outlander is
a small family business committed to developing the Defender by restoring and upgrading existing Land Rover vehicles for discerning individuals who are looking for something with it’s own unique personality, by offering a unique level of individuality, originality, quality and style.
complete vehicles can be commissioned for the UK, EU or US. Donor vehicles can be sourced on behalf of customers, or their own vehicles can be used.
in addition to full commissions, the constituent elements are also available for purchase separately and can be shipped globally.
outlander is
based in Scotland, the birthplace of the Land Rover name. Scotland has a long and proud history of ingenuity and durability. This location and heritage strongly informs not only the values and ethos of the company, but are also intrinsically woven into each vehicle.
for over a decade, outlander has operated with integrity and honesty. This has allowed long term relationships to grow with customers and outlander remains in touch with all customers and routinely maintains and upgrades the vehicles for owners.
the vehicles themselves also reflect the values of Scotland, with the use of traditional local materials and techniques. Fabrics such as tweed and are sourced locally and even woven for customers. The use of these fabrics, along with hardwoods and leathers ensure a hardwearing vehicle that will age and weather gracefully.
outlander is
the result of 10 years of obsessive evolution and product development, beginning as a reaction to the ‘big wheels and bling’ custom Defenders of the time. The desire was to create a more authentic and tasteful Defender, that prioritised quality of materials and congruency of design. This ‘timeless’ style quickly became the reference for modified Defenders and is now replicated globally. However, outlander does not seek to be an answer, but rather a question. Therefore, the vehicles are forever evolving as each new project picks up from where the previous one left off. New ideas are formed and implemented and new questions arise. The projects within the Vehicle Portfolio section are listed in chronological order, beginning with the most recent.
outlander is
defined by this evolution and each completed vehicle has a story to tell and a reason for being. It is a guiding principle that each project must bring something new into the Defender world and thus justify its existence. There must be a question at the heart of it. A “what if”. This principle and resulting evolutionary journey began with the Arden 90. Every Defender shown in the slideshow above and the Vehicle Portfolio page, started with that Land Rover. As mentioned, it was a response to the feeling that custom Defenders had lost their connection to what the Defender represented. Big alloys and sports seats were the norm and the Defender lost its charm as a result. More importantly, outlander reasoned that the leather covered MDF and plastic did not represent the luxury or bespoke manufacture it claimed to represent. True luxury was to be found in hand made, high quality materials that would age gracefully and patinate over time. Materials, such as Scottish leather, teak, walnut, galvanised steel, anodised aluminium, tweed and billet have now become defining features of outlander projects. The Arden 90 was the first Defender to bring this into public consciousness and immediately changed the modified Defender scene. Elements from this Defender can still be seen in almost every custom Defender across the world today.
outlander is
committed to the design, development and production of ‘elements’, and these in turn allow the ongoing evolution of the vehicles. The first elements produced were those seen in the Arden 90 above. They included the integrated Marshall bluetooth speaker, solid teak deck, along with teak and galvanised side steps and benches. The Marshall speaker and teak deck are now featured in 90% of custom Defenders globally.
the range of elements has increased along side the vehicle portfolio. It now includes the bluetooth music system, 18” billet aluminium wheels, CrispShift gear selectors, curved hard wood centre cubby boxes, classic binnacle, panoramic glass roof, brakes and suspension. There are also several powertrain options, such as the outlander V8 and the 450 Performance Pack. The range of materials used within each of these elements has also expanded, to woven leathers, tweeds, walnut, wedge and other exotic hardwoods.
these elements can be used as the foundations for a commissioned vehicle, or purchased individually and sent out globally for customers’ own projects. Full details can be found within the elements page.
outlander is
the creative outlet for company owner and director, Graham Mann. The elements and vehicles all represent a personal journey and reflect wider interests and tastes. Graham originally followed a conventional route of school, university, career, which culminated in director level positions within the property and construction industry as a Building Surveyor. In addition to managing large construction projects within private practice, Graham was also Head of Estates for Hopetoun House in Scotland and the Royal Botanic Gardens. These roles developed the key transferable skills, such as project management and materials science. Being able to manage numerous complex projects and bring together many different skill sets to produce a finished product remains as relevant as ever. Working with listed buildings and in arenas with a strong and ever present heritage also developed the skills to maintain and evolve a historic and significant part of history, while also modernising and keeping it relevant, without losing what made it special in the first place. Inspired by Alan Watts’ and specifically his writing “what do you desire”, the decision was made to retire from property and allow the obsession with the Defender to run its course.
outlander is
dedicated purely to the advancement and exploration of the Defender. Having been able to leave one profession at relatively young age, there was no desire to simply rejoin the pursuit of money. outlander is entirely self funded, with no debt or financial backers. Every decision is based only on what is the best possible outcome, with no need to generate a profit on every hour spent or item of work completed. The overall evolution and questioning is what matters.
alan watts
When we finally got down to something which the individual says he really wants to do, I will say to him: you do that and forget the money.
And after all if you do really like what your doing, it doesn't matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it. The only way to become a master of something is to be really with it. And then you'll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don't worry to much, somebody's interested in everything. And anything you can be interested in you'll find others who are.
outlander is
a belief that vehicles should be part of a wider way of living that embraces simplicity, quality and timeless style. There is no reason why the materials and styles enjoyed elsewhere in life should not be realised within the vehicles. The idea is to create a natural flow between the vehicles and the wider lifestyle.
outlander is
interested only in developing the vehicles and providing customers with the best possible products.
every part, product and vehicle reflects the same overall ethos and aesthetic, which have been developed for a decade.
outlander is
ultimately not just the sum of its vehicles, but also its customers. Every completed vehicle is known by name, as is every customer. An ongoing relationship is maintained with every owner and previously completed vehicles are always welcome back for routine servicing and maintenance, or to take advantage of new parts and methodologies. Many of the vehicles return each year for upgrades and to ensure they stay in great condition.
outlander is
a relationship based on trust and long term growth and development. The process doesn’t end with delivery of the vehicle or element.
outlander is
more than a vehicle or a company. It is a notion that life should be about progress and fun. No compromise and no tedium. It’s not about trying to be something or get somewhere, but is simply about enjoying creating and trying new things and establishing long term connections.
outlander is
still here thanks to one car. This instagram post from a few years ago outlines that experience:
….I just thought I’d give a bit more info on the Arden 90. As you’ve probably gathered, I really like it. I guess you’d kind of expect that as I produced it. However, I don’t just like it because of the car itself, but because of what it means. 2.5 years ago, when I first started this landy, I was pretty sick of cars. The order of the day at that time was still big alloys and recaro seats etc. I was sort of expected to produce those sorts of cars and I was basically just flipping them. I couldn’t really be bothered with it all. This car was kind of make or break, I decided I’d just make something I liked and that reflected my lifestyle and the sort of things I was into. I didn’t know if I’d be able to sell it. It was a bit of an unknown as Defenders then tended to be valued on the basis of what parts were stuck to them. Adverts would basically list the parts and that was the value of the car. I didn’t know if people would see the value in bits of wood etc, that have no intrinsic value as such. When it was finished it was basically a 2000 year Defender td5 priced at £35k. Sure enough, I had a guy come out who owned a bathroom showroom or something. He messed around for a while and just couldn’t get his head around why it cost more than a much newer one. Eventually he ‘walked away’. I pretty much decided at that point that I didn’t need this hassle and that would be the last. That same night, Henry at sudeley castle phoned up and sent the money that same night. That confirmed to me that there were people out there who would understand what I was doing and appreciate the work that went into it. That one transaction confirmed to me that I was right and this could be fun and authentic and genuine after all. Now it seems like every Defender I see has teak or a Marshall speaker or something like that. Since this defender, I’ve never done anything I didn’t like and, as cliched as it is, met lots of great people and had lots of fun. Nothing’s changed and this isn’t meant as some rags to riches tale or a ‘look at me now’ type thing. I’m still poor and uninteresting. Just the story of a car and why I’m fond of it.
the arden 90
“The order of the day at that time was still big alloys and recaro seats etc. I was sort of expected to produce those sorts of cars and I was basically just flipping them. I couldn’t really be bothered with it all. This car was kind of make or break, I decided I’d just make something I liked and that reflected my lifestyle and the sort of things I was into. I didn’t know if I’d be able to sell it.”
outlander is
a restorer and modifier of existing Land Rover® vehicles for its customers. Outlander does not manufacture vehicles. Outlander is not sponsored, associated, approved, endorsed nor, in any way, affiliated with Land Rover. The Land Rover® name and logo are trademarks of Land Rover, and any other products mentioned are the trademarks of their respective holders. Any mention of trademarked names or other marks is for purpose of reference only. The product of Outlander’s painstaking effort is a Land Rover® restored and modified by Outlander. Out of respect for Land Rover, and to respect Land Rover’s trademark rights, completed vehicles should never under any circumstances be referred to or described as an "Outlander" or "Outlander Defender" or in any other manner that suggests that it is anything but a Land Rover® Defender®.
