We met Rob Dickinson - the man who perfected Porsche perfection

I looked around La Squadra's new homestead and spotted Rob Dickinson standing at a cocktail table in the corner. He was dressed in a black blazer, clearly not wanting to draw attention to himself. He had positioned himself cleverly, away from his work. I glanced at my watch, there were 15 minutes left until the start. Sensing a lot of interest after the lecture, I decided to seize the moment, say hello and ask for an autograph on the printout given out during the welcome.

Rob turned out to be a very warm person, but there was no time for a longer conversation – he was called out by the organizers and the meeting slowly got underway.

- One sunny day in the late seventies, while travelling with my parents in the south of France, a green 911 Targa overtook us. The speed at which it did it, the sound it left behind, left me astounded.

Rob Dickinson - founder of Singer in the Warsaw salon La Squadra / Well.pl, Michał Leja

The idea of ​​the perfect sports car took hold of Rob so much that he decided to link his future with the industry and began studying industrial design, eventually starting to work at Lotus.

- Peter Stevens (whose design credits include the McLaren F1 – editor's note) hired me for one of the most coveted jobs in the industry, but after a short while I decided I didn't want to be designing cars, so I left and pursued music.

I thought that perhaps it was inspired by Rob’s cousin, Bruce Dickinson – the vocalist of Iron Maiden. Catherine Wheel, founded by our speaker, was active in the 90s and released five studio albums. At the beginning of the new millennium, the band ended its activity and Rob moved to the United States.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

A new chapter in life, a new place, but the same dreams about a Porsche 911. Not even about owning any, but about building the perfect example. Work on the prototype began in 2003.

- After releasing my solo album, I could afford to buy a few cars that were in their original, almost factory condition. Despite that, I didn't feel satisfied, I wanted to improve a few things and drive a perfect car.

Design ideas were swirling in Rob's head, work was underway in the garage, and finally , "Ferdinand" rolled out onto the streets of California.

The car attracted a lot of attention and there were enquiries about reselling it (all rejected) and then about building another one to order.

"By that time I had already made a lot of connections among the local Porsche enthusiasts. Southern California has the largest concentration of Porsches per square kilometer. There was also a very strong car modification culture, and I became a member of one of them, specializing in the then emerging restomoding of Stuttgart cars," he says.

I thought that with some elegant styling tweaks, as well as mechanical refinement, such a car could be a perfect version of an already iconic sports car from the 1980s. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was a great idea and if only I could show the car to a wider audience, potential customers would definitely take a look at such a machine.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

Rob borrowed money to build the first prototype from his father-in-law , and the finished vehicle premiered at the popular Monterey Car Week in 2009.

- Luckily for me, the Internet had been invented a few decades earlier, and my design was a popular photo model that went viral. That's how it all started. There was someone for whom the cost of building a car wasn't a problem, and we started production.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

“Singer” is a tribute to both Norbert Singer, the Porsche engineer, and to Rob’s “first act of life” (as he puts it). The first examples began appearing on roads across the state, fitting in perfectly with the nature of the car culture there.

- Singer is a product of California, where the sky is always blue, optimism reigns supreme, and anything is possible. In grey and dreary England, ideas like these would never have occurred to us.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

I take a closer look at Singer’s work and wonder what the process of creating the perfect Porsche looks like.

- Every car is a conversation and collaboration with the future owner. We can do anything, add countless options and personalize almost every part of the car. Expectations range from a luxurious GT to a raw track version. This is the essence of our philosophy and success, we accept orders from customers who would never think of buying a classic Porsche. For us it is like ordering a completely new car like in a showroom.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

The first chapter in Singer's history was a fascination with models with naturally aspirated engines. Sparse in exterior design, with beautifully designed interiors and a raspy sound emanating from central exhaust tips.

After a few years, the concept changed and Rob's attention focused on turbocharged engines. In 2022, the Turbo Study was presented at the Goodwood Festival of Speed , a development of which was the DLS (Dynamics & Lightweight Study), with a huge wing and wide rear wheel arches.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja

In the development of Singer cars , Williams, a Formula 1 legend , supported them with their racing know-how.

On May 2, 2025, the third generation of the car premiered, again featuring a naturally aspirated engine.

This time, the mechanical perfection is overseen by another engineering legend – Cosworth (responsible in recent years for the exceptional Bugatti V16, GMA V12 and Red Bull V10 engines). Vehicles built by hand with such precision are not only expensive, but also, of course, highly limited.

The turbocharged DLS is limited to just 99 units, and the starting price, excluding the donor car, is $2 million.

- We are fierce in what we do and we have a strong opinion on what constitutes perfection in the design of our cars. From the quality of the build, the materials used and the dynamics represented, to how the car drives, how it makes you feel, how you approach it, touch it, smell it and interact with it – all of this is the essence of our brand and our goal when it comes to creating the perfect car.

I listen to this fascinating story and glance left and right. On either side are Singer-transformed Porsche 911s, one from the Classic line, the other from the Classic Turbo line.

Meeting with Rob Dickinson - the founder of Singer at the La Squadra salon in Warsaw / Well.pl, Michał Leja