Special order car examples - who has one?
Discussion
For the super well heeled (who helped it happen) is anyone amongst us driving a really special order car or even a one off version of production car that left the factory in the spec you now have it.
I mean a factory special i.e the first owner wanted a specific engine in the model he wanted but was not available in the brochure and so on...
Post your pics.
I mean a factory special i.e the first owner wanted a specific engine in the model he wanted but was not available in the brochure and so on...
Post your pics.
SWMBO has a 2008 Land Rover Discovery 3 G4 - only 68 of them built.
Mate of mine's dad had the only (I think) TWR Senator that was made - from the time when Vauxhall were looking to produce a super saloon and they got Lotus and TWR to build a couple of prototypes. The Lotus Carlton won and went in to production, the TWR Senator didn't.
Mate of mine's dad had the only (I think) TWR Senator that was made - from the time when Vauxhall were looking to produce a super saloon and they got Lotus and TWR to build a couple of prototypes. The Lotus Carlton won and went in to production, the TWR Senator didn't.
I've always looked for special examples when buying a car. Here are some of my previous ones:
E39 M5 Individual with special leather, exterior colour and factory fitted DVD system
E30 M3 specially ordered without sunroof, stereo and speakers. Also had special factory recaro 'highback' seats
Alpina B7 Only RHD UK car (1 of 11) in Alpina Blue
My new 355 Berlinetta manual has a very unusual spec. Carbon seats with alcantara inserts, Fiorano handling pack, contrasting leather in centre console. More pics to follow..
E39 M5 Individual with special leather, exterior colour and factory fitted DVD system
E30 M3 specially ordered without sunroof, stereo and speakers. Also had special factory recaro 'highback' seats
Alpina B7 Only RHD UK car (1 of 11) in Alpina Blue
My new 355 Berlinetta manual has a very unusual spec. Carbon seats with alcantara inserts, Fiorano handling pack, contrasting leather in centre console. More pics to follow..
If we are talking about one-off trim options, you would be surprised how many this applies to. The current crop of ferraris, mclarens, astons, rolls royce, to name but a few, have a department at each respective factory to deal with special requests
the more cars that are ordered to be built for the customer (i.e. not dealer or factory specced, but cars specced by the customer) of the brands above, the more likely special requests are made at the time of ordering that fall outside the standard spec sheet.
It's harder at huge volume firms like say mercedes although it can be done - even audi have such a department. Conversely, at a firm like alpina who make relatively few cars, there will be a huge percentage with unique features
My Aston V12 Roadster, built a few months ago, which is only 1 of 101 built world wide to start with, has numerous unique features that I arranged through what they now call 'Q' (the equivalent of what was 'works service' and then 'tailored'), from diamond quilted stitch carbon back lightweight seats, to a unique gearstick & trim, special trim in the boot & the carpet, different interior door handles, different paint finish to the wheels, etc
But it's often hard to define unique. For instance Mclaren MSO do plenty of genuinely unique stuff but also develop stuff that doesn't feature in the brochures but they are in some instances repeat items. Some of the Q stuff on my car is unique to a vantage but not to astons in general (I've 'parts robbed' off other aston models in one or two instances).
Once you get proper unique, particularly in the current climate, it gets very expensive and drawn out because of increased legalities to get past - getting a manufacturer at factory level to fit a different engine, to use your example, would today require big big bucks to make happen
the more cars that are ordered to be built for the customer (i.e. not dealer or factory specced, but cars specced by the customer) of the brands above, the more likely special requests are made at the time of ordering that fall outside the standard spec sheet.
It's harder at huge volume firms like say mercedes although it can be done - even audi have such a department. Conversely, at a firm like alpina who make relatively few cars, there will be a huge percentage with unique features
My Aston V12 Roadster, built a few months ago, which is only 1 of 101 built world wide to start with, has numerous unique features that I arranged through what they now call 'Q' (the equivalent of what was 'works service' and then 'tailored'), from diamond quilted stitch carbon back lightweight seats, to a unique gearstick & trim, special trim in the boot & the carpet, different interior door handles, different paint finish to the wheels, etc
But it's often hard to define unique. For instance Mclaren MSO do plenty of genuinely unique stuff but also develop stuff that doesn't feature in the brochures but they are in some instances repeat items. Some of the Q stuff on my car is unique to a vantage but not to astons in general (I've 'parts robbed' off other aston models in one or two instances).
Once you get proper unique, particularly in the current climate, it gets very expensive and drawn out because of increased legalities to get past - getting a manufacturer at factory level to fit a different engine, to use your example, would today require big big bucks to make happen
A 1994 XJS celebration cabriolet, painted in the new (at the time) XJR turquoise metallic with coffe carpets and cream leather plus chrome wheels. A few more cars were painted this colour afterwards that I have seen but never one with the exact trim and wheels as far as I know and I don't know of one with sub 18k miles from new still 
sadly no pics she is stored away since late 90's.
sadly no pics she is stored away since late 90's.My 2-Eleven's previous owner (a PHer) wanted a 2-Eleven when they came out, but didn't like the launch spec colours (a google image search will show these), so requested special paintwork as a tribute to the 1967 Lotus 49B instead Scott at Bell and Colvill did the design and Hethel carried it out with endorsement from Classic Team Lotus, whose badges are on the car in a couple of places. I absolutely love it
Just cosmetic, nothing mechanical (I wouldn't say no to a DFV in the back though!)
Scott at Bell and Colvill did the design and Hethel carried it out with endorsement from Classic Team Lotus, whose badges are on the car in a couple of places. I absolutely love it Just cosmetic, nothing mechanical (I wouldn't say no to a DFV in the back though!)
Do any manufacturers offering 'off menu' choices vet the customer requests?
You'd think there would be some requests they'd be embarrassed to put their name to but, given some of the awful special order cars around, it seems that you can have what you like as long as you wave enough money at them.
You'd think there would be some requests they'd be embarrassed to put their name to but, given some of the awful special order cars around, it seems that you can have what you like as long as you wave enough money at them.
Somewhere in this fair isle is a Jaguar S-Type 4.2 SE without leather trim or seats.
Jaguar SVO refused to de-leather the car (for a vegan) as they said it would devalue the brand / trim level.
The dealer was able to do it at no cost however as he knew a guy that worked at Lear where the seats were made so was able to do a deal direct. Dealer received the vehicle from Jaguar and removed the leather seats entirely and swapped for new cloth ones. They then de-leathered the rest of the car as far as possible.
Vegan was happy. Jaguar none the wiser.
Jaguar SVO refused to de-leather the car (for a vegan) as they said it would devalue the brand / trim level.
The dealer was able to do it at no cost however as he knew a guy that worked at Lear where the seats were made so was able to do a deal direct. Dealer received the vehicle from Jaguar and removed the leather seats entirely and swapped for new cloth ones. They then de-leathered the rest of the car as far as possible.
Vegan was happy. Jaguar none the wiser.
Risotto said:
Do any manufacturers offering 'off menu' choices vet the customer requests?
You'd think there would be some requests they'd be embarrassed to put their name to but, given some of the awful special order cars around, it seems that you can have what you like as long as you wave enough money at them.
they will try and 'steer' you but they will rarely veto on taste grounds - perhaps someone really small like Bristol might where the owner is so heavily involvedYou'd think there would be some requests they'd be embarrassed to put their name to but, given some of the awful special order cars around, it seems that you can have what you like as long as you wave enough money at them.
However they do steer clear of anything they even sniff might create copyright issues or 'racial offense'. I wanted a Hamsa embroidering in my Aston in a very discreet place that no-one but me would see (google it if you don't know what it is, it's a simple hand symbol which many use to ward off evil spirits) - it is actually used by both Muslim and Jewish Arabic cultures but Aston got scared on 'religious/piolitical grounds' and in the end refused !
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