This Land Rover Defender convertible is real, and you can buy one

It's called the Valiance Convertible, and it’s what happens when you chop the roof off a Defender 90. Everything behind the B pillar has been removed, replaced with a pram-style electrically operated hood that takes seconds to raise or lower once manually unclipped from the windscreen.

It’s not the neatest roof design you’ve ever seen, but maximum rigidity is assured by a beefy, FIA-approved roll cage that fills the space where the roof used to be.

The fabric roof is available in a range of colours and Heritage Customs offers a near-limitless choice of wheel designs (up to 22 inches in size) and paint finishes.

Three off-the-peg themes are also available ranging from the exotic-sounding Côte d’Azur and Kokkini Paralia to the homelier Solihull Sand.

The Côte d’Azur gets a vibrant blue metallic paint finish, bronze highlights and white-sidewall tyres. Kokkini Paralia has moody black trims, black wheels and deep maroon metallic paint. Solihull Sand, predictably, serves a more traditional blend of metallic green paint, white steel wheels with a khaki roof up top. All models also get an upgraded interior with high-end leather upholstery, metal trim pieces and the option to add a pair of Heritage Customs sports seats.

Sadly, bespoke work like this rarely comes cheap and the Valiance is no exception. The basic pack will set you back around £76,000 (€85,000), which excludes VAT and the cost of the donor vehicle. The Valiance is likely to be a rare sight on UK roads as a result, which will surely only broaden the appeal for those who can afford it.