What do Rob Dickinson, singer-guitarist of ’90s British alt-rock band Catherine Wheel, and Pierre and Jean Vuitton, twin grandsons of 19th-century trunk-maker Louis Vuitton, have in common? Many things, possibly, but two for sure: away from their day jobs, all three shared a passion for automotive design, and enough entrepreneurial spirit to create their own cars.
While Pierre and Jean followed their older brother, and father before them, into the family business, the twins were reportedly far more interested in engineering than luggage. And so, in 1909, to demonstrate the wide-ranging capabilities of the company already known as Louis Vuitton, they purchased a chassis by a small French car manufacturer, Stabilia, built their own sportscar, and kitted it out with bespoke travel trunks. The car became a rolling showcase for the luggage business spearheaded by their brother, Gaston-Louis.
Before fronting shoegaze-y Catherine Wheel, Rob Dickinson studied automotive design at Coventry University, going on to spend time with Lotus. Obsessed with Porsche 911s since childhood, Dickinson purchased a second-hand model after moving to Los Angeles and began modifying it into his perfect 911. In 2009, exactly a century after Pierre and Jean created their own car, Dickinson established Singer, which began personalising classic Porsches. There had been retro-modification companies before, of course, but none had approached individualisation to such an exacting level of detail as Singer.
Provided with that bit of historical background, then, the recently announced collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Singer doesn’t seem quite so random. Singer takes Porsche 911s and re-engineers them as bespoke automobiles. Louis Vuitton’s form in this stretches back more than a century. The partnership does, however, represent the very first time Louis Vuitton has agreed to create a co-branded item with any third party. And the unlikely tie-up came courtesy of a request for a clock.
“This remarkable adventure began with a request for a dashboard clock for a car reimagined by Singer,” explains Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton watch director. “In addition to the design and production of this clock by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshops in Switzerland, it quickly became apparent to us that this collaboration with Singer could extend to the personalisation of every functional element of the vehicle, enhancing them through our expertise in leather craftsmanship and watchmaking.”
More than a year since the collaboration was proposed, the result is a brace of retro-styled Porsche 911s, re-engineered by Singer and reimagined by Louis Vuitton.
Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic 
The first is a four-litre, 964-based hard-top sprayed in orange-yellow saffron – a colour Louis Vuitton has used for more than a century – that features cobalt blue demonstration tyres, inspired by the handles and ribbons of LV’s packaging, and yellow saddle-stitching on seats and doors (Bahama Yellow is a colour closely associated with Singer’s earliest commissions).
Inside, the cabin is entirely upholstered in Louis Vuitton’s signature VVT leather, while fittings that would normally be rendered in plastic have been replaced by hand-crafted components made from premium materials. Knobs, control switches, locks, pull-tabs and air vents have all been cast in predominantly rhodium-plated metal.
On the outside, the blue tyres are offset by centre caps in a milky silver rhodium. Fuel and oil caps incorporate typography used on Louis Vuitton watch components. There is a LV-designed mesh insert for the rear spoiler and an LV-patterned windscreen. On top is a specially designed roof rack which can accommodate a trunk, surfboard or pair of skis. An LV-monogrammed surfboard, made from blond oak and rich walnut marquetry, as well as vintaged-inspired wood-and-titanium skis, are available as part of a specially-created capsule collection.
Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo 
The second car is a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged 964-based convertible conceived by Louis Vuitton artistic director, Nicolas Ghesquière. With bodywork finished in ivory white – intended to mimic the limestone façade of the brand’s Parisian flagship – enhanced with accents of gold and brown, the car features a leather-and-wood heavy interior designed to mirror classic teak motorboats (there’s even a bumper made from American walnut).
Wood panelling lines the rear engine compartment and the front boot, which houses a bespoke trunk composed of three cases, which slot together to form storage compartments. Ivory white wheels sport milky gold centre caps, a colour that’s mirrored on the brake callipers of the car’s carbon ceramic braking system. Leather fastening straps on the front and rear hoods, equipped with pin buckles, are meant to recall references to vintage motorsport and material watch straps.
Inside, a bespoke dashboard clock, with warm golden gauges, occupies the centre of a console upholstered in leather. The clock is detachable and transforms into a desk clock. The console’s speedometer, rev counter and gauges have been redesigned to resemble Louis Vuitton’s Tambour watches. Beneath the dashboard clock, Ghesquière has created a gearshift trim that evokes the silhouette of a Noé drawstring bag. The American walnut continues on the backs of seats, while a Louis Vuitton-designed knurling pattern has been applied to pull switches and rotating knobs.
“Projects of this scale and exclusivity allow for a level of attention to detail that is unusual in the automotive world,” says Octave Chany, project lead designer at Singer. “Every transition between materials, every metallic reflection, every knurled surface, every mechanical interaction and every graphic element has been meticulously considered, often at an almost microscopic level.”
Jean Arnault continues: “Every department at Louis Vuitton has contributed to this unprecedented cross-disciplinary endeavour, from trunk makers and leather goods artisans to the fashion and footwear teams, and even the watchmakers from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.”
Sadly, for anyone with a collector’s eye on either car, Louis Vuitton hasn’t suggested they are for sale. Singer, meanwhile, has said it will not repeat the collaboration, effectively making the motors one-offs. You could always commission Singer yourself, or course.
Visit louisvuitton.com; singervehicledesign.com
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