Details of Cars

Overfinch: Range Rover conversions from a Leeds workshop

OVERFINCH

2010 Overfinch Vogue GT based on the Range Rover
2010 Overfinch Vogue GT. Photo by Spanish Coches, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Overfinch is a British company based in Leeds that customises Land Rover and Range Rover cars. It was founded in 1975 as Schuler Presses, took the Overfinch name in 1985 and came to be seen as the established post-production modifier of Range Rovers. Its conversions have included the 580 S, the 2010 Vogue GT, the SuperSport and a Holland & Holland edition.

Overfinch at a glance

Overfinch key facts
Type British company customising Land Rover and Range Rover cars
Based Leeds, England
Founded 1975, as Schuler Presses, by Arthur Silverton
First base Sunninghill, Berkshire
Overfinch name used from 1985
Engines 4.4 V8 and Jaguar V12 tried, General Motors 5.7 V8 chosen
Brakes Ferguson FF anti-skid system
Award 2015 Ford Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Design, for the SuperSport styling package
Administration November 2010, under Wilson Field; business and assets bought by Autobrokers Ltd of Leeds
Chief executive Kevin Sloane
Models 580 S, Vogue GT (2010), SuperSport, Holland & Holland Overfinch

This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the facts could not be cross-checked against a second source.

History of the Overfinch

Schuler Presses, 1975

Arthur Silverton established Overfinch Bespoke Vehicles in 1975 in Sunninghill, Berkshire, under the name Schuler Presses. He started by fixing what he saw as imperfections built into the design of the Land Rover. He experimented with replacing the Rover engine with 4.4-litre V8 units and with a Jaguar V12 before settling on a General Motors 5.7-litre V8. Handling was improved at the same time, and Silverton installed a Ferguson FF anti-skid brake system. Inside, the cars gained pile carpets, leather upholstery and air conditioning.

2019 Overfinch Range Rover Supercharged long-wheelbase
2019 Overfinch Range Rover Supercharged, long wheelbase. Photo by Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Overfinch name, 1985

Silverton renamed the company Overfinch in 1985 and positioned it as the de facto post-production modifier of Range Rovers. Douglas Cooke bought the business in the late 1980s. Over the following decades the range of conversions grew to include the 580 S, the 2010 Vogue GT based on the Range Rover, the SuperSport based on the Range Rover Sport, and a Holland & Holland edition. The SuperSport styling package earned the company a 2015 Ford award, a special recognition for outstanding achievement in design.

Administration and new owners, 2010

In November 2010 the company was placed into administration under the control of administrators Wilson Field, who said the business had run into cash-flow trouble after significant one-off non-trading costs. Autobrokers Ltd of Leeds, already the company’s largest retailer under the name Overfinch Leeds, acquired the business and the assets.

Competing with the luxury brands

Through the 2010s luxury car makers such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Lamborghini entered the luxury SUV market. Overfinch competed with them by presenting itself as an exclusive luxury alternative, and under its new chief executive, Kevin Sloane, the company moved into the American SUV market.

Design and features

  • Engine conversions: the search for more power ran through 4.4-litre V8s and a Jaguar V12 before a 5.7-litre General Motors V8 was chosen.
  • Brakes and handling: a Ferguson FF anti-skid system and reworked suspension addressed the weaknesses Silverton saw in the standard Land Rover.
  • Interior work: pile carpets, leather upholstery and air conditioning were part of the package from the early years.
  • Styling packages: the SuperSport body kit won a 2015 Ford award for outstanding achievement in design.
  • Luxury positioning: in the 2010s the company sold itself as an exclusive alternative to Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Lamborghini SUVs.

Overfinch versions

  • Overfinch 580 S: one of the conversions listed among the company’s models.
  • Overfinch Vogue GT (2010): based on the Range Rover.
  • Overfinch SuperSport: based on the Range Rover Sport, with a styling package that won a 2015 design award.
  • Holland & Holland Overfinch: a conversion made together with the London gunmaker.

More Overfinch conversions are collected in the Overfinch collection.

Video: Overfinch Perfection

Video by Overfinch on YouTube.

Sources