Why Singer rebuilds only the Porsche 964, not any other 911

Every Singer car you have seen in a magazine or on Instagram, the aircooled 911 with the ducktail hint, the five dial dash and the paint that looks sprayed on by hand, starts life as the same Porsche: the 964, built from 1989 to 1994. Singer Vehicle Design has never reimagined any other 911 generation as its core product, and that is a deliberate choice, not an accident of supply.

Why the 964 and nothing else

Singer was founded in Los Angeles in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, a former rock singer and lifelong Porsche obsessive, who rented a workshop east of LA in 2008 to chase what he called the ultimate 911. He settled on the 964 because it sits at an awkward midpoint in 911 history. It kept the classic aircooled flat six and the shape enthusiasts love, but it was also the first 911 with coil sprung suspension all round, power steering and ABS, which gives Singer's fabricators a far more modern base to rebuild around than an earlier 911. Dickinson has called it the 911 family's "oddball middle child", good enough underneath to carry a full restomod, old enough on the outside to look right.

The company's own name honours both Dickinson's old band and Porsche race engineer Norbert Singer, which tells you how deep the Porsche reverence runs.

What a commission actually costs

Singer does not sell cars off a lot. A customer supplies their own 964, which Singer strips to bare metal before any new carbon fibre bodywork, retrimmed cabin or reworked engine goes on. The company's Classic Study package is widely reported to start above $475,000 for the restoration work alone, before the donor car is even accounted for, and finished examples have gone on to sell at auction for well over $1 million. Singer's own site keeps pricing "on application", which is standard practice for coachbuilders at this level.

Singer has also run limited series on top of the regular commission book. The DLS, built with Williams Advanced Engineering and a Hans Mezger tuned engine, runs to 99 cars. The later Turbo Study, in its widebody slant nose form, is capped at 25. These are hard production ceilings, not marketing numbers, which is part of why Singer cars hold value the way they do.

Why India will not see one on the road yet

Even for a buyer who can write that cheque, there is no legal route to register a Singer in India today. India allows licence free import of a used car only once it qualifies as a vintage vehicle, and that threshold moves on a rolling 50 year basis from the date of first registration. As of this year that window covers cars built up to 1975, moving to 1976 next year. A 964 built between 1989 and 1994 is still only in its early thirties. It will not reach that 50 year line until the 2040s, so neither a stock 964 nor a Singer built on one can be imported as a vintage car, whatever the owner is willing to pay. Even once a 964 does qualify, resale of an imported vintage car is banned and the combined customs duty, GST and registration load works out to roughly two and a half times the car's value.

So the honest answer for an Indian enthusiast is that a Singer stays a car you watch online or see at a concours abroad, not one you can title and drive here, at least for another two decades.

Sources

• Singer Vehicle Design, Wikipedia
• Singer Vehicle Design, official press page
• How Much Does a Singer Porsche Cost? (2026 Price Guide), Shoreline911
• Import of cars made up to 1975 allowed, Autocar India