Vintage trucks are sourced from olive farms in Spain and outfitted with modern and upgraded components
Two long-time friends, who emigrated from England separately and came together with their love of classic British workhorses, are putting vintage Land Rover Defenders back on the road as completely modernized vehicles. Guy Gregory learned to drive at the age of 10 in his father’s Defender used on the family’s vineyard in Spain. James Burke, the other half of Gregory-Burke Defenders Ltd., also grew up with a passion for the gritty British beasts.
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Their Coquitlam assembly facility is sourcing vintage Land Rover Defenders from olive farms in Spain to rebuild them from the ground up with modern and upgraded components. The reason Gregory-Burke Defender donor vehicles are sourced from Spain is rust is not a factor in the warm dry climate. Just over two million Land Rover and Defender models were built from 1948 until production ended in January 2016 — the longest running model in automotive history.
The original Land Rover was based on the World War Two Jeep and developed by British automaker Rover to get its factory back into postwar production of civilian vehicles. Series 1 Land Rover body panels were made from aluminum left over from wartime aircraft production. The green paint was also war surplus. The 67 years of production saw a series of four-wheel drive Land Rover Defender models shipped to all corners of the world for hard use on everything from farms to African safaris. It is estimated that 75 per cent of the Defenders built are still in use.
“We are building a better version of what they were,” explains Gregory. “It’s still a Defender keeping true to the heritage. But they are more useable with better reliability.”
A finished long wheelbase model is displayed at the company’s showroom which is also the assembly area. This reimagined Defender started out as a 2004 model. It has been completely reworked with all modern components and a luxurious leather-clad interior. The company uses computer generated designs for many unique parts which are produced with a 3D printer.
Greg and Jan Pallone are watching their bespoke 2002 Defender 90 take shape. All components are new from the body panels sourced from England to the upgraded five-cylinder diesel engine producing 200 horsepower mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. The custom-built Defender will also feature full air ride suspension. Final cost is estimated at approximately $280,000.
Greg holds fond memories of the Corgi toy Defender he had as a child. The interest in classic Defenders continued through his career in the financial sector. The Defender being built to his specifications is basically a retirement gift for himself and his family. This personalized build will become a future family heirloom to eventually be passed on to son Matt, an electrical engineer and fellow car enthusiast, and their other son Nicholas who lives in Toronto.
“Plans are to use our Defender to help promote Gregory and Burke’s bespoke build process and have it on display in Laguna Seca for Monterey Car Week,” Greg Pallone says. “Gregory and Burke are unique in how they approach these builds, and I want to help tell their story.”
Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in a Vancouver-based public relations company. [email protected]
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