Project Alpha
UNLESS YOU live on the East Coast of America you have probably never heard of E.C.D. Automotive Design, but its founders grew up 40 miles from Lode Lane factory, home to the Defender. They were surrounded by these vehicles from an early age too, mostly driving around on friends’ farms, so it is no surprise that they are now front one of America’s most requested builders of custom, handcrafted Land Rovers. As such, they have a 30,000 square feet facility and over 50 full-time employees – not bad, eh?
The latest model to their everexpanding line-up is the Range Rover Classic Project Alpha, which is available in three distinctive models: the Retro (pictured), Pursuit and Pinnacle Editions. E.C.D. will source your base vehicle, and then, like JLR’S SVO department, tears it down to its bare chassis and rebuilds it to your exact specification, with a range of interior and exterior treatments available and technologies to improve the driving experience. Where it may divide opinion is its engine, which is a 6.2-litre V8 from a Corvette, packing 430bhp, although Range Rover’s V8 is available for the purists out there.
“The new E.C.D. RRC will finally bring the vehicle into the 21st century, without sacrificing its classic heritage and originality,” states Elliot Humble, CoOwner. “We’ve make it look and feel much more premium by focusing on some key design elements. For example, we kept the original seats, but completely rebuilt them with premium leather, stitching and trim appointments. There is nothing comparable on the market.”
Additional information on E.C.D. Automotive Design is available online at eastcoastdefender.com or call +001 (407) 483 4825.