Louis Vuitton and Singer Vehicle Design Reimagine the Porsche 911 with a Tambour-Inspired Dashboard Clock

In keeping with its Art of Travel philosophy, Louis Vuitton brings its expertise and savoir-faire to an exceptional automotive project. In a close collaboration, Louis Vuitton and Singer, the Californian atelier renowned for its highly personalised restorations of Porsche 911s, reveal two extraordinary cars. The first, a Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer - Classic, showcases an exclusive livery in the House's iconic colours – saffron, cobalt blue and yellow – specially crafted with and for Louis Vuitton. Its counterpart, a Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo, conceived by Louis Vuitton's Artistic Director of Women's Collections Nicolas Ghesquière, is a cabriolet finished in Calcaire Lutétien white and complemented by exquisite precious wood trim. Both vehicles are enhanced with made-to-measure Louis Vuitton creations, transforming every journey into a true celebration of the art of travel.

A Tambour Dashboard Clock

The automotive restorations born of the collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Singer emerged from a conversation with the Californian company, a visionary in the world of exceptional automobiles and renowned for its exacting approach to vehicle personalisation.

“This unique and remarkable adventure began with a request for a dashboard clock for a car reimagined by Singer. In addition to the design and production of this clock by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshops in Switzerland, it quickly became apparent to us that this collaboration with Singer could extend to the personalisation of every functional element of the vehicle, enhancing them through our expertise in leather craftsmanship and watchmaking,” shares Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton Watch Director.

At the heart of the project lies a detachable, mechanical timepiece, which can be converted into a desk clock, and whose design is inspired by the iconic Tambour watch, recognisable by its distinctive shape and its 12 polished and engraved letters forming the name of the House on the bezel. Once integrated into the cockpit, it soon became clear that Louis Vuitton's involvement could not be limited to this single timepiece. The redesign of the instrument display, a major technical and aesthetic challenge, then became essential to ensure absolute coherence within the interior. 

The House's designers reimagined every detail, including the speedometer, rev counter and gauges, to ensure they adopted the iconic graphic codes of the Tambour line, particularly through their hands, terminations on the dials and index systems. The chosen design language speaks for itself: a vivid cobalt blue hue accented with bursts of bright orange for the lettering, striking a perfect balance between horological expertise and the rigorous demands of the automotive industry.

For Louis Vuitton, the car transcends its role as a mere means of transport; it becomes an intimate world, an expression of personality and a pillar of the art of living. The brand has chosen to express its vision in the form of a coupé reimagined through Singer's Classic services and a cabriolet reimagined through their Classic Turbo services, inspired by light and a nomadic spirit. Drawing on California's ethos of freedom, these creations are deeply rooted in the House's heritage and DNA, offering an experience in which the journey itself becomes a work of art in motion. 

A Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic 

In its saffron and cobalt blue livery, fitted with a specially designed roof rack, which can accommodate a trunk, a surfboard or a pair of skis, this Porsche 911 was reimagined by Singer to the specification envisioned by Louis Vuitton and immediately declares its purpose: this car has been designed for epic journeys. Its fluid, aerodynamic silhouette naturally gives a hint at its performance capabilities. However, it is above all the details that fully express what Louis Vuitton means by the Art of Travel. The result of careful and meticulous creative work, every element and component has been reimagined to meet standards of savoir-faire rarely encountered in the automotive industry, with a focus on conveying real meaning.

The saffron shade, present in the House's archives for over a century and a half and used across its packaging for more than 20 years, also resonates with Bahama Yellow, a hallmark hue closely associated with Singer's earliest commissions. Notably, it has a particular connection with the automotive world, paying homage to the travel trunks designed for Citroën in 1924. These types of travel cases already featured cobalt blue interior reinforcements. This two-tone colour combination therefore embodies Louis Vuitton's identity particularly well, as does the bright yellow thread used for the saddle-stitch seams on the seats, doors, leather goods and trunks.

“With the creation of both cars, Louis Vuitton has, for the first time, drawn upon the full breadth of its savoir-faire, bringing together the expertise of every House métier in a unique and exclusive automotive project. Every department at Louis Vuitton has contributed to this unprecedented cross-disciplinary endeavour, from trunk makers and leather goods artisans to the fashion and footwear teams, and even the watchmakers from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton,” highlights Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton Watch Director.

An exclusive capsule for the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic

To truly celebrate the Art of Travel, Louis Vuitton is also releasing a capsule to dress the classic car's owner as carefully as it dressed the car. The pieces are crafted from Millésime leather, selected for its exquisite quality, which closely resembles the leather used for the car's upholstery and matches the colours of the leather used in the car's interior so that the capsule reads as an extension of the interior rather than a wardrobe set beside it.

The look begins with the driver: a racing jacket crafted from naturally grained leather, featuring a perforated zip closure and three Monogram Flower eyelets across the chest, a motif directly drawn from the car's seats and sun visor. The silk lining discreetly repeats the embroidered flower, a detail visible only to the wearer. Beneath it, straight-cut jeans in a heavy cotton-and-silk denim are washed for a worn-in aesthetic, subtly detailed with contrast topstitching, an aged-gold engraved button and a Louis Vuitton x Singer tab at the rear waist. Footwear for the drive is presented in two distinct options: the LV Rally, a car-shoe adorned with LV initials on the side and featuring a rubber-pad sole, or the LV Remix Derby, a more lifestyle silhouette infused with heritage accents, with a deep blue key bell decorated with the 'Louis Vuitton Singer' project and Monogram Flower eyelets. Driving gloves come perforated, in a natural hue or cobalt blue. Finally, a jet helmet made of carbon and glass fibre, trimmed with calfskin leather and finished with a riveted peak, completes the figure.

Even the keys receive bespoke treatment. A folder sized for six keys opens to reveal a Louis Vuitton x Singer stamp. Alternatively, a cloche key holder, highlighting the House's signature blue, can loop around a bag handle or be worn around the neck. A pochette for the car's documents, built on the lines of a 1950s business sleeve, includes a contrasting blue interior and a zipped pen compartment.

The luggage is custom-fitted to the car. A 1950s-inspired helmet bag holds the bespoke helmet, its hardware tuned to the fuel cap's shade. The Bisten, a direct descendant of the suitcases the House first catalogued in 1892, adorned with a blue handle and a name tag, keeps the wardrobe flat and crease-free. The Keepall, a House icon since 1930, packs a week's wardrobe into the cabin, and a pair of front-trunk bags is shaped so the two sit perfectly in the nose of the car.

Designed to perfectly fit the car's shape, the bespoke roof rack carries everything the journey needs, like a Louis Vuitton surfboard for example. Handcrafted in Angers before travelling to the Atlantic coast for its resin coating and fins, it features a Monogram marquetry in blond oak and rich walnut requiring countless hours of craftsmanship. A pair of skis rounds out the range. Created in the French Alps from wood, titan and steel, the combination of natural and technical materials ensures strength, responsiveness and agility.

Together, these accessories embody a complete contemporary expression of Louis Vuitton's historic expertise in designing functional equipment for motoring and travel. 

A Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo

Once the design of the coupé was finalised, the creative collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Singer was strengthened and extended by another major project: the development of a turbo charged cabriolet under the visionary leadership of Nicolas Ghesquière, Artistic Director of Women's Collections at Louis Vuitton. Featuring bodywork in ivory white, subtly enhanced with touches of brown, it reveals an interior where leather and wood harmonise in a sophisticated tribute to the elegance of classic motorboats. “Automotive design is a passion that has always lived within me. My collaboration with Singer has been a chance to reconnect with this fascinating world – a magnificent opportunity to explore truly exceptional automobiles,” highlights Nicolas Ghesquière. 

The Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo embodies Ghesquière's vision through his desire to blend two distinct worlds: the nautical and the automotive. This fusion directly reflects the designer's approach, as he frequently incorporates contrasting worlds into his collections. The use of wood lends this cabriolet a unique and decidedly contemporary feel, much like Ghesquière's long-standing creative vision. The automobile, an inexhaustible source of inspiration, has been a recurring theme in his collections since he joined Louis Vuitton, as illustrated by the iconic photoshoot for his first campaign.

Working closely with the teams at Singer, Ghesquière realised his vision for the ideal car: a vehicle open to the world, to nature and to the fullness of life, fostering direct contact with the sun and a profound sense of sensuality. The choice of a cabriolet was an obvious one. Right from the beginning of the project, he imagined it as the embodiment of the Louis Vuitton spirit: elegant, modern and assertive. The cabriolet is, therefore, as sensuous as it is powerful, combining sophisticated styling with exceptional prowess. While the large rear spoiler, typical of turbocharged models, underscores its capabilities, the rear-opening luggage compartment stands as an impressive feat of engineering, revealing a teak-inspired wooden deck that extends the dialogue with the timeless beauty of motorboats. The colour scheme, combining an echo of Calcaire Lutétien – the white limestone that has shaped the Parisian landscape, including the House's historic headquarters at Pont Neuf overlooking the Seine – with exquisite gold accents that adorn the car like subtle jewels and the natural hues of the leather and wood reflects Ghesquière's sense of refinement and a way of life intrinsically bound to the Louis Vuitton Art of Travel.

The bespoke dashboard clock is not integrated into the instrumentation behind the steering wheel. Instead, it occupies the centre of the console, upholstered in natural leather, where warm golden gauges, a dial finished in the exact shade of the exterior bodywork and a matching golden ignition key create a seamless dialogue between the interior and exterior. The dashboard bears the Louis Vuitton signature, echoed after dark within the Tail Lamps, while a distinctive leather patch on the steering wheel – one of Ghesquière's signature details – subtly reinforces the House's identity. All functional elements are crafted in metal, with the same meticulous attention to finishes and surface treatments as the Classic car, in harmony with the precision of fine watchmaking. Beneath the dashboard clock, the gearshift trim evokes the silhouette of the Noé bag through its natural leather drawstring.

Behind the seats, upholstered in leather over a technical wooden shell, lies a luggage compartment developed specifically for the car's unique form. It is crafted from varnished wood using the same technique employed for runabout decks. There is ample space for bespoke Louis Vuitton luggage fitted to the car, as well as for the lightweight soft top, which is itself inspired by the nautical world. Wood panelling also lines the rear engine compartment and the front boot, which houses a bespoke trunk composed of three cases that slot together to form storage compartments that are both highly functional and elegantly crafted. Leather fastening straps on the front and rear hoods, equipped with pin buckles, subtly recall references to motorsport, the traditions of trunk making and watch straps.

An Exclusive Capsule for the Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo

To enhance the driving experience of this exceptional turbocharged cabriolet, Nicolas Ghesquière has designed an exclusive capsule in which every piece answers to the car. It takes its cue from the cabriolet's own register, the white bodywork, the wood, the gold worn-like jewellery, so that what the driver carries and wears extends the car rather than accompanies it.

Time is kept in more than one place. The dashboard clock, already at the centre of the console, finds its echo on the wrist in the Tambour Automatic, a 40mm piece in ceramic and yellow gold, whose bracelet runs unbroken, without a visible pin. When neither is worn, both rest in the Coffret Tresor, first made by Georges Vuitton in 1896 and reissued here as a pair: one cradles the watch on its cushion, the other holds the dashboard timepiece ready to clip back beside the gear lever. A smaller case, dual-flapped and closed with a magnetic snap, carries the watch alone.

For the driver, a made‑to‑measure suit in parachute silk incorporates the House’s second initial into raised V‑shaped seams, eschewing any badge, its zip pulls and snaps discreetly engraved. The driving gloves follow the hand in braided leather and a single hand-painted Monogram snap, echoing the wood that lines the cabin. The LV Sneakerina sits low and light underfoot, its signature read only in a cut-out at the side. Completing the look, sunglasses in gold and acetate hide a Monogram flower beneath one lens, augmented by a helmet in carbon, glass fibre and varnished cream, finished with a tan visor.

What the car carries is considered as closely as what the driver wears. A garment bag folds flat against the cabin with a hanger and name tag inside. The Alma softens into a travelling shape and the Express returns the malletage of a trunk lining to its interior, while the Noé carries the drawstring silhouette the gearshift borrows. The Cruiser is sized for little more than a pair of gloves and sunglasses, with a loop to hold its own handle open. The Petite Malle is cut from a wood that mirrors the vehicle's finest details, drawing on a species whose warm hue resonates in perfect harmony with the car's signature palette and the papers for a one-of-a-kind automobile travel in their own flat case.

The larger luggage is built into the car. The three-part trunk already fitted to the front boot lifts out as three individual cases when the journey calls for it, and the Keepall 45 wears a removable cover that doubles its protection and changes its face, the way a car waits beneath its own fitted sheet.

The keys are given the same weight as the car they unlock. A key holder carries the LV Blazon, the emblem of the collection, and the Monogram Heritage necklace suspends a leather key bell and medallion from the chain, the vehicle's key worn close to the heart. Even the smallest pouch, sized precisely for the keys to come, is finished with contrasting yellow stitching. 

The two cars reimagined by Louis Vuitton and Singer, uniting the full breadth of their respective savoir-faire, stand as a manifesto of an ongoing pursuit for perfection, embodying an art of living driven by performance, quality and beauty.

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