Based on an original Land Rover frame, the ECD Beach Runner turned a lot of heads, including a few G-Wagon owners.
Dear God, $249,999 is mighty steep for an ECD Auto Design Beach Runner. Other builds from competing auto-builders fluctuate between 100-500K. In a world where the super rich need their open-air run-about, the Beach Runner is unique.
Of course, the question of pricing is one of the first things people bring up. This isn’t a restomod, in the traditional sense. This is actually a production vehicle, built on a full-on production line in Kissimmee, Florida. While it is old-school archaic visually, it has a very modern, very powerful powertrain.
Equipped with a general motors, LT1 V8, overall output is 460 hp, and a 10-speed automatic transmission, which goes to an old-school 4×4 system. That means solid axles, dreadful turning radius, and a bouncy ride. Mind you, despite the modern conveniences of new brakes and suspension, it’s still rides like an old truck. That might be part of the charm.
What do you do with a quarter-of-a-million dollar Beach Runner… in Southern California?
Given that I am severely out of my depth when it comes to remarkably expensive vehicles, I wanted to level the plane field. After discussing the issue with a few automotive journalists, I had an epiphany. The ECD Beach Runner would attend the cars and coffee event in Manhattan Beach! it was a true stroke of genius, and luck. This is an opportunity to find the type of people who could actually afford this vehicle, and get their impressions.
To my surprise, the Land Rover defender wasn’t alone. There were other, even older defenders there. None of those vehicles had the visual cachet that the beach runner did. As such, it brought in a remarkable amount of interest. I was constantly asked answering questions, feeling like I was becoming a salesman. I told them about the exorbitant pricing, stiff ride and lack of modern amenities, they didn’t care. At the very least, ECD owes me a holiday card. Millionaires in Beverly Hills seemed excited. Maybe some weren’t that rich, it’s hard to tell in California.
Oddly enough, I answered a lot of questions to folks Who Currently drive Mercedes-Benz G wagons. I wasn’t expecting interest in a giant convertible. Perhaps they were more interested in the amount of attention. It acquired. True enough, as I drove through Beverly Hills, I noticed an awful lot of people paying attention to it. Having a tasty bite at Nate n’ Al’s, I received several questions from the patrons.
It was super popular.
One final note before you watch the video. Various luxury SUVs like the AMG G-Wagon, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, can be pricier. None of them can hold this many people WITH an open top. Thus, it’s cooler.