Words: Autocar
Published 20 June 2026
American ultra-luxury design house Helderburg has unveiled its most personal build to date — a bespoke Land Rover Defender D110 called “Raleigh,” valued at $448,770 USD.
Timed to coincide with Father’s Day in the US, the one-of-one commission was created by Helderburg Founder and CEO Paul Potratz as a tribute to his late father, who passed away when Potratz was still a teenager. The build takes its name from a vintage English Raleigh 3-speed pushbike his father once rode.
“When I was young, my father mounted a diamond-stitched child seat over the rear fender of his Raleigh bicycle so we could explore Chicago together,” Potratz says. “The older I get, the more I realise that the simple, quiet moments are the ones that become your anchor. Raleigh was built to preserve that feeling.”
The standout feature is over 300 hours of hand-engraved metalwork across the door handles, latches, window cranks, vents, and steering wheel centre — executed by Master Engraver Edward Ashcombe, known for his work on best-grade English shotguns. The engravings depict real family memories, including hunting scenes and a portrait of the family dog, Lucy.
The exterior paint appears black at first glance but is actually a custom metallic green with deep bronze undertones, mixed by eye to reference the colours of his father’s original bicycle.
Inside, warm brown leather wraps custom-milled seat frames, inspired by the patina of a well-used Brooks saddle. Power comes from Helderburg’s proprietary Mark 3.5 turbo diesel — numbers-matching, quiet on the road, and lively when pushed.
“We do not offer configuration sheets; we offer authorship,” Potratz says. “Raleigh is a reminder that the finest things we build are never really about the machines themselves. They are about the memories attached to them.”
