"Black Rhino" A 1989 Land Rover Defender 110 Restoration

Design & Specifications: The Black Rhino

This project started while looking for an old Defender to use as a family camping rig. Our search led us to a very unique company in South Africa called Classic Overland. They locate and restore Land Rover Defenders before shipping these special vehicles to their stateside location in Macon, Georgia.

We soon realized that it was turning into a lifestyle project as we became Classic Overland's first "Drive Africa" clients. I came to understand their capabilities in vehicle restoration and overland fitment. While working closely with the Stebin (in Macon) & G (in South Africa) I generated design & specifications documents for the build.

The photo below shows a special encounter we had in Kruger Park with a herd of Rhinos - an event which changed our lives and inspired the vehicle's name. Hunted for their horns by the Chinese for the underground market, these spectacular and ancient beasts face extinction at the current poaching rate.