The Autoforma Audi TTS Restomod is a modern classic reborn, right down to the stitching

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.

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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.’

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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.