This partnership is a first between Louis Vuitton and Singer Vehicle Design.
The two one-of-a-kind cars first debuted at Monterey Car Week.
The cars were custom designed from the Porsche 964 series 911 model.
One clock spurred the creation of two one-of-a-kind Porsche luxury cars by Louis Vuitton and Singer Vehicle Design.
For Louis Vuitton, luxury is rarely confined to the wardrobe. In what is now dubbed a first in the brand’s 172-year history, Louis Vuitton and Singer Vehicle Design have revealed two one-of-a-kind Porsche 911 cars — the Classic and the Classic Turbo Cabriolet — that bring together the worlds of automotive engineering and haute craftsmanship. This ambitious tie-up represents the latest expression of what the brand’s mantra — the art of travel – truly means.
The fruition of this partnership began with a request commissioned by Singer to Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking arm, La Fabrique des Temps, to create a detachable mechanical timepiece as a dashboard clock inspired by the Louis Vuitton Tambour watch. The result is a mechanical clock that can be detached and repurposed as a desk clock.
With the original request out of the way, both camps sparked the same thought: “Why stop there?” Quickly, the idea snowballed, and the automobiles’ speedometer, rev counter and auxiliary gauges were also redesigned with their own Louis Vuitton treatment. And at that point, every other part of both cars became a canvas for reconsideration. From their leather upholstery to metal finishes and other touch-points, the same level of attention was paid to material transitions and mechanical interactions.
Unveiled during Monterey Car Week, the first car is the Classic, which comes with a carbon-fibre body finished in saffron, cobalt blue, and yellow; instantly recognisable as the colour codes of Louis Vuitton. A specially installed roof rack adds a practical touch and is built to carry luggage, skis, or even a surfboard. Inside, the Tambour-inspired instrumentation and leatherwork continue the theme.
The second is the Classic Turbo Cabriolet, which more thoroughly involves the hands of Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of womenswear, Nicolas Ghesquière. This Riviera-themed car is finished in Calcaire Lutétien white with gold accents and extensive wood detailing. Its nautical-like references extend to a custom-designed luggage compartment, with interiors that impart the Louis Vuitton brand of old-world travel glamour.
With each Porsche as the centrepiece of a travel wardrobe, an extensive collection of bespoke luggage and accessories followed. For the Classic, there are skis and a surfboard. And for the Classic Turbo Cabriolet, there’s a capsule of driving apparel, including a tailored driving suit, gloves, and helmet.
This project demonstrates how far the idea of bespoke luxury has travelled. Once Louis Vuitton’s expertise in watchmaking entered the Porsche, it was difficult to stop at just telling the time. The clock demanded a new dashboard. The dashboard demanded a new interior. The interior called for luggage. And the luggage suggested an exceptional approach to travel. Before long, two classic Porsches had become elaborate expressions of travelling in Louis Vuitton’s vision.
Contact: singervehicledesign.com