The latest modern classic to get the nod from Niels van Roij Design’s Autoforma sub-brand is the Audi TT. This one-off project follows on from the Autoforma Norrsken, a wild take on the Volvo P1800ES.

The Audi TT will be more familiar to most. For a quarter of a century, the compact sports coupé was Audi’s most distinctive model, an instantly recognisable design that maintained its integrity over three generations, even if the first was the purest and most memorable.

That’s the model that’s been given the Autoforma treatment. To be precise, it’s a first-generation Audi TTS, the droptop version of the geometric sports car and the model that hewed closest to the original 1995 TT Concept. The Autoforma team has actually taken the opportunity to recalibrate the production car inline with the conceptual version, using coachbuilding techniques to re-shape key elements of the design – such as the bumpers and rear deck behind those distinctive hooped rollbars.

The changes are subtle, a testament to how close the original production car came to replicating the qualities concept when it finally arrived in showrooms in 1998 (with the Roadster following in 1999). They preserve and enhance the once radical approach to surfacing, with its clean volumes and repeating elements, such as the prominent circular wheelarches and dashboard elements.

Only when seen here alongside an original TTS in silver – owned by Autoforma’s Niels van Roij, a long-time fan of the car – can the more esoteric changes be seen. These include a slightly flatter front bumper with slimmer air vents, new side vents behind the front fender and a small side vent added on the sill.

Most notably, Autoforma has completely removed the folding fabric roof, creating a true roadster with an extended rear deck that amplifies the purity of the original statement. Welding seams have also been removed, as has the rear spoiler (not included on the original car but deemed an aerodynamic necessity after a few months on the market) and the radio antenna.

Finally, there’s the paint, a special two-tone finish that combines gloss Nimbus Gray Pearl Effect upper body and a matte grey lower section, also used to pick out the major graphical forms like the windscreen surround. The original TT mirrors have been swapped out for compact racing units, while the suspension is slightly lowered and the track slightly widened.

All this was facilitated by the involvement of a committed client, Dutch designer Jos Baijens. An interior architect with a sideline in architectural eyewear, Baijens commissioned the new car to honour his passion for the model – he owned one of the originals back in 1998. Working closely with Autoforma, he helped identify and shape the details to create his very own interpretation of the TT.

As Autoforma points, this collaboration is what defines the company – ‘we do not simply build cars, we create them together with our clients. Co-design lies at the heart of everything Autoforma does.’ As Niels van Roij explains in more detail, ‘with this project, we wanted to refine the original car - a symbol of top automotive design - to a level of detail and sophistication that brings the production model closer to the purity of the Bauhaus-oriented concept car.’

Inside, the hand-stitched ‘baseball glove’ tan leather is a direct nod to the 1995 concept, contrasting strongly with the graphic simplicity of the dashboard, with its iconic ‘TT’ nameplate front and centre. Autoforma also enlisted tyre company Vredstein to pair with the TTS Restomod’s six-spoke wheels for added grip.

For more information on the Autoforma bespoke service, visit Autoforma.nl, NielsvanRoij.com.

One of the golden rules of restomodding is that you start with an acknowledged classic, rather than try and transform a historic also-ran into a contemporary machine (there are, of course, exceptions). That’s certainly the case with Autoforma’s take on the Volvo P1800 ES, the Norrsken, revealed here in sketch and render form, alongside a pristine example of the original.

Autoforma isn’t the first company to offer a new take on the evergreen P1800, a lightly sporting two-door design that Volvo manufactured from 1961 to 1973. The car’s distinctive shape was penned by Pelle Petterson, overseen by the legendary Pietro Frua (then working for Carrozzeria Ghia), and the blend of Swedish function and Italian flair has never gone out of fashion.

A P1800 holds the world record for the highest ever recorded mileage, with a 1966 example travelling three million miles to date. Around one sixth of the total production was given over to the P1800ES model, a shooting brake-style mini estate introduced towards the end of the car’s run in 1972.

The 1800ES will form the basis of Autoforma’s new machine. The company is a spin-off venture from Niels van Roij Design, recently seen here with its remarkable transformation of a 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche into a unique shooting brake. Autoforma will follow a similar path but focus on (very limited) series production, rather than one-offs.

‘For us, the P1800ES is not simply “a great looking car.” It is an archetype of the Volvo body language at its most refined: intelligent, human centred, and (especially at the time of its conception) quietly progressive,’ van Roij told Wallpaper*, ‘Reinterpreting it allows us to explore the best of both worlds: heritage and modernity, usability and emotion through a deeply considered car design process.’

From the name Norrsken (‘northern lights’) to the three proposed design packages, the restomod is a celebration of all things Swedish. Autoforma describes the project as a ‘new interpretations of a Scandinavian design icon – from faithful tradition to bold contemporary expression – all rooted in restraint, craftsmanship, and everyday usability.’ As is common in the restomod community, every car will be built to a unique customer specification.

Under the skin, there are a host of upgrades. For a start, the Norrsken will have a tuned Volvo T5 five-cylinder engine, one of the marque’s great ICE powerplants, complete with new exhaust for sonorous performance. Other upgrades including new brakes, revised suspension, quicker steering and an upgraded transmission.

The Norrsken makes its debut with three bespoke liveries, the traditional ‘Heritage Heaven’ specification; the modern Scandi-inspired ‘Modern Marvel’ and ‘Forward Fashionista’, which emphasises the upgraded performance. Van Roij describes this as ‘the most expressive interpretation of Norrsken. Introduced as the launch specification, it pushes contemporary design and performance further – while remaining true to the essence of the P1800 ES.’

Stylistically, it’s as if the original P1800ES has been given an under the counter course of anabolic steroids, with a lowered ride height, new front grille and LED lights, a slightly more discrete use of chrome and – most notably of all – a widened stance with wheels cloaked in new carbon fibre wheelarches. Autoforma certainly hasn’t forgotten the practicalities – this is an estate car after all – with a roof rack on the options list.

Inside, the basic character of the original P1800ES dashboard remains intact, only every surface is enhanced with more tactile premium materials, including aluminium, wood veneer, Alcantara and Scandinavian wool blends. New seats and centre console add more support and practicality, while the luggage compartment can be upgraded with leather luggage straps and even your own bespoke set of cases.

‘The Volvo P1800ES resonates with us because it represents one of the purest expressions of the elegant shooting brake archetype,’ says van Roij, ‘At Niels van Roij Design, mother company of Autoforma, shooting brakes a key part of the typical coachbuilding conversions we do. They combine dynamism with utility, sculpture with purpose. The P1800ES embodies that duality perfectly.’

‘In the specific case of the 1800ES, its glass tail, long roofline and restrained surfacing create an architectural clarity that feels both rational and romantic,’ the designer continues, ‘It is unmistakably Volvo, honest, relatively upright, simple, yet at the same time sleek and almost delicate in proportion. That tension is incredibly compelling from a car designer’s perspective too.’

There is a precedent for the Norrsken. Back in 2020, Cyan Racing revealed the P1800 Cyan, a radically tuned, ultra-light performance version of the coupe model. Autoforma reckons it’ll produce around five Norrskens a year, with donor vehicles sourced from Dutch classic specialists Volvo Lotte. The price? The top-of-the-line Forward Fashionista specification will start from around €300,000, plus tax.

Autoforma.nl, NielsvanRoij.com, @NielsvanRoijDesign

Magic is in the air around this new creation from Singer, California’s renowned purveyor of Porsche-adjacent restomods that go far above and beyond their original specifications. Dubbed ‘Sorcerer’ by its new owner, the one-off ‘Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer’ comes complete with Fantasia Blue bodywork and a rear wing that wouldn’t look out of place on a 1970s racetrack.

Over 16 years and dozens of customer cars, Singer has burnt itself into the retinas of the old Porsche community, taking a bespoke and mind-bendingly thorough approach to rebuilding, reimagining and reshaping the 911 ethos for the supercar era. More tasteful than many of its rivals yet no less exclusive, this is the first Singer to be reimagined via the company’s relatively new DLS Turbo Services arm.

Work was carried out at Singer’s UK facility, not its better-known California shop. That allowed direct access to the country’s famed and unforgiving Millbrook Test Facility, with TÜV product certification carried out at the Nürburgring in Germany. Starting with a 964-era 911 monocoque chassis, the car is thoroughly rebuilt, with an engine reborn and remapped to produce of 700hp, stopped by new carbon ceramic brakes. New carbon fibre body panels, strongly influenced by Porsche’s 1970s-era endurance cars, and a vast rear wing complete the picture.

All this ensures the Sorcerer weaves a special kind of magic on the track, but the levels of design detail and rich materiality have certainly not been overlooked. As with all Singers, every facet of the interior and exterior was crafted to the customer’s exacting specification. In this case, the car includes Pebble Grey leather seats with Pearl Grey Alcantara seat centres and Champagne piping.

The stain carbon fibre exterior elements are also reflected by the use of the ultra-lightweight material in the lower part of the cabin. A hefty cross-brace is fitted for additional stability, while the car gets a thorough systems upgrade with new ABS brakes, traction control, and electronic stability control, all developed with Bosch, and selectable drive modes.

Although the dash follows the familiar five-dial 911 layout, each gauge is hand-built to watchmaking levels of precision. Other creature comforts like navigation and phone integration are subtly concealed. With a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, the Sorcerer will be an old school analogue experience for its owner.

SingerVehicleDesign.com, @SingerVehicleDesign

Argentina’s bespoke auto industry gets a boost with this strictly limited edition SP40 Restomod Speedster, a modern update of the one-off 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster. The original was made for Edsel Ford, son of Henry, and is currently at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House museum, although a meticulous recreation was recently sold at RM Sotheby’s.

This time, Iconic Auto Sports was not looking to build a strict replica. The company was set up by Francisco Orden and Arturo Arrebillaga and is based outside of Buenos Aires, where a workshop specialises in award-winning recreations of iconic classic cars. In 2018, the duo won an Autoclasica Award for its precise recreation of the original 1934 Ford 40 Special Speedster.

Back in the 1930s, Edsel’s personal machine had been shaped with the guidance of Ford designer Eugene ‘Bob’ Gregorie, a former yacht designer who dived deep into art deco and the Streamlined Moderne stylings of the era. The end result, the spirit of which is captured by the SP40, still looks remarkably contemporary for a 90-year-old machine.

Under the skin, the new SP40 is a thoroughly modern machine, complete with modern Ford V8 (as used in cars like the Mustang), manual gearbox and new running gear. Whereas the original had aluminium bodywork and a tubular frame (built by Ford’s Aircraft Division) along with a period V8, the SP40 is fashioned from carbon fibre with aluminium accents.

It shares similar proportions to the original, although thicker tyres and a wider stance add a streak of Hot Rod style. A featherweight 1,190kg two-seater with a bespoke tubular spaceframe chassis and no less than 480 horsepower. ‘Our goal with the introduction of the SP40 was not to replicate history, but to awaken it,’ says Arturo Arrebillaga. ‘Every line, every curve, every mechanical detail reflects our obsession with making the best car that we could to feel, to see, and to drive.’

The power to weight ratio promises to deliver impressive performance and the team is dedicated to making the new iteration of Edsel’s custom classic an all-analogue affair. The dashboard is purposefully minimal, just like the original, but elements like aircon and wireless device charging are tucked away out of sight.

‘Argentina has a long tradition of motorsport ingenuity, engineering, and passion,’ says Orden. ‘In South America, we grew up admiring both North American muscle and European sophistication, and the SP40 delightfully represents that fusion. The SP40 Restomod is a car that carries Edsel Ford’s spirit, but speaks a new design language, one shaped by modern materials and racing experience.’

Available for sale in the US and South America, the SP40 will be pitched at collectors looking for a usable performance car with the spirit of an inter-war racer. All buyers will be encouraged to create their own unique specification, although we suspect a fair few will want to replicate the dark green trim and bodywork of the original.

More information at SP40Restomod.com, @SP40Restomod, IconicAutoSports.com

When Maurice Wilks cobbled together the first prototype Land Rover in 1948, with bodywork made from aluminium left over from wartime aircraft production, Jeep running gear and a Rover gearbox, he was aiming for the ultimate utility vehicle. The target market was the British farmer, someone who had genuine need of a go-anywhere, do-anything machine that was easy to maintain and supremely practical.

What would Wilks have made of the current rash of Land-Rover restomods? Apart from the Porsche 911, no other car has been the subject of so many modernist do-overs, from electrified to elevated, stripped back, tuned up and generally given the kind of options list and specification that would have had straitened post-war Britain reeling in shock.

Now there’s another name to add to the list. The Admiral is a one-off short wheelbase Series III from 1976, overhauled by Kent Heritage Works of Tunbridge Wells to mark the start of their new 1 of 1 collection. Over the next few years, KHW will present several more truly bespoke builds based on classics from the extensive Land Rover portfolio.

It’s taken two years to recommission the car, complete with Admiralty Blue paint (originally used for the Royal Navy’s VIP cars in the 1960s) and a full diamond-stitched leather interior. According to Cliff Smith, founder of Kent Heritage Works, The Admiral includes an all-new engine and automatic gearbox, along with improved brakes, suspension and steering. The original handbrake has also been replaced by a contemporary electronic one.

‘We have worked with our in-house team and some of the UK’s best artisan companies in the historic engineering and Land Rover industry,’ Smith says, citing engine suppliers V8 Developments. The new powerplant is a tuned Rover 3.5L V8, staying true to the two company’s shared heritage but adding a whole lot more power and torque.

Interior updates also include new lighting and a touch-screen entertainment system, designed in-house to accommodate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as decidedly non-Series III items like heated seats and windscreen. Audio comes from a custom 320W system by French manufacturer Focal and there’s even a fridge (lifted from a contemporary Range Rover Sport).

In addition to the hand-stitched leather and hand-crafted body panels, The Admiral also uses over forty 3D printed carbon fibre parts, all of which were designed and printed in house.

Next up, the company will reveal two new takes on the original Range Rover, 'Dreadnought' and 'Viscount', which offer even more scope for customisation.

The Admiral, £180,000 + VAT, more information at KentHeritageWorks.uk, @KentHeritageWorks

Yes, it’s yet another Porsche restomod. However, Hungarian specialist KAMManufaktur eschews the evergreen and near ubiquitous Porsche 911 in favour of the lesser-known 912. The company’s new KAMM 911T follows the more performance-focused 911C. In this case, ‘T’ stands for Touring, and the car has been reshaped, re-engineered and tuned for a more refined, relaxing cruise.

Miklós Kázmér’s Budapest-based company decided upon this unique approach due to the 912’s simplicity and lightweight. Produced only between 1965 and 1969, all 912’s had a four-cylinder engine and arguably better balance than the more powerful, tail-heavy 911. Kázmér’s team includes experts from Porsche Motorsport, Singer and Koenigsegg, and the aim of the game is to preserve the analogue feel of the original, rather than infuse the car with too many updates.

However, despite the purity of the 912T’s looks, one of KAMManufaktur’s principal changes is to swap out steel body panels for carbon. The rest of the car is restored, with subtly upgraded chassis, brakes, suspension, wheels and tyres, and brand-new factory parts (courtesy of the Porsche Classic service).

The updated yet still original engine puts out 163hp. Coupled with weight savings of around 100kg over an original car, it makes the 912T a spirited performer, albeit with gearing that’s a little more relaxed than the 912C. Inside, updates include handcrafted seats by Italian specialist Fusina Racing, with Smiths instruments on the dash and the ability to upgrade the audio system and add smartphone charging.

According to Kázmér, the 912T is more ‘comfort-oriented’. ‘Our team of designers and engineers relished this chance,’ he says. ‘In the 912T, we have crafted a timeless sports tourer that exudes style and sophistication, without compromising the purity of the drive.’

KAMM 912T, from €245,000 (excluding donor car), for more information visit KAMManufaktur.com, @KAMManufaktur_

Whether restomods, retromods, exacting recreations or simply something new and unusual that embodies the quintessence of a specific original, here are nine novel examples of how to update the classic spirit of Italian cars.

Restomod Italian cars: classics reimagined

EVO38 by Kimera EVO38

Now that the revival of the Lancia brand is well underway, interest is stirring in the manufacturer’s well-stocked cabinet of modern classics. No less than four different companies offer updated variations on contemporary models. Of particular interest to enthusiasts is the newly announced Kimera EVO38, a high-performance recreation of a car that never existed. 

Lancia’s EVO37 was one of the most ferocious of all the Group B rally cars, a terrifying category of the sport defined by unadulterated raw power. Cancelled in 1986 following a series of fatal accidents (for drivers and spectators), the cars from that era have lived on as a collection of automotive unicorns. The original EVO37 won the World Rally Champion in 1983 and also sired 200 road-going versions (as required by the regulations). 

Kimera, however, has taken upon itself to build the successor that never was, an all-wheel drive, road-going version. Dubbed EVO38, it’ll be low-weight, high power and very low volume – just 38 will be built, at a presumably higher price point that the 37 examples of the EVO37 Kimera previously built for €480,000.

Kimera-Automobili.com, @Kimera_Automobili

MAT Stratos

Yet another Lancia rally car returned for the 21st century. This time, the underpinnings of the MAT Stratos are rather different from the mighty Gandini-styled original (working for Bertone). Beneath the lightly updated wedge-shaped bodywork of the handful of cars built at the turn of the decade by Manifattura Automobili Torino, lies a Ferrari F430. 

This particular reincarnation had a long gestation, and the New Stratos had to make do with a rather outdated donor vehicle after Ferrari withdrew direct support. It’s still a welcome revival of one of motoring’s most dramatic forms.

ManifatturaAutomobiliTorino.com, @manifatturaautomobilitorino

Maturo Stradale

Lancia’s Delta model stood in stark comparison to the Stratos. Introduced in 1979, the year after the Stratos went out of production, it was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro; the creases were still sharp, but the overall form favoured right angles, not origami-like folds. By the 1980s, the Delta’s racing variant was once again winning rallies and once again inspiring a classic performance road car. The Lancia Delta HF Integrale fleshed out Giugiaro’s neat box with big arches for a wider track and fat tyres, rally-car acceleration and a rather fragile constitution that required constant maintenance.

Dutch manufacturer Maturo specialises in restoring original cars, but it also builds this, the Maturo Stradale, a ground-up restomod that swaps out the panels for carbon fibre replicas, with a roll cage at its heart. Lighter, more powerful and far more robust than the original, a Maturo Stradale is a bespoke creation that’ll set you back around £400k.

MaturoCars.com, @MaturoCars

Thornley Kelham Outlaw B20GT

Our final re-fettled Lancia is Thornley Kelham’s Outlaw B20GT, an upgraded and aesthetically enhanced version of the fabled Lancia Aurelia B20GT, the progenitor of all modern grand tourers. Lancia built the B20GT from 1951 onwards, with stunning bodywork designed by Ghia. In the hands of Gloucestershire-based specialist Thornley Kelham, this svelte Italian GT becomes the Fuorilegge (‘Outlaw’), with revised bodywork inspired by American hotrod culture.

The company built its first Outlaw in 2015, with a planned run of nine unique machines. The first six were powered with uprated Lancia engines, but the final three – still in build – will have Alfa Romeo V6s.

Fuorilegge.co.uk, ThornleyKelham.com, @ThornleyKelham

Totem Automobili GT

Totem Automobili describes itself as a ’tailor-made handcraft supercar manufacturer’, based in Venice and focused, laser-like, on what are perhaps Alfa Romeo’s most beautiful cars, the compact 105 and 115 Series Coupés that the company built in various configurations from 1963 to 1975. Available as high-power Giulia Sprint GT, GT Junior and racing GTA models, the original was shaped by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone (before he set up on his own).

Totem Automobili clearly knows the power and reach of this particular machine and has created three restomod versions that update the specs but keep the aesthetics as pure as possible (although they’re all longer and wider than the compact originals).

As well as the sleek GT Super and storming GTAModificata versions, Totem also makes the GT Electric, a hugely powerful GT EV with a projected 500km range and supercar-killing acceleration. All petrol-powered Totem GTs have a V6, with the ultra-light, wide-bodied, carbon-fibre GTAModificata putting out an impressive 810hp. Just five will be made, with the GT Super offering a more refined driving experience that evokes the grace and simplicity of its 1960s forerunner.

TotemAutomobili.com, @Totem.Automobili

ErreErre Fuoriserie Giulia

Another Italian homage to Alfa, Turin-based ErreErre Fuoriserie splices old and new in a more literal way with a recreation of the 1962 Giulia saloon. Billed as the ‘first retromod of a four-door sedan’, it evokes, rather than replicates, the spirit of the 1960s, with a contemporary Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio serving as a donor car.

That takes care of performance, but the style component has been put through a blender of post-war design influences. ErreErre has chamfered the smooth curves of the modern Alfa into an approximation of a 1960s suit, with an abrupt tail, new retro-style front end and bespoke interior. Just 33 cars will be built, with prices starting at €400,000.

ErreErreFuoriserie.com, @erreerrefuoriserie

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa Revival

The rebirth of Bizzarrini focused first on this, the 5300 GT Corsa Revival, an exacting recreation of the Italian company’s 1960s road/race car. Although focus is shifting to the forthcoming Giotto supercar, the company’s facility in the north of England will still hand-build this meticulous machine, with every last nut and bolt carefully matched to the car that won its class at Le Mans in 1964. Priced from a heady £1.65 million, the Corsa Revival is an indication of the seemingly limitless value of original classics. 

Bizzarrini.com, @BizzarriniDesign

Breadvan Hommage by Niels van Roij Design

Dutch designer Niels van Roij has mastered the art of the tailored automobile, working on badges as diverse as Fiat and Range Rover. True automotive one-offs, each car is designed and built according to coachbuilding tradition, often responding to a whim or suggestion to do something out of the ordinary – a Tesla or Rolls-Royce shooting brake, for example.

This is the Breadvan Hommage, a one-off rebodied Ferrari 550 designed to pay homage to another unique car, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB ‘Breadvan’ of 1962. This machine – the creation of Giotto Bizzarrini himself – got its nickname from the aerodynamically pure but rather commercial-looking appearance of the long roofline. In building a modern version (revealed in 2021), van Roij and his client demonstrate a respect for history as well as a certain sense of humour.

NielsvanRoij.com, @NielsvanRoijDesign

Fiat 500 by Silent Classics

Finally, a more modestly scaled and attainable project in the shape of the iconic Fiat 500, courtesy of British company Silent Classics. As the name suggests, the North Dorset-based workshop specialises in transforming existing classics into electric vehicles, with Bentleys, Daimlers and Datsuns all receiving the high-voltage treatment, along with a smattering of pre-war cars.

Silent Classics’ Fiat 500E (not to be confused with Fiat’s modern EV of the same name) retains the car’s scale, looks and sheer delight, with an all-new powertrain giving up to 100 miles of range and rather more zip than the original. Complete cars are available from £50,000, with limitless options for those that like their luxuries down-sized. 

SilentClassics.co.uk, @Silent_Classics