This Gorgeous Ferrari-Red Defender 90 Earns Its Grime on Portugal’s Sandy Tracks

There’s a pretty well known “secret” in the custom Defender scene and it’s that most of these trucks never actually get dirty. Six-figure restomods tend to live out their lives on garage lifts and gravel driveways. And all of this is what makes this build from Coolnvintage so refreshing.

Fourteen years in, Ricardo Pessoa and his Portugal-based team are proudly showing off their Amaranto Defender 90 absolutely caked in filth.

The commission dates all the way back to 2018, when Coolnvintage started with a 2008 Defender 90 running the 2.4-liter diesel. It was built for José, a Portuguese client with a home at Sublime Comporta, the laid-back stretch of coastline an hour south of Lisbon.

The brief called for an elegant, open-top runabout suited to the region’s sandy tracks and unhurried pace.

So the body was finished in Amaranto, a deep historic red the brand ties to Ferrari’s earliest days, then paired with Ferrari Beige leather and a light beige soft top to complete the look.

Mechanically, the original 2.4 was rebuilt with a Stage 1 power bump, and an automatic gearbox was fitted so that cruising around Comporta takes zero effort.

Underneath, FOX dampers and upgraded suspension arms ensure you can go anywhere the road takes you, and those arms wear a hit of yellow that peeks out beneath the Amaranto bodywork.

In speaking with Coolnvintage, Ricardo shared with us that he has cared for the truck ever since, storing it through the winter and handing it back to José each summer. Every September it returns carrying the sand and mud of another season, and rather than detailing it for the camera, the shop photographed it exactly as it rolled in.

Pessoa calls these worn-in homecomings “the highest compliment” his work can receive.

This one belongs to José, so no, it’s not for sale. But Coolnvintage takes on a small handful of commissions each year, so head over to the brand’s website if you’d like a Defender of your own to break in properly.

2008 Land Rover Defender 90 “Amaranto” by Coolnvintage

Coolnvintage built this Ferrari-red Defender 90 for summers in Comporta back in 2018, and seven sandy seasons later, the Lisbon shop considers the grime its proudest work.

Learn More: Cool N Vintage