Niels van Roij reveals Land Rover Defender-based Valiance Convertible

Land Rover’s reinvented Defender has been a success story the world over for the brand. But die-hard fans of the original may think there is still something missing: a convertible version.

That’s where Dutch coachbuilder Niels van Roij Design steps in. The company’s Heritage Customs division has announced it will produce a select number of drop-top variants of its Valiance, an upgraded and modified version of the new Defender.

Just five build slots for the hand-built model will be allocated for 2022, and if official communications are to be believed it looks unlikely that any further examples will be produced. Each will be priced at €138,000 (around £118,000) excluding VAT and any further local market taxes.

The Valiance Convertible is based on the short-wheelbase Defender 90, and has only been shown in design renderings and sketches so far. It retains the same proportions, and the lower half of the body is identical to the standard car’s, but what appears to be a part-electric fabric roof has been engineered in to replace the hard top.

The company has detailed three custom ‘curations’ of the Valiance Convertible to help inspire customers. The first, dubbed the Cote d’Azur, features bespoke blue paint and whitewall tyres, while the Solihull Sand version references the original 1948 model. Finally, the Kokkini Paralia model has dark matt red exterior paint. All feature bespoke detailing, customised interiors and Magic Metal interior and exterior packs.

Heritage Customs claims customers can “work closely with their team of specialist designers and craftspeople via the personal commission guide called Architecture”. In this program patrons can create or enhance their own unique Heritage Customs vehicle.

Now read why we think the Land Rover Defender is our mid-size Premium SUV of the Year here...