LOS ANGELES – April 29, 2015 – While showcasing the rarest of collectible vehicles is always a first priority at any major Concours event, this year’s Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance will be the first official Concours in the nation to display something equally as rare – a 1990, 911 Carrera 2 (model 964), that has been fully optimized by Singer Vehicle Design (SVD), demonstrating the creative possibilities within the vibrant world of the classic automobile and noting the first SVD ‘customer’ vehicle to be displayed at a Concours event.
Singer’s philosophy — blending tradition with modernity to re-create bespoke, one-of-a-kind masterpieces to each customer’s desires within perfectly optimized air-cooled Porsche 911s – will be underscored in the highly modified “Virginia” car, to be shown at the third annual Pinehurst Concours d’Elegance, on Saturday, May 2nd at the Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina (www.pinehurstconcours.com). “Virginia” will be displayed within a grouping of notable and historic Porsches preserved by the discerning Durham-based Ingram Collection. A more intimate viewing of “Virginia” will occur at various exclusive evening functions including the ‘Chairman’s Dinner’ during the Concours weekend.
With only a handful of vehicles restored by Singer Vehicle Design residing in the United States, the “Virginia” car, named for its intended geographic home, is a wonderful blend of elegance and luxury sport that creates an entirely new canvas for the brand. According to Rob Dickinson, creative director and founder of Singer Vehicle Design, while each vehicle begins with a classic 964 chassis, it’s the customization aspect that each owner fully engages in that makes each car truly unique.
“Each machine we work with has its own special touches,” said Dickinson. “As an example, ‘Virginia’ is the first of the cars we’ve restored that wears the full ‘Touring’ trim on the bumpers and rockers and is the only vehicle to date where a customer has chosen to align an exterior of metallic Fish Silver paint with Sand-Beige interior leather weave – but the true magic really comes alive visually in the ‘checkerboard’-esque look of the interior – we’ve used a slightly lighter suede to create a truly graphic effect. For us, it’s those nuances, personified by our attention to detail that matter most – because our mantra remains that everything is important.”
Details for the ‘Virginia’ car include a 3.8, 350hp, Cosworth-developed engine, KW suspension, big brakes, roll-hoop, harness-bar, clip-on rear backrests, raised gold rear PORSCHE letters, as well as the ‘Sport’-looking External Oil and Center-fill Fuel caps. Dickinson notes that while these sporty details may be an unusual combination amidst the Touring trim and metallic paint, they blend elegantly with the plush leather-trimmed interior panels. For images, please view: http://singervehicledesign.com/gallery/the-machines/virginia/
While the Singer brand has become synonymous with truly bespoke customization services for automotive enthusiasts, which as Dickinson contends, borders on obsession – it is indeed the uniqueness of each handcrafted vehicle that currently make fans worldwide covet a viewing, while longing for a drive. With limited availability and an 8-10 month restoration cycle, vehicles have more recently been commissioned by Porsche owners in Hong Kong, Moscow, Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and the UK.
“We are streamlining our services to reflect the increased demand for our work,” said Dickinson. But even with recent updates to the Singer facility, Dickinson contends that the unique level of personalization and customization remains. New capabilities enabled to capture additional customer choices include an upgraded 4.0-liter engine developed by Ed Pink Engineering and the forthcoming restoration of a 964 Targa model, to be shown later this year.
Singer Background:
SVD, through its own hand-crafted artistry, restores cars for a global audience and is prepared to remain on the cutting edge for restorative work. Dickinson’s company redefines the magic of air-cooled technology by restoring a vintage icon into a coveted piece of automotive exclusivity.
Working with key Southern California-based partners – such as internationally-renowned motorsport engineers, Ed Pink Racing Engines and Mirage International, together with globally-recognized composite experts, Aria Group – Singer has gained invaluable experience that guarantees world-class standards. Ed Pink, Mirage and Aria share in Singer’s passion for restoring the iconic air-cooled Porsche 911®for its customers.
SVD’s vision involves taking a customer’s existing 964 model Porsche 911 (from 1990-1994) vehicle and performing both restorative work and cutting–edge modifications to update the cars’ performance, aesthetics and modern day use-ability in an attempt to optimize its strengths, while preserving the essence and magic of the original.
“This is a celebration of Porsche’s genius,” said Dickinson. SVD begins with a customer’s car and repatriates the 911 chassis of the early ‘90’s with the most beautiful Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche coachwork from 1964. The goal is to preserve a moment in time for the owner and capture a snapshot of the air-cooled period of the Porsche 911. Dickinson concludes, “The essence of the Porsche 911 is vivid and unique –we’re simply trying to bottle and preserve it for our customer to savor.’’
Pricing and How to Acquire Singer’s Services:
Singer works collaboratively with each owner to restore, optimize and personalize their machine to their specific tastes. A typical restoration takes approximately 10 months to complete.
SVD prices reflect a no-expense-spared content, performance and design philosophy and meticulous standards, with prices starting at $395,000 to acquire Singer’s serves to comprehensively restore and optimize the owner’s Porsche 911®, and typical pricing surpassing the $450K mark.
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