Car pinnacle of individualization – extremely expensive individual pieces ex works

Unusual, crazy, unique
Car pinnacle of individualization – extremely expensive individual pieces ex works

Many manufacturers allow new car buyers to put together their own car individually, for example in terms of colors, materials or wheels. But it can also be more extreme: with exclusive individual pieces. Of course that has its price.

Two seats, shortened windshield and a wide rear cover. The Porsche 911 Speedster from the 993 series appears flat. And somehow strange. Because the model never existed as a production car. The color “Ottoyellow” is also unique to Porsche. And yet an Italian car collector wanted to own exactly such a vehicle.

But instead of a tuning or bodywork company, the car fan asked Porsche – and found what he was looking for. The Stuttgart car manufacturer's “special request” division realizes even unusual requests. For an appropriate fee.

Is individualization a new trend?

Vehicle customization is not new. Unique items have been around almost as long as cars. Car buyers can choose their favorite car from new vehicles. With the choice of engine, transmission, body, wheels, materials and colors, there are a variety of possible combinations – as an affordable individual model menu for the masses.

Some manufacturers go one better and increase the possibilities: discerning customers put together their vehicle individually outside of the catalog – with self-selected colors, unusual materials, special equipment or even body changes.

Individualized vehicles cost a lot of money – individual pieces cost millions

“One-of-a-kind items are an absolute niche segment for very solvent customers. They want to differentiate themselves and create a vehicle that is truly unique,” says Professor Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) in Bergisch Gladbach.

Disadvantage: The cars become very, very expensive. A new vehicle design can cost between one and four million euros. But not everything is allowed. The prerequisites for the special requests are, among other things, that they are legally and technically feasible and do not violate any species protection. The latter could concern exotic leather covers, for example. Requests for certain tropical woods may also not be possible.

A variety of colors, fabrics and engines create almost uniqueness

The basic range: At Porsche, types of leather, colors and decorative stitching can be put together individually, as well as your own color for the paint. Most often, customers of the 718, 911 and Taycan series want new seats with different materials: tartan, houndstooth or pepita, as well as other seams or leather. Customers also often order a leather trunk or various design elements.

Around 600 individualized Porsches leave Zuffenhausen every year, plus two to four one-off models (individual bodywork pieces). The selection is almost limitless. To achieve this, the special requests department relies on its own saddlers and painters, among others, who complete the orders by hand.

Several thousand heavily refined – very few one-offs

“The requests for changes must correspond to our quality specifications and meet our safety standards. We exclude deliberately chosen insults or topics that do not fit the core of the brand,” says Alexander Fabig, Head of Individualization and Classic at Porsche. The Stuttgart-based company wants to specifically refine up to 2,500 vehicles per year, plus up to ten one-off models – a niche within the approximately 320,000 vehicles that Porsche produces per year.

Over three years, the Italian Luca Trazzi developed concepts and details with designers from Porsche's special request program until he was able to take delivery of his one-of-a-kind bodywork freshly painted in mid-August – as an original Porsche with all the necessary certificates and factory warranty.

Unique pieces mostly from luxury and sports car manufacturers

With the one-off models, the customer receives a unique vehicle. In recent years, these have generally been custom-made products from renowned sports car or luxury car manufacturers, rather than cars from volume manufacturers such as Ford, Opel or VW. The highlights of individual design in recent years include Aston Martin Victor, Bugatti La Voiture Noire, Rolls-Royce Sweptail, Ferrari SP38 Deborah, Lamborghini SC20 and the Porsche 911 993 Speedster.

The more exclusive the vehicle, the more likely it is to be refined. “It is difficult to determine whether individual pieces are economically viable for car manufacturers. They are only profitable if the price is very high and the model is based on a specific modular system,” says Professor Bratzel. Nevertheless, the work is more of a manufacturing activity and has little to do with the mass production of industrialization. “But even if the manufacturers hardly make any money on special individual pieces, the projects increase the brand’s image,” says Bratzel.

Are the unique pieces even worth it financially for the customers in the end?

Strong individualization of vehicles, small series or even individual pieces rarely pays off over the years. “When developing individual pieces, manufacturers usually calculate generously, so that the vehicle becomes very expensive for the first customer. Not every car automatically increases in value later,” says Frank Wilke, managing director of Classic Analytics, a company that monitors the market and evaluates classic cars.

Many conversions are matters of the heart and are tailored specifically to the first-time customer. “They don't suit everyone's taste, so resale can be difficult.” Custom-made items can become more valuable over time, but there is no guarantee. In addition to emotional reasons, there could also be an economic interest – with the hope that the value will increase over the years.

An individually designed car primarily serves the car lover. “He will hardly drive his automobile creation to the bakery, but will instead neatly integrate it into his collection,” says Professor Bratzel. Just like the Porsche 993 Speedster. Not only is its shape unusual, but also its color. Incidentally, Luca Trazzi named the bright yellow vehicle paint after one of his ex-girlfriend's dogs: Otto.