Tan Interiors

Tan is the leather colour that suits a classic Defender more consistently than any other. It's warm without being garish, it reads as period-correct on vehicles from almost any decade, and it ages well. The patina that tan leather develops over years of use is part of the appeal rather than a problem to be managed.

Our Defender tan leather interiors are manufactured in-house, which matters more than it might sound. It means we control the hide selection, the cutting, the stitching and the finishing. A tan leather interior from LUCARI isn't a generic seat cover pulled from a catalogue. It's produced to fit the specific seat frames and dimensions of your vehicle, with consistent stitch colour and leather grade throughout.

The stitch choice within a tan interior deserves a decision rather than an assumption. A darker contrasting stitch on tan leather reads as considered and slightly sporting. A matched tan stitch is softer and more traditional. Both work, and the right answer depends on the overall brief for the vehicle. In our experience, customers who take time over this detail are consistently happier with the finished result.

Tan works particularly well when it runs through the whole cabin. Front seats, door cards, dashboard retrim and cubby box in matching hide give a Defender interior a coherence that partial retrims don't achieve. The same colour on every surface makes the cabin feel resolved rather than built in stages.

Not sure which leather colour to choose for your Defender interior? You can order leather samples here.

Steering Wheels

We produce three steering wheels under the LUCARI name, and these are the ones we recommend first for classic builds.

The LUCARI wooden-dished steering wheel is 14 inches in diameter, dished, and comes with a quick-release fitting as standard. The wooden rim against tan leather is one of those combinations that looks exactly right in photographs and even better in person. The dish brings the wheel closer to the driver, which makes a real difference to driving position in a classic Defender cab, and the quick-release is a practical addition that makes getting in and out considerably easier. We also produce a similar product with a black centre.

For builds with a slightly more contemporary brief, or where the interior spec is running darker, the LUCARI black leather dished steering wheel is the alternative. Same 14-inch diameter, same quick-release, same dished profile. The black leather rim has a cleaner, more purposeful look that suits both heritage and modern-leaning builds. It works particularly well in darker interior specifications and on vehicles where the brief calls for something a bit sharper.

All three wheels include the quick-release mechanism. A compatible boss kit is required for fitment, and we can advise on the correct one for your vehicle when you order or book a fitting at our Defender accessory fitting centre.

Steel Wheels

Steel wheels on a classic Defender are one of those choices that's easy to overlook and hard to fully explain. They just look right.

Part of it is proportion. The original Defender was designed around steel wheels, and the relationship between the body, the arches and the wheel changes when you move to an alloy. Not always for the worse, but often in ways that subtly alter the character of the vehicle. A Defender on properly finished steel wheels with all-terrain tyres looks like it was designed as a single object rather than assembled from parts.

The appeal is also about what steel wheels aren't. They're not a statement. They're not asking for attention. They suit owners who want the vehicle to do the talking rather than the accessories. Interestingly, that restraint is often what makes a build stand out at events and in photographs, it has an integrity to it that heavily modified wheel setups sometimes lack.

We carry steel wheel options within the Classic Collection in finishes that suit heritage Defender builds. White, cream and satin black finishes are the most commonly specified, and the choice usually comes down to the body colour and what the overall build is trying to achieve. A cream or white steel wheel on an older green or sand-coloured 90 is a combination that's hard to fault. We of course had to put our LUCARI 18" White Steel Wheels on our Defender 110 soft top.

Iroko Wood

Iroko is a dense, hardwearing tropical timber often referred to as African Teak. It has a tight grain, a warmth that cheaper timbers don't replicate, and the kind of durability that makes it a sensible choice for a load area that's going to see real use. There's a reason it's been a favourite on working boats and yachts for decades.

Every Iroko deck we produce is handcrafted on-site at our joinery in East Sussex. Each one is made as a single panel that drops into the load area without needing to drill multiple holes in the floor, sitting on a black waterproof composite baseboard. The result is a clean, removable installation that doesn't compromise the floor underneath.

Because Iroko is a natural timber, no two decks are identical. Some boards will be slightly darker than others, the grain will vary and every piece will be unique to the vehicle it goes into. That's not a caveat, it's part of what makes it worth having. If you'd like to make it even more personal, our Iroko decking can be machine-engraved with the LUCARI logo, your family name or your vehicle's name on the rear flooring. It's a detail that suits a retro build particularly well and tends to get noticed.

For those who want something richer in tone, we also offer a walnut option. Walnut planks are secured using stainless fixings and marine teak sealant, with the gaps between planks filled using flexible black marine caulk to allow natural movement in the timber. The whole deck is then sanded and oiled. The finish is deeper and slightly more refined than Iroko while keeping the same handcrafted, made-to-order approach.

One thing worth being clear about: both Iroko and walnut decking are materials that need a degree of ongoing care. Like any timber floor, they benefit from regular oiling. Outdoor shoes and high heels can mark the surface, which is why many owners adopt a no-outdoor-shoes policy for the load area. If the surface does pick up marks or staining over time, a light sand and re-oil will usually restore it.

Want a custom piece of Iroko for your Defender? Get in touch.

Bringing It Together

The Classic Collection works because the four pillars complement each other. Tan leather and Iroko timber are both warm, natural materials. A wood-rim dished steering wheel bridges the cabin materials and the driving position. Steel wheels complete the exterior in a way that suits the body rather than competing with it.

Not every build uses all four. A customer who wants a full tan interior with a new steering wheel might keep their existing wheels. Someone upgrading the load area flooring might not be ready for a full seat retrim. That's fine, and the products work individually as well as together.

If you're planning a classic-character build and want to talk through what the brief might look like, we're happy to have that conversation before you commit to anything. Get in touch with the team here, call us on 01797 222256, or browse the full Defender interior range to start building your specification.

Our fitting centre in Rye, East Sussex handles fitting of everything in the Classic Collection, from a single steering wheel swap to a complete interior build.