Founded in 2015 by Paul Brauchart and Philipp Rabl, Vagabund Moto is a world-renowned custom motorcycle shop known for its sleek, minimalistic, and ultra-clean builds. And while the Austrian outfit built its name on the strength of its one-off two-wheelers, Vagabund has more recently begun taking on a growing number of custom automotive projects — the latest of which to break cover is a bespoke-built Land Rover Defender pickup truck.
Coming on the heels of the Graz garage’s Lada Niva-based VLADA build and safari-style Porsche 944 kit, Vagabund’s latest 4×4 custom began life as a Land Rover Defender 90. Built with help from Dakar Garage, the Defender project first began several years ago, though saw numerous delays from other partners and parts suppliers due to the pandemic. After being stripped down to the frame, the pickup was built back up in Vagabund’s signature minimalistic style. Cloaked in the shop’s hallmark black and gray livery and fitted with a bespoke red Vagabund badge, the exterior of the vehicle has been fitted with steel bumpers fore and aft, and larger wheels and off-road tires, as well as flared fenders at all four corners that open up space for the bigger wheel-set.
The project’s minimalistic, bespoke interior includes a set of sport seats, an aftermarket steering wheel, a custom Alcantara dash, a fold-down windshield, and a custom, removable Bluetooth speaker cube. What’s more, the truck’s bed now sports marble flooring and multiple tie-down points for securing bikes. Under the hood, Vagabund’s Defender now packs a newly-rebuilt V8 engine mated to a manual gearbox. Unlike most Defender restomods, Vagabund’s Land Rover build wasn’t built to be a hardcore off-roader, and instead aims to deliver a fun and comfortable platform for relaxed Sunday rides and beach cruises — i.e. the actual use that most Defender builds see.
Though it only marks the shop’s third 4×4 build, Vagabund Moto’s Defender 90 project makes us extremely eager to see what off-road and automotive projects the Austrian outfit whips up next.
