We speak with the owner of the “Monaco”, to learn more about one of the most desirable cars in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles traffic offers many car-spotting opportunities. It is usually a beautifully patina-painted Datsun or E30 with fender flares that catches my attention, but this day I was able to spot something completely different. Just the side of one’s fender was visible when I first saw it four cars ago. It was clearly a Porsche, but it had something a little different. It was something I thought I might recognize.
The traffic started moving again and the light changed. I pulled back in my lane, and struggled to get my camera. One lucky shot saw the car speed past. I uploaded it to Instagram. One of my keen eyes noticed that the owner was tagged within hours. It’s impossible to miss a Singer-reimagined Porsche 911. I took the chance to learn more about the unique and pricey custom Porsche 911s, so I messaged the owner via Instagram. Edward Lovett and his Porsche were waiting for me in quiet Los Angeles a few weeks later.
Motor1 – We’re in Holmby Hills.
Edward Lovett is next to the Playboy Mansion.
We’re here to discuss cars. How did Singer Vehicle Design come to be?
Chris Harris is a good friend of mine. He was very involved with Rob early on. I had been to Monterey, and Singer was at Quail Lodge. The car was there when I first saw it. If you are a Porsche guy or a car guy, it’s difficult not to fall in love immediately with the car. Both of these are me.
How many years has Porsche been a part of your life?
My whole life. My family is a Porsche dealer in the U.K. My father was a Porsche racer for many years. Although I would love to claim that my first car was a Porsche 911, it wasn’t. It was a Nissan Sunny LX 1.4 LX.
A more responsible choice for a driver.
Exactly. Porsche is a part of my DNA.
What was the first Porsche you owned?
My first Porsche was a 991 GT3.
This is one helluva first Porsche.
It was. I had never driven a company car or a car that wasn’t my own. They were not my cars, although I was allowed to drive them. The GT3 was my first car.
It is a great car. How was Singer’s customization process?
It was great. My girlfriend, now my wife, and I went up to Sun Valley with her. We looked at different colors and took a look around the cars. For some reason, I knew right away that Porsche midnight blue was the color I wanted. We looked at a variety of interiors. Russ, Rob, and their team were very helpful in coming up with many different interior ideas. This is the final result.
I love the interior design.
These woven interiors are made from Italian leather and were created by a New York company. The company has a digital machine that allows you to ask for your color preferences and it will give you a suggestion. We had some fun with color, and I came up with this look.
How often do your car get driven?
It is my daily driver. It is my daily driver out here. We were in the U.K. It was driving me almost every day when Singer suggested that I store it for winter because of the lackluster salt roads. It seemed like a good time to move to L.A.
You moved to LA after being told by someone that you would need to keep your 911 restored.
Although I would like to, it was likely a few other things. It seemed like a good, logical reason to move.
What is the longest trip that you have taken with the Singer commission?
It has made the longest distance by plane from LAX in Los Angeles to London, and back. It will return to London and then I hope to drive it to Monaco. It was only 300 miles round trip, which was not very exciting. However, it was going to be able to see another Porsche build that I am working on in the U.K
What was the best thing about having your Porsche 911 custom-built by Singer?
To own this car, I have given up all other sports cars and weekend cars. The best part is that I no longer need any other cars when I have 911 Singer handcrafted. It can do everything a supercar can, a Porsche can do, and an old Porsche can. It’s everything I need in a sports car.
I have owned a 991 GT3 Porsche car, which is undoubtedly one of the most extreme Porsche cars currently in production. How would that compare to the Porsche 911 reimagined and reimagined here by Singer?
This particular car is powered by a four-liter engine, which means it revs very hard. The top end is loud. It has 993 Turbo brakes so it stops quickly. The GT3 is lighter too. My optimized 911 might not be as fast on the track as a 991 GT3, but it will be much more exciting.
What drove you to this type of restoration after the GT3?
I was not a fan of what was going on in the modern car market. There were a lot people buying GT3s and GT3 RSs and McLaren 675LTs and 458 Speciales with the intention to sell them for a profit. A lot of these guys were looking at Singer restorations as not a good financial decision. They weren’t confident they could turn it. This was the main reason I bought the car. It took me out of that speculative “flipper”, as it is called in the U.K., and that’s what I loved about it. It turned out that the car was a great investment. You don’t have to wait for two years to purchase one.
You’re stating that you don’t intend to turn this car around.
This car is not going to be flipped.
Have your car taken to the track?
Although I have taken the car to tracks, I have not yet been on the track with this vehicle. I don’t mind taking it to tracks. I have a racing seat and would be happy to drive the car around the track. Topaz, a U.K. company applied a clear coating to the car. This protects it from any abuse on the track or stone chips.
Did you make any changes to the vehicle since delivery? Are you planning to make any changes?
It’s not my fault. Singer is currently developing trumpets for the engine. I may add them.
Velocity stacks
Correct, yeah. The brakes are ceramic, but I don’t believe the car needs them. The velocity stacks are beautiful, however.
They sound incredible, I’m sure.
They do. Singer has some interesting products in the pipeline so I won’t be the last Sun Valley buyer.
Singer is open to using new products in restorations that have been done before.
Yes, for the velocity stacks. However, there are a few things that are prohibitively expensive to add. If you have the funds, you might consider ordering another car. As with all early cars, if anything was learned within production, they would send parts to the owners if necessary.
What was the most surprising part of your ownership experience?
My family is a car dealer in the U.K., and recently became Aston Martin dealers. They loaned me some Aston Martins while I was there, and there was an old gentleman who would deliver them to me. He stated, “One thing that you’ll notice” is that people in the streets will give their thumbs up and be supportive of your driving. This is something you won’t get with a bright red Ferrari. This is what I believe the ‘Aston Martin effect” gives you. People don’t care if it’s a Porsche, but they give you thumbs up.
When they realize that it’s a 911 from Singer, like mine, I get on the freeway and you blow past me…
It’s a common sight in L.A. It’s a nice thing that you can know if you want.