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British company offers pre-rusted car trim pieces

Bespoke customisation firm offers up pre-rusted car panels as part of custom Land Rover Defender build.


Most car owners go out of their way to keep their car from rusting, but Heritage Customs, an offshoot of British design house Neils van Roij Design, is offering pre-rusted exterior panels for cars like the 2021 Land Rover Defender.

Stylised as part of the brand’s hand-built 2021 Land Rover Defender Valiance bespoke remake, the corroded panels are described as real rust and are previewed on the side vents and diamond-plate bonnet inserts.

The process involves metal-binding technology that sprays a thin layer of aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, zinc, or even gold onto a car’s paint which assumes the parent material’s shape and flexibility. The company says the finish will last for up to 20 years and can be brushed, polished, sanded, or in this case, oxidised.

It can be sealed at any point to prevent the finish from rusting even further or left alone to let the “natural course of corrosion start”.

The unique painting process is offered as part of the brand’s custom Land Rover Defender program which re-finishes the interior and exterior in a range of new materials such as aluminium, leathers, denims, teak woods and copper.

Niels van Roij says the rusty exterior effect can be applied to the wheels or even interior elements, should a customer so desire.

Porsche earlier this year joked on April Fool’s Day that it will begin offering fake patina fresh from the factory, though this is the first time we’ve seen the effect offered as a serious customisation option.

The rusted look is only available for its Valiance (based on the new Land Rover Defender) and Vintage (based on the old Defender) bespoke models for now, though it’s understood the brand may branch out to other models in the future.

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Tom Fraser

Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.

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