You can keep your touchscreen dashboards and whizzy parking sensors. For many of us, the sight of a battered old Land Rover Series I, II or III bouncing over a muddy lane is enough to stir the soul more than any German saloon ever could.
But what if you could have the charm of the original, minus the carburettor tantrums, oil drips, and the ambient soundtrack of mechanical protest?
Well, the chaps at Inverted have been busy. Best known for their beautifully executed electric Range Rover Classic conversions, they’ve now turned their soldering irons to the original Series Land Rovers – and the result is rather impressive.
This isn’t a hack-job conversion with a couple of Tesla batteries shoehorned under the bonnet. No, this is the full works. Think 62kWh battery, waterproof and split front and rear for better weight distribution. It powers a 160bhp electric motor that delivers an eye-watering 900Nm of torque – and before you scoff, yes, that’s more than a V8 Defender. It’ll do 0–60 in about eight seconds, which is roughly two cups of tea faster than a standard petrol Series III.
The important bit is that it still feels like a Series. Inverted keeps the original transfer box with high and low range, plus a locking diff, so you can still clamber up a rock face if you so desire. But with three driving modes – Eco, Traffic, and Off-Road – and regenerative braking to match, there’s a level of modern finesse that would have had the Rover engineers wide-eyed in disbelief.
The driving experience is transformed, too. Gone is the hefty unassisted steering and wooden brake pedal. Instead, you get electric power steering and a servo for the brakes, which brings things bang up to date without losing the joy of simplicity.
And the looks? That’s entirely up to you. Customers are invited to collaborate directly with Inverted’s founder, Harry Millington, to build a Series that suits their taste. Go original or go wild – fancy a full safari spec in heritage green, or maybe something a bit more Miami Beach? It’s your call. The build process is fully bespoke, with everything from custom paint to electric air con and posh interiors on the options list.
Range anxiety? Not really. Inverted reckons on a real-world 120 miles per charge, and with 60kW CCS rapid charging included as standard, you can juice from 20% to 80% in just under 40 minutes. There’s also a Type 2 charger for slower, overnight top-ups.
And if you’re more of a Defender type, good news: Inverted’s powertrain kit from their Range Rover Classic is now available for the Defender as well. It’s a clever bit of kit – 82kWh capacity, still with a usable boot, and both heated and cooled for better performance in extreme weather. Plus, you can spec it with up to 450bhp if you really want to see what permanent 4WD feels like on tarmac.
Of course, none of this comes cheap. The Inverted Series models start at £125,000 + VAT, and that’s before you get into the optional trimmings. But this is restoration at the highest level – every nut and bolt considered, every system upgraded, and every detail handled with care. Plus, each build comes with a two-year electrification warranty and global shipping.
It’s not about erasing the past – it’s about future-proofing the icons. And in a world where cities are tightening up on emissions, but we still want to head to the hills in something that stirs the blood, an electrified Series Land Rover might just be the best of both worlds.
Find out more at www.inverted-ev.com
