HOUSTON (KIAH) — Here’s an idea to give your car a “vintage” look. A high-end auto shop in the U.K. has started customizing new cars to make sections of the exterior look rusty.
They did it with a few panels on a brand new Land Rover Defender, which has two sections of the hood covered in rust, plus two vents on the side. So instead of rust over the whole thing, it’s more like using rust as an accent color. The 2021 Defender has a starting price of $46,100.
According to a Motor1.com report, the new rust-look accessories are possible due to metal-binding technology by Heritage Customs, described as “carchitects that design & build legendary Defenders.”
Heritage can paint all types of metal — aluminum, brass, bronze, titanium, zinc, or even gold — on aftermarket models, and the metal finish will last for up to 20 years, reported Motor1, saying the sprayed metal can be brushed, polished, sanded or oxidized (rusted).
For the right price though, you can have your entire car rusted up if that’s what you want. And they can seal it to keep that “fresh” rust look. Or you can leave it alone and let the “natural course of corrosion” continue.