There’s something very cool going on. All over the world small shops are taking advantage of the fruits of industrial production (like an abundance of vehicles and interchangeable parts), injecting them with fresh ideas, and rebuilding them through small-scale production. ICON in Southern California does it by turning old Land Cruisers into highly capable, high-spec wonders. Another So-Cal company, Singer, does it by reimagining the air-cooled 911.
Singer strips the car down to its frame, then cherry picks the best oem and specialty components from the model’s long history, to create the ultimate 911. They even go so far as to reshape the curves and forms of the car itself. They do what we all do when we modify our trucks: that is, build a vision of the perfect vehicle.
It’s industrial design taken back to the level of craft. That is, the design takes place, not in a remote studio, but in the same place where the thing is built. Design and manufacture are fused together. The results are extraordinary.