Singer | Porsche Design & Restoration
“To understand a 911, you must drive one. It is not about numbers, it’s about the way it speaks to you.”
– Norbert Singer, Porsche race engineer
A Relentless Pursuit of Excellence
Singer Vehicle Design
There’s a particular kind of alchemy that happens when nostalgia meets uncompromising craft. In the quiet light of California, Singer Vehicle Design has built a reputation for transforming the beloved air-cooled Porsche 911 (Type 964, 1989–1994) into something timeless—part restoration, part reimagination, and wholly reverent.
Founded in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, a man whose career once belonged to music as the frontman of the British shoegaze band Catherine Wheel, Singer takes its name from both Porsche engineer Norbert Singer and Dickinson’s own lyrical past. The company is, in essence, a love letter to the 911—one penned with carbon fiber, leather, and obsessive detail.
From Rock Stage to Workshop Floor
For Dickinson, the Porsche 911 was more than a machine; it was a childhood muse. Long before he sang to sold-out crowds, he studied automotive design at Coventry, spent time at Lotus, and quietly harbored the dream of shaping cars himself. Los Angeles became the turning point. There, he restored a 1969 911—known affectionately as the “Brown Bomber.” Its beauty drew attention, inquiries, and eventually, commissions. Out of that single car, Singer Vehicle Design was born.
Guided by the belief that “Everything is Important,” Dickinson built a culture where no seam, stitch, or bolt is too small to honor.
What Singer Creates
Every Singer is a collaboration with its owner—an act of tailoring rather than mass production. Among its celebrated studies:
The Classic Study: The flagship vision, where the 964 is reborn with carbon-fiber panels, precision-tuned powertrains, and interiors that feel as intimate as a custom-made suit.
The Dynamics and Lightweighting Study (DLS): Developed with Williams Advanced Engineering, this series strips away weight and doubles performance, all while sculpting aerodynamic lines with motorsport precision.
The Classic Turbo: A modern homage to the iconic 930 Turbo, complete with the legendary whale-tail stance.
The DLS Turbo: A fusion of turbocharged fury and engineering finesse, inspired by Porsche’s endurance racers.
The 911 Carrera Coupe Reimagined by Singer (2025): A limited run of just 100 commissions, marrying a 420 HP flat-six with contemporary suspension and safety systems.
Each project is less a car than a canvas—a conversation between past and present.
Milestones Along the Road
In 2024, Singer celebrated its 300th restoration with the “Sotto Commission,” a Targa dressed in carbon fiber, fitted with a 4.0-liter air-cooled flat-six, and finished with bespoke interiors. Today, Singer’s family includes over 600 artisans and engineers across California and the UK, proof that devotion can grow without losing its intimacy.
The Craft of Patience
A Singer restoration is not rushed. Each car demands around 4,000 hours of labor and nearly a year of careful work. Clients are invited into the process—walking the Torrance, California workshop, meeting the artisans, and watching their car take shape piece by meticulous piece. It is restoration as performance art, with the owners in the front row.
Coveted, Costly, and Collectible
What began as a $250,000 dream has evolved into a world where commissions often cross $1 million, and halo builds like the DLS Turbo approach $3 million. Yet for collectors, drivers, and even Formula 1 legends (more than a few have placed their name on Singer’s books), the value lies not only in horsepower or rarity, but in the way these cars rekindle the joy of driving.
A Living Legacy
Singer stands as more than a workshop—it is a philosophy. A promise that great design never grows old, it only finds new forms. By marrying the air-cooled romance of Porsche’s past with the uncompromising craft of the present, Singer has become both custodian and creator.
Each car is a story told in steel and carbon, a reminder that when passion is pursued with patience, the result can be nothing short of art on wheels.
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