Singer has partnered up with Louis Vuitton for two very special one-off cars

It started with a clock. Not just any old clock – a detachable mechanical time-piece made by Louis Vuitton. You might have heard of it: LVMH is the luxury goods world’s most valuable company, its owner, Bernard Arnault, Europe’s richest man. He’s a classier dude than Elon.

This is not an organisation known for being free and easy with its brand equity, so the collab with OG restomodders Singer is significant. From a rudimentary LA lock-up in 2009, the company is now maintaining a heady high altitude velocity in the car world, with world-class facilities either side of the ‘pond’ catering to the savviest of 911-loving HNWers. The Louis Vuitton partnership has resulted in not one but two cars which fuse signature elements from both parties’ coveted core output. Take a deep breath as we welcome a Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic, twinned here with a Classic Turbo Cabriolet. The apotheosis of bespoke, surely, if not luxury gone la-la.

“This unique and remarkable adventure began with a request for a dashboard clock for a car reimagined by Singer. In addition to the design and production of this clock by La Fabrique di Temps Louis Vuitton workshops in Switzerland, it quickly became apparent to us that this collaboration with Singer could extend the personalisation of every functional element of the vehicle, enhancing them through our expertise in leather craftsmanship and watchmaking,” says Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton watch director. (He’s a youthful scion of the dynasty.)

The Classic is, well, classic Singer – with a twist. Louis Vuitton, the man, began plying his trade in 19th century France as the maker of luggage, pioneering the idea of the ‘art of travel’. His grandsons Pierre and Jean designed their own car in 1909, and the interwar Jazz Age was rich with opportunity. And indeed rich with rich people. Singer’s LV Classic is an exemplar of arty travel, complete with bespoke roof rack suitable for a trunk, surfboard or a pair of skis. Truly, the owner of this machine will be living their best life. The saffron and cobalt blue colour scheme applied over that carbon bodywork leans heavily into Louis Vuitton’s hallmark livery, and even appears on the tyres. There’s also a geometric L and V motif on the engine air intake grille.

Speaking of, there's a 4.0-litre air-cooled flat-six in the expected Singer manner. Six-speed manual ‘box. No power output is quoted for this exact car and they all vary. Somewhere around 400bhp, we'd proffer.

But really, it’s the interior that’s the zenith of personalisation, and you’ll find a treatment inspired by Louis Vuitton’s famous VVT leather. Singer’s mania for detail is all around; check out the yellow thread in the door trim stitching, the ventilation ‘eyelets’ in the seats, and the embossed diamond pattern. Nor is there any plastic switchgear: adjustment knobs, control switches, locks and more are all made of metal, mostly rhodium-plated.

Then there’s the detachable clock that kick-started the whole project. Its design is inspired by Louis Vuitton’s Tambour watch, with 12 polished and engraved letters that form the ‘House’s’ name on the bezel. Having got to work on it, the team decided to reimagine the car’s entire instrument display, following the Tambour’s graphic codes on the speedo, rev counter and auxiliary gauges. Cobalt blue reappears here, with bright orange accents. Apparently it took a year of hard work to nail all this. “Every transition between materials, every metallic reflection, every knurled surface, every mechanical interaction and graphic element has been meticulously considered, often at an almost microscopic level,” says Octave Chany, project lead designer at Singer.

The Classic Turbo, meanwhile, was overseen by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s women’s collections. He likes cars and boats, as well as clothes, and there’s nautical wood in a specially designed luggage compartment and front boot, which houses a three-part luggage set. Note also the leather fastening straps, front and rear. There’s a clock in here, too, and dials that echo the exterior colour scheme. Fashionistas will note the resemblance of the gearshift leather to Louis Vuitton’s famous Noé bag. 

This car gets a 3.8-litre twin-turbo with circa 510bhp, a six-speed manual, and selectable drive modes.

“The depth of the dialogue established between the worlds of automotive design, fine watchmaking and leatherwork make these two cars particularly remarkable,” concludes Octave Chany. “The collaboration with Nicolas Ghesquière was just as fundamental to elevate the concept. [His] sensitivity to proportions, silhouettes and cultural expression has brought a perspective that has propelled the cars beyond traditional automotive design.”

No kidding. Ghesquière has also developed a capsule collection inspired by the Classic Turbo, which includes a Tambour Automatic wristwatch, a made-to-measure suit in parachute silk, a garment bag, and a Heritage necklace that also houses the car’s key. Did we mention that there’s a car attached to all this finery?

What we haven’t mentioned is the price, because the people involved – especially the client in question – have long since ceased thinking about trifles like how much something costs. Nor is Singer likely to be repeating this collaboration. It’s an ultra-luxe two-off. Enjoy.