Headquartered out of a 25,000-square-foot facility on the coast of Connecticut in Norwalk, Black Bridge Motors is an elite automotive outfit that specializes in restomodding classic 4x4s, pickups, and muscle cars. And while the shop has churned out builds using a variety of different donors, it has a clear knack for breathing new life into vintage Land Rover Defenders. Black Bridge’s familiarity with the British-built 4x4s has allowed it to deliver world-class Defender projects — a fact thoroughly evidenced by its latest one-off work, a blacked-out late ‘80s D90 example from the shop’s Mark IV series.
Built entirely by hand, the project began life as a 1988 Land Rover Defender 90, those has been massively overhauled both inside and out. Under the hood, the D90 now packs a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 Corvette engine pumping out 430hp and an equally healthy 425ft-lbs of torque. The build also sports blacked-out Kahn Rostyle wheels and Black Bridge’s own custom-designed Hydroboost braking system. The Defender also takes design cues from vintage 4×4 models from the ‘60s and ‘70s while concealing a host of modern amenities such as a 9” digital touchscreen and receiver, a premium sound system, custom instrumentation, and a new AC system complete with bespoke dash vent units.
Adorned in a blacked-out paint job, the exterior of the vehicle has been fitted with a custom grille, flared fenders, a rear-mounted full-sized spare, a coverable rear roll-cage, a custom rear bumper, Vision X LED lighting, and a one-off steel front bumper fitted with an integrated WARN winch. Trimmed in Moore & Giles semi-aniline full-grain leather with a matte finish, the handcrafted all-weather cabin of the Defender has also been equipped with a three-spoke steering wheel, new seats, and a wooden shift knob.
For more on Black Bridge Motors’ work or to commission your own build, more information is available on the shop’s website — which includes an online configurator that allows users to custom-design their own Series IV Defender.
