How Much Does a Singer Porsche Cost? Singer vs Backdate Pricing Explained
How Much Does a Singer Porsche Cost? Singer vs Backdate Pricing Explained
Singer Vehicle Design turned the reimagined air-cooled Porsche 911 into a global phenomenon. If you have ever wondered what one costs, the honest answer is: a lot more than the headline figure. Here is how Singer pricing works, and how a hand-built backdate compares.
Who is Singer Vehicle Design?
Singer Vehicle Design was founded in Los Angeles in 2009 by Rob Dickinson, the former frontman of the band Catherine Wheel. The idea was simple and radical at the time: take a Porsche 964 and rebuild it, from the bare shell up, into an idealized version of the classic long-hood 911, with modern engineering underneath.
Singer calls its cars “reimagined” rather than restored, and the company has since expanded into a series of “studies”: the Classic Study, the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study (DLS) developed with Williams Advanced Engineering, the rally-focused All-terrain Competition Study (ACS), and the Turbo Study inspired by the 930.
How much does a Singer Porsche cost?
Singer does not publish a price list, and every commission is specified individually, so any figure is a starting point rather than a quote. Widely reported numbers give a useful picture:
- Classic Study: reported to start at over $475,000 for the restoration work, before the cost of the donor 964.
- Auction results: finished Singer cars have repeatedly sold for more than $1 million.
- ACS (All-terrain Competition Study): reported at over $1 million.
- DLS and DLS Turbo: limited-run, carbon-bodied cars priced well into seven figures.
On top of the build price you need to budget for the donor car itself. A good Porsche 964 Carrera 2 currently trades roughly between $70,000 and $110,000 in the US, according to CLASSIC.COM market data, and options, taxes, shipping and the wait all add to the real cost.
Why is a Singer so expensive?
The price reflects three things. First, labor: each car is stripped to a bare shell and rebuilt by hand, with carbon-fiber body panels and a reworked air-cooled flat-six. Second, exclusivity: build capacity is limited and demand is global. Third, brand: Singer effectively created the modern reimagined-911 category, and the name carries a premium on the resale market.
Singer vs a Shoreline backdate: how they compare
| Singer (Classic Study) | Shoreline 911 GTR | |
|---|---|---|
| Donor platform | Porsche 964 | Porsche 964 or 993 |
| Starting price | Reported from $475,000+, plus donor | From $350,000 for a 2026 build slot |
| Engine | Reworked air-cooled flat-six | Rebuilt and upgraded air-cooled 3.6L or 3.8L |
| Gearbox | Manual | 6-speed manual with new hydraulic clutch |
| Comfort | Specified per commission | Electric air conditioning, woven leather and suede interior |
| Typical timeline | Long waiting list | 8–12 months |
Both approaches start from the same place: a genuine air-cooled Porsche, stripped and rebuilt to look like a 1970s classic and drive like a modern car. The difference is mostly in price, platform choice and how quickly you can be driving it.
Waiting lists, build slots and timelines
Price is only half the story. Singer builds a limited number of cars each year, and customers have typically waited well over a year from commission to delivery. Part of that wait is the donor: the client supplies a Porsche 964, which is then stripped to bare metal before any new work begins.
Smaller specialists can usually move faster because they build fewer cars at once and source the donor themselves. At Shoreline, a typical build runs 8–12 months from confirmed specification, and the donor 964 or 993 is hand-picked for you before work starts.
Questions to ask any 911 restomod builder
Whether you are talking to Singer or to an independent workshop, the same questions separate a great build from an expensive disappointment:
- Who supplies the donor car, and can you see its history and chassis number before work begins? Our Porsche VIN and chassis number guide explains what to check.
- What is included in the price, and what counts as an option? Paint, wheels, interior trim and engine work are where totals move most.
- How is the engine built, and by whom? Ask about displacement, power, and how the car is tested before delivery.
- What happens after delivery? Servicing, warranty and support for owners outside the builder's home country all matter.
- Can you see a finished car? Photos flatter. Panel gaps, paint depth and interior stitching are best judged in person.
For a fuller checklist, read how to choose the right company for a bespoke Porsche 911 backdate.
What you actually get for the money
With any serious backdate, the money goes into the parts of the car you never see in photographs: a full body-off rebuild, corrosion repair, a freshly rebuilt engine, a modernized gearbox, suspension set up for real roads, and an interior trimmed by hand. When you compare quotes, ask what is included, whether the donor car is supplied, and what the warranty covers. Our guide on how to choose a backdate company walks through the questions to ask.
If the Singer look is what drew you in, a custom Porsche 911 backdate built on a 964 or 993 gives you the same long-hood proportions and air-cooled soundtrack, specified entirely around you.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Singer Porsche?
Singer’s Classic Study has been widely reported as starting at over $475,000 for the restoration work alone, before the donor 964 is supplied. Finished cars have sold at auction for well over $1 million, and newer studies are priced higher again.
Why is Singer so expensive?
Every car is a ground-up restoration of a customer-supplied Porsche 964 with carbon-fiber bodywork, a reworked engine and thousands of hours of hand labor, and demand far exceeds the number of build slots.
Is there an alternative to a Singer Porsche?
Yes. Several specialists build air-cooled 911 backdates on 964 and 993 platforms. Shoreline 911’s GTR builds start from $350,000 for a 2026 build slot, with a typical 8–12 month build.
Your air-cooled 911, built around you.
Every Shoreline car is a hand-built Porsche 911 restomod, engineered from a hand-picked 964 or 993 donor and specified entirely by you. Build slots are limited each year.