereo USB ports, and in-cab storage for some modern creature comforts.

How much does this vintage Land Rover Defender cost?

This special build Defender 110 HCPU 1-ton is currently listed for sale for a whopping $210,000 and is, of course, located in Brooklyn, NY. 

More photos and contact information here.