Introducing the Rat Rover

Anyone who has ever owned a Land Rover will have stories to tell. The older a car is, the more things it will have seen in its life and old Defenders will certainly have seen some action. The scratches on the wing, the slightly bent door panels, the bump on the rear corner might make it look a little ratty, but they all show that your Defender has real memories. In fact, your car should look rough if it’s over 30 years old or it’s probably not lived much of a life.

However, all those adventures take their toll and it may be that that same trusted old Landy is coming towards the end. The chassis is rotten, the engine takes a while to start now, the gearbox whines and as for that clunking noise from underneath, well you don’t really want to look but it sounds bad. It’s cold, uncomfortable, noisy and your friends say it really is time to get rid.

You could go out and buy a new shiny 4x4 and be just like everyone else, but you love your Land Rover, so the question is what to do?

Well, one option is to have it restored back to its original state, where all those memories are taken out and a shiny new paint job put on top, but that’s a bit like starting all over again. Or you could choose another way. You could let us build you a Rat Rover, where we take all that history, all those marks, scratches and faded paintwork and we accentuate it; make it all stand out as part of the character of the car. You’re showing the world that this car is unique because it has had unique experiences. There’s no need to hide the past, so you keep it looking ratty, embrace those memories and make a statement about who you are. Your car becomes a rolling piece of art, but the trick is this; underneath it’s all brand new.

New chassis, new suspension, new engine, gearbox and a full interior refit. You’re Land Rover is smooth to drive, ultra-reliable, quiet and comfortable. It’s now ready for another 30 years of adventure. Who knows where your Rat Rover will take you, but it certainly won’t be boring.

Originally, ‘Rat Rods’ were a counter-reaction to modern society’s addiction to all things new, fuelled by slick marketing that tries to convince us that this year’s cars are always better than the ones they were raving about last year. Over time, the Rat Rod culture has become more refined and is now very firmly established in mainstream custom automotive design. Companies now go to great lengths to make their cars look older than they actually are. Your Rat Rover is therefore like a fine wine, because it actually gets better the older it becomes.

It’s not for everyone, but we’re certainly going to see a lot more ‘Rat Rods’ on the streets of the UK in the years to come as more and more people look for individuality and charm in a world full of monotony. Rats are certainly daring and different but they throw integrity and imagination against the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves to the ordinary.

We love them. We hope you do too.