Starting with a bone-stock short-wheelbase Defender 90, Smith used no less than 27 different colors to paint the body, including hues inspired by the British countryside and a few historically seen on Land Rover off-roaders used by the British army over the years. Satin Black 16-inch alloy wheels provide a contrasting touch to the jazzy paint work, while a discreet Paul Smith emblem on the right side of the tailgate wraps up the custom look.
Inside, Smith has done his best to hide the Defender’s unabashedly utilitarian origins. The designer has added black leather upholstery on the dashboard, the center console and the door panels, blue seatbelts up front and a custom-designed clock integrated into the dashboard. The seats are upholstered in a combination of black leather and black cloth accented by colorful stripes, bringing the cockpit in line with the exterior.
The flamboyance stops under the hood, where the one-off Defender is powered by a stock 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that makes 130 horsepower and a generous 265 lb-ft. of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Land Rover has not announced what the future holds for the prismatic Defender. However, the automaker points out that Paul Smith is an avid Defender enthusiast so we suspect the truck will find a spot in his garage in the near future.
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