Of all the classic Land Rover Defender body styles, one stands out as the most versatile and arguably the best looking: the Defender 110 Double Cab. Five seats for the family, a separate pickup bed for the gear, and the shape made famous by the James Bond film Spectre.
It is also one of the hardest Defenders to find in good condition. If you have tried to source one, you already know. Good Double Cabs are rare, they are getting rarer, and the ones that do come up are almost never in a state you would want to drive without serious work.
This guide covers why that is, what a proper Double Cab build involves, and why we think it is worth the effort.
The short answer
The Defender 110 Double Cab is a four-door, five-seat pickup built on the long-wheelbase 110 chassis. Fewer were made than Station Wagons, most were worked hard as commercial trucks, and the survivors usually need a new chassis and a full ground-up rebuild. Done properly, it is one of the most useful and rewarding classic Defenders to own.
Why the 110 Double Cab is so difficult to find
The Defender 110 Double Cab was never produced in the same numbers as the Station Wagon. Land Rover built fewer of them, and the ones it did build went to a very specific kind of buyer.
They were bought to work
Station Wagons were often bought by families and estates. The Double Cab, also called the crew cab or 110 pickup, was sold almost exclusively as a commercial vehicle. Farmers, builders and utility companies used them to haul heavy loads, tow trailers and spend their working lives covered in mud. A low-mileage Defender 110 Double Cab is almost impossible to find, because they were rarely treated gently.
The chassis takes the punishment
Because of the weight they carried and the way they were used, the original steel chassis on most Double Cabs has suffered. Stress combined with corrosion means many original frames are bent, weakened or compromised beyond repair. This is the single biggest issue with the Double Cab as a starting point for a classic Defender restoration.
Collectors are holding on to the good ones
Now that the Double Cab has become a style icon, the few well-preserved examples are being held by collectors. Supply is going down and prices are going up. You can still find them, but finding one worth building from is a different thing entirely.
How Shoreline builds a Double Cab
The Double Cab is one of our favorite platforms to build, and we approach it the same way as every Shoreline build: from the ground up, with a standard that leaves no room for shortcuts.
The chassis comes first
We do not patch Double Cab frames. Because of the lives these trucks have lived, we almost always lift the body off the original chassis and fit a brand new, hot-dipped galvanized replacement. It is the only way to make sure the vehicle sits straight, drives properly and will not corrode again. A Defender built on a compromised chassis is a problem waiting to happen, however good the rest of the build is.
Two directions for the build
The Double Cab can go in very different directions depending on how you want to use it.
The Villain route. Painted in Beluga Black or Bonatti Grey, fitted with a Safety Devices external roll cage and oversized tires. Purposeful, aggressive and wide. A Defender 110 pickup that turns heads. See the Villain edition.
The Beach route. Painted in Arles Blue or Pastel Green with a canvas rear canopy. The ultimate coastal truck: wet wetsuits and sandy dogs go in the back without touching the leather up front. See the Beach edition.
Engine and drivetrain
The original engines in most working Double Cabs were underpowered for modern roads, and the 110 is a heavy vehicle. We offer rebuilt and uprated original diesels, high-performance diesel packages, or a full LS3 V8 conversion, which gives the Double Cab the torque it needs for highway driving. Suspension, brakes, axles and differentials are all rebuilt or replaced to match. Compare the options on our Defender engine options page, or read the Defender V8 LS3 swap guide.
Interior and the rear bed
The Double Cab cabin is built to the same standard as every Shoreline Defender: hand-stitched leather, a properly finished dashboard, modern gauges, climate control and premium audio. The rear bed stays utilitarian or gets finished, depending on your preference. Some clients want teak decking. Others want a spray-in liner. Both work.
Why the Double Cab is worth the effort
We often recommend the Double Cab to clients choosing between a Defender 90 and a Defender 110 Station Wagon, because it sits between the two in a way that works for people who want the best of both.
It seats five comfortably, so you can carry the family or a few friends without feeling like you are in a work truck. The separate rear bed keeps the cabin clean: sandy gear, muddy boots, surfboards and luggage never touch the interior. And on the road, nothing looks quite as purposeful as a lifted Defender 110 Double Cab. It has a presence the Station Wagon and the 90 do not.
Done properly, it is perhaps the most rewarding classic Land Rover Defender to own: genuine utility, rebuilt to a modern standard, and finished so it is as comfortable as it is capable. The 12-month warranty on every Shoreline build applies to the Double Cab the same way it applies to everything we produce.
The right starting point
The Defender 110 Double Cab is rare, difficult to source and difficult to restore correctly. That is exactly why a ground-up build is the right approach. You do not try to save a worn-out truck. You strip it back, replace what needs replacing, rebuild what can be rebuilt and put it together properly.
Every Double Cab we produce goes through our nine-stage build process: chassis, drivetrain, body, interior and testing, with a 24-hour systems inspection and a 500-mile road test before the car leaves the workshop, plus weekly build photos through our online tracking portal.
Frequently asked questions
It is the four-door, five-seat pickup version of the long-wheelbase Land Rover Defender 110, with a separate open bed behind the cab. It is also known as the crew cab or 110 pickup.
Fewer were built than Station Wagons, most were used as hard-working commercial trucks, and the best surviving examples are now held by collectors. Good, low-mileage Double Cabs rarely come up for sale.
Five: two in the front and three in the rear row, with the load bed kept separate from the cabin.
Almost always. Most original Double Cab frames are bent or corroded from years of heavy work, so we fit a new hot-dipped galvanized chassis rather than patch the old one.
Rebuilt and uprated original diesels, high-performance diesel packages, or an LS3 V8. The V8 is the popular choice for clients who plan to do a lot of highway driving.
Yes. Spectre featured the Defender 110 Double Cab, which is a big part of why the shape became so popular. Read more in our Spectre Defender post.
Looking for a Defender 110 Double Cab?
Tell us how you plan to use it. We will talk through the spec, the timeline and what is involved, and design a build around you.
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