Restore, Reimagine, Reborn - this is the mantra that drives the highly specialist global luxury brand Singer that excels in giving vintage Porsche 911’s a brand new lease of life. The sought after 911 by Ferdinand Porsche (pronounced Nine Eleven or in German: Neunelf ) sits at the pinnacle of supercar design and was introduced at the Frankfurt car fair in 1963. The two door, rear-engined vehicle with its sleek silhouette has garnered a cult following amongst pro racers and leisure drivers alike.
Like master watchmakers and haute couturiers, Singer (founded in California in 2009), has delivered less than 300 unique unique-commissions globally. Creating extraordinary bespoke restorations for their club of passionate clients, features include super boosted performance for road and track. Modern engineering and material science combine with jewel-like details in the handcrafted designs that embrace the personality of each owner.
Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance
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Restored Type 964 Porsche 911 Targa
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The process begins when the owner of a Type 964 Porsche 911 (manufactured by Porsche between 1989 and 1994) sends his or her car to Singer with the request to carry out a personalised restoration. The car is meticulously stripped back to the steel monocoque chassis which is cleaned and restored to optimal condition. Bodywork using modified carbon fibre is executed and new interiors fitted. Commissions have included carbon fibre race seats with chic leather weave seats and side panels, turbofan aluminium wheels, aerodynamic ducktail spoilers while custom colour exteriors and matching tachometers are subtly branded with the gold Singer logo.
The Porsche 911 began as a naturally aspirated car, undergoing careful development over the years to optimise road and track performance. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the turbocharged 911 emerged and underwent a similar evolution. In 1977 this led to a racing variant of the 911, known as the Type 934/5, which dominated the SCCA Trans American series, winning 6 of the 8 races and the championship. The brand remains in a league of its own with dedicated races at Le Mans, highly anticipated showings at Goodwood in July and at the Quail in August, where Singer will present its latest Studies.
Singer Triplet Commission
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The reverence for this legendary car runs wide and deep. “I was 12 when my father’s friend showed us his Super 8 film of the 1977 Watkins Glen 6 Hours. As the familiar face of a Porsche 911 morphed into impossibly boxed hips, gaping intakes, and a giant double-planed rear wing, I can still remember the shock and the realisation that this was the other life of the 911 - the racing car. Since Singer began, I’ve wanted to return to that moment, collaborate with our clients and celebrate that car - the 934/5,” says Rob Dickinson, Executive Chairman and Founder, for Singer Group Inc., with headquarters in California and a second facility in the UK, where the company assembles Dynamics and Lightweighting Study vehicles.
Appreciating that speed and time are contingent, Singer also creates exceptional handcrafted timepieces for its award-winning high-watchmaking company Singer Reimagined, headed up by Marco Borracino (based in Geneva) along with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, complication specialist and award-winning watch designer of the movement from Agenhor. Inspired by iconic chronograph watches of the 60s and 70s, the celebrated limited-production timepieces, including Track 1 and Fly Track, are handcrafted and boast handsome good looks. The new '1969' Collection imagines the designs Singer would have released in that era-defining year - a love letter to 1969.
Work is an instrument, a tool, and Singer works to restore and reimagine the glory of motoring.
