2018 has been another crazy year here at Twisted, with big builds, names and road trips galore. Here is a little insight in to our ‘best bits’;
Classic Series II
2017 saw the build of the Classic Twisted Series I, following this and its great success, it was 2018 which saw the introduction of the Classic Twisted Series II as a celebration to mark two years since the end of Defender production. We carefully made changes to mirror movements of the original manufacturer when production of the first series II began in 1958. Additions such as a Twisted by Moto Lita steering wheel, a series coach stripe and sage green seatbelts make up this series. At the time of writing, we only have three of the ten vehicles available for sale.
Order of 9 Heading for Warmer Climates
In early 2018 we received an order for a further 6 vehicles to head out to a royal family in the middle east, following an initial order of 3 in 2017. To enable us to complete this order we sourced left hand drive, Defender 110 Station Wagons from across all of Europe. Since then our technicians have worked tirelessly to build the vehicles to a very high specification. We endeavour to have the order completed in the early part of 2019.
LR Coach-works
In early 2018 we launched our dedicated Coach- works sector, which was a £100,000 investment, appointing four new members of staff enabling us to manage and execute all aspects of paint and bodywork in house. LR Coach-works undertake work from anything such as damage repairs to a full colour change of a vehicle.
Monaco’s Top Marques
April 2018 saw Twisted’s third trip to this event, alongside many of the World’s finest automotive, watch and jewellery brands. Against a backdrop of Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris, our new V8 110, soft top V8 90 and Bahama Gold retro had no issue turning heads, and we were pleased to be able to provide guests with something a little different in that sense. Although we do not have a 2019 Monaco trip planned, we have many other events filling our calendar this year so we hope to see you at one of them; Geneva Motor Show, Goodwood Members Meet, Goodwood Festival of Speed… and so the list goes on.
Yorkshire 300
In June the team and a handful of Twisted customers embarked on our very first 300-mile road trip around Yorkshire. Starting at Twisted HQ the group travelled across the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales, both on and off road, taking in some of the counties finest views and experiences along the way. This included Clay Pigeon Shooting, a Brewery Tour, a trip to the famous ‘Betty’s’ to name just a few. The trip was so successful there are two further trips in the planning for 2019.
Hannibal Safari Partnership
In mid 2018 we agreed a deal to become the exclusive Europe-wide distributor of Hannibal roof tents and adventure equipment. Hannibal Safari are based in South Africa and are the global leader for roof racks, roof tents and awnings. Their equipment goes hand in hand with a Twisted Defender making the ideal partnership for any expedition; even if you don’t make it as far as the South African Safari. We have another shipment of stock arriving this month and we just can’t wait.
Jamie Cooks Italy
It was August 2018 that the show first aired on Channel 4, where we saw Jamie Oliver not only cooking the finest Italian cuisine, but also driving a rather fine Twisted Retro Edition Defender around Italy. Oliver has been a fan of Twisted for a number of years. He said: “I needed a vehicle that wouldn’t let me down. Last time, I headed out in an old camper van and I spent half my time shipping parts out to save it. So, the guys gave me something that would work! … One of the great appeals of this iconic vehicle is its versatility, so it’s no surprise that it looks as at home on the picturesque Mediterranean coast as it does in the muddy fields of Northern England!”
Converting Jeremy Clarkson
Although previously never being a huge fan of the Defender, a letter from Molly Fawcett (aged 7) set to change that in 2018. We sent this letter along with one of our Twisted V8’s for him to test drive for a week, which concluded as follows; ‘So, Molly, all is well. Even though it started out in life as a Land Rover, which I hate as much as I bet you hate some of your teachers, I did like your dad’s car. And if I hadn’t just bought one of the aforementioned Range Rovers, I’d be sorely tempted by it.’
What a great year it’s been here in North Yorkshire, now bring on 2019!
