In 2009, Porsche enthusiast Rob Dickinson began restoring and “reimagining” the classic Porsche 911 under the brand Singer. From their Los Angeles workshop, Singer Vehicle Design “reimagines” customer cars with new technology such as more powerful engines, improved suspension, and carbon fiber body panels.
The company operates under the motto “Everything is important” and restores customer cars to a higher level than OEM.
What Dickinson has shown is that there is a niche market for resto-mod European sports cars done to a very high level.
Following the success of Singer, the playbook they wrote has been used to revive some other European enthusiast brands.
In 2014, a Hong Kong investment group led by Norman Choi acquired the rights to the DeTomaso brand, which ceased production in the 1990s. They relaunched the brand with the P72, an exclusive supercar that is limited to just 72 units worldwide. The cars have a base price of $1.25 million USD.
In 2019, the Peralada Group launched a revival of the Hispano-Suiza automotive brand, a Spanish car manufacturer who made luxury cars from the turn of the century through the 1930s. The new vehicle, named Carmen, is a luxury electric coupe that is limited to 24 units worldwide. The Carmen has a base price of $1.7 million USD.
In 2018, Italian automotive designer Riccardo Quaggio founded Totem Automobili with the goal of reimagining the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia GT with modern technology.
The company has created the Totem GT, which is available in two models, each limited to 20 units. The Electric is a high performance EV, and the GT Super is gasoline powered.
The Totem GT is a clean sheet design that starts with a custom steel chassis, which was developed after studying the original car’s chassis. Dressed over that is a full carbon fiber widebody that offers incredible strength while remaining light weight.
The Electric version has a powerful motor that produces the equivalent of 590 horsepower, whereas the gasoline model has a 2.9L twin turbo V6 engine producing up to 750 horsepower.
Prices for the Totem GT start at $535,000 USD. It brings an impressive amount of tech and beautiful design together in a package that’s limited to just 40 vehicles total. For that kind of exclusivity, the Totem GT is an intriguing option for those with a passion for Italian cars.
Being able to make the most out of what you have. Modifying something to make it more fun and unlocking some kind of hidden appeal. There exists very few rear wheel drive, two-door cars that are still within the reach of someone looking for a running car that can provide cheap thrills. It appears that the lesser of the MN12 chassis still flies under the radar.
