The Restomod market is thriving. Now when it comes to those that turn around Porsche’s, there are several ones out there, but Singer certainly manages to stand out among them. The name Singer is a nod to former Porsche engineer Norbert Singer and it was Rob Dickinson, the former vocalist of Catherine Wheel, who set up Singer Vehicle Design back in 2009.

Overview

Singer's work as a bespoke manufacturer of custom Porsches is regarded as one of the most unique in the automotive industry. Their work predominantly involves reimagining old school Porsche’s and giving them a new lease of life. All of this is done by hand while adhering to the design and essence of the older Porsche 911 to the millimeter. The foundation is a rather common 911 of the 964 generation, predominantly those that Porsche manufactured from 1989 to 1994.

These cars are restored using the latest cutting-edge materials and techniques but are designed to give an old-school vintage look and feel. The end results are astonishing, to say the least. I still remember seeing one for the first time on Top Gear and how I was blown away by its charm. For over a decade now, Singer has delivered upwards of 160 unique examples to its clients in 30 countries.

The Californian Resto-modder has developed a stellar reputation of producing some of the most sought-after old 911s, and now that pedigree will be further extended thanks to a new deal inked with Porsche themselves. Getting a custom-made engine from any automaker, let alone the likes of Porsche can be a challenge. But Singer, on the other hand, has managed to do it.

The Porsche Connection

From now on, the engines utilized by Singer will be made by Porsche, but not only that, those engines will be built and designed to the standards given by Singer. The Singer engines will be manufactured at Porsche Motorsport North America, which is located near the Porsche Experience Centre in Los Angeles. It’s just over an hour's drive from the company's headquarters, which is convenient for Singer. This is already being done for customer teams in several racing divisions.

Although Porsche will handle the design, development, and production of these engines, the specifications will be those given by Singer. This implies that the Californian company will stick to its values of purity, lightness, and dynamics, using its limited handcrafted manufacturing techniques to preserve the feel from these air-cooled engines with distinctive performance that no other Porsche would be able to provide.

Previously, British engine maker Cosworth, among many others, had a hand in developing the 911's heart. Under its own control, Williams Advanced Engineering also worked on the engines of the Singer Porsches. Hans Mezger, also known as the "Father of the Six-Cylinder Boxer" was at one point hired as a consultant for the Singer DLS.

Conclusion

Now, the objective is for the two companies to collaborate more closely. The very fact that Porsche is now officially getting involved is something that Singer can definitely take great pride in. Porsche also works with a small number of aftermarket tuners like TechArt, Manthey, and Ruf.

Singer, it appears, could benefit from the assistance from the German automaker, as they appear to be working on a turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine. These engines will be designed and constructed in accordance with Porsche’s quality and technical standards, implying a significant increase in cache for Singer and its future projects.