A gamble to most, a plan to Charles Fawcett.
Back in 2015, as Land Rover rolled out its final batch of old-school Defenders, the automotive world was deep in nostalgia. The classic 4×4, boxy, rugged and utilitarian, was coming to the end of its 67-year production run. Everyone wanted one. Some wanted two. Charles Fawcett wanted 239.
Fawcett, the founder of Twisted Automotive, custom Land Rover specialists, quietly purchased the last 239 delivery-mile Defenders straight off the line, totalling over £5.5 million. That worked out to be around £22,600 per vehicle, hoping the next few years would allow him to flip them for a profit.
Charles Fawcett bought 240 Land Rovers, then sold them for an enormous profit / Twisted
After purchasing, he tucked them all away without showroom display, rather in a quiet storage in a converted quarry in Yorkshire, complete with a security system you’d expect from an art museum.
Critics at the time called it madness, but Fawcett knew that these cars, the last of their kind, had special value.
In conversation with The Sun, Charles Fawcett explained: “I went to the Defender production line at Solihull to meet the men and women building the vehicles.” “These sixteen 110s were hand-picked for their chassis numbers and build dates. They were all registered in 2016 – after production ceased – identifying them among the last off the line and, arguably, more collectable.”
The Twisted garage that was home to over 240 Land Rovers / Twisted
Don’t Buy Cars That Will Be Made Again
The real brilliance in Fawcett’s move was understanding timing, legacy, and scarcity. The original Land Rover Defender wasn’t coming back in its original form. It was being replaced by a tech-heavy, smoother, modern vehicle aimed at new buyers. Fine for comfort, but gone was the rugged soul of the original workhorse.
“They’re special, and when Twisted, each one is the only one. Hence the limited run is called One of One.”
Fawcett’s thinking was simple: don’t buy cars that will be made again. These were the final specimens of a design era that had run uninterrupted since 1948. No airbags. No touchscreens. Just rivets, steel, and soul.
The Twisted Touch
Each Defender in Twisted Automotive’s inventory was slowly, methodically transformed by taking the raw, agricultural DNA of the car and giving it manners, performance, and a sense of style. This included better suspension, more powerful engines, luxe leather interiors, and bespoke detail work that made each car feel like a personal commission.
“The Twisted way isn’t to tell people what their Defender should be; it’s to work with them to create a Defender that’s the best fit for them.”
© Twisted
© Twisted
© Twisted
Over the next decade, those £22k Defenders began selling for £150,000. Some cracked £200,000. The most expensive builds were reaching £220,000. By 2025, Twisted’s Defender collection had generated somewhere between £50–£60 million in revenue. That’s a return of over £45 million on an initial stake that many thought was ludicrous.
‘Back in the early days of having them, we were selling at £60,000 to £100,000. Most now are £150,000 to £250,000, so we clearly have a margin in there.
‘However, a huge amount has been spent on development, R&D and production time. I guess you could directly attribute £50 million to £60 million turnover that’s been achieved off the back of them, probably more.’
Turns out, patience pays.
© Twisted
A Blueprint for Future Car Investors
Far from a lucky slip, Fawcett understood the psychology of desire. When something iconic disappears, people want it more, especially when the alternative feels like a compromise.
Land Rover’s new Defender might be brilliant in many ways, but it’s not the same. That gap between old and new, analog and digital, is where Twisted thrives.
The other half of the magic was branding. Twisted wasn’t pitching these cars to farmers and forestry workers, rather collectors, enthusiasts, and those who saw the original Defender as something they had to have in their car collection.
By taking a car known for its utility and reworking it into something aspirational, they created a new market, converting simplicity to luxury.
© Twisted
There’s many lessons to be learned from Charles Fawcett’s story. The perfect playbook for anyone watching the slow death of analog machines and how we can do our part to preserve them. And the good thing is it’s not just the automotive industry, the same principal goes for classic watches, film cameras and so much more.
Fawcett didn’t buy these cars hoping they’d go up in value. He bought them knowing they would, because he understood something fundamental: once a legacy ends, it rarely comes back. You can update it, modernise it, but you can’t replicate the original feeling