Whilst the Porsche 911 will always be a symbol of the German autobahns, a small family business in the Cotswolds allows drivers to make the supercar their own.
When picturing classic performance models made by Porsche, many petrol heads envision iconic 911s and 356s speeding along the autobahn.
However, whilst almost all Porsches are still built in Germany, there is a small company dedicated to restoring and customising cars made by the brand in the heart of the Cotswolds.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Adam Hawley from Theon Design highlighted that his passion for Porsches began when he restored a sporty 911 in his spare time.
He explained: “My background is in car design, I always loved 911s and one day I decided to do my own ‘restomod’. I hate that term and it was an absolute nightmare in terms of quality, but it was as quick as sin and I was happy enough with it.
“Then I noticed that when I went to the petrol station, it would take me half an hour to fill up because so many people wanted to talk about the car.”
A restomod is when a driver restores a classic car, adding design features, performance enhancements and technology that the manufacturer did not originally include. Whilst the trend is divisive, with some arguing that owners are removing part of the identity of their car, the changes implemented can help to make vehicles more reliable and enjoyable to drive.
Theon Design, located in the Oxfordshire town of Deddington, allows Porsche enthusiasts to bring a car of their own and choose from a wide range of colours, interiors, and powertrain choices.
In addition to changing how the vehicle looks, Adam, alongside his wife Lucinda Argy, also allows customers to add various features to their classic models, such as air conditioning, reversing cameras, and a high-level brake light.
Nevertheless, Adam highlighted that the work done by the couple goes beyond a quick respray, with buyers able to completely change components for items identical to those found on concept models.
He continued: “I designed this car to have what I felt were the best elements of Porsche throughout the generations. The mirrors are from the 991 concept because I thought they were seriously cool!
“We’re basically making concept cars for the road. It’s hugely freeing.”
Motorists interested in creating a one-of-a-kind Porsche are able to bring along an example in any condition, with Theon Design encouraging drivers to avoid particularly low-mileage models.
However, it is hardly a spur-of-the-moment decision for drivers, with the process typically taking around 18 months to achieve, without prior consultation to discuss the many preferences.
Moreover, as dreams go, the ones that Theon Design craft are undoubtedly expensive, with most buyers happy to pay more than £300,000 for a one-of-a-kind vehicle.
