{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Bonus: Singer founder Rob Dickinson meets Steve and Matt","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/bonus-singer-founder-rob-dickinson-meets-steve-and-matt","audioUrl":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/631f3b92b4aca6001290ac09/e/69c64856c2759aa9b1030ec6/media.mp3","description":"Singer Vehicle Design is perhaps the original Porsche 911 restomodding company, turning old 911s into classic-looking, breathtaking-driving machines, with exquisite attention to detail.It was founded by British rock star and car designer Rob Dickinson, and the company has found such success that it’s to be the featured marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.Rob is a car enthusiast to the core. He meets Steve Cropley and Matt Prior to tell them about his life in cars and his love for air-cooled 911s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information."},"annotations":[{"startTime":102.26,"endTime":110.44,"type":"car","title":"Remastered Singer Vehicle Design","url":"/cars/singer-vehicle-design/svd-remastered-911","quote":"...y and I will be meeting Rob Dickinson, founder of Singer Vehicle Design.  This episode is brought to you in association w...","canonicalId":"car:singer-vehicle-design:svd-remastered-911","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A “Remastered 911” refers to a Porsche 911 that’s been professionally rebuilt and updated by a specialist program, aiming to preserve the classic look while improving certain modern aspects. The podcast context includes meeting Rob Dickinson, founder of Singer Vehicle Design, which is strongly associated with this kind of remastering approach. It’s discussed because it blends heritage design with contemporary engineering and craftsmanship.","simplifiedExplanation":"A Remastered 911 is a classic Porsche 911 that’s been rebuilt by a specialist shop. The goal is to keep the original style, while refreshing the car with improved parts and workmanship. The podcast mentions it because it’s a notable example of how classic cars can be reworked."}},{"startTime":226.6,"endTime":229.9,"type":"concept","title":"right hand drive","url":"/glossary/right-hand-drive","quote":"Only 12 of those cars lifted in the right hand drive.","canonicalId":"concept:right-hand-drive","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Right-hand drive (RHD) means the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, common in the UK and other markets. The speaker notes only a small number of these cars were built in RHD form, which directly affects rarity and collector value.","simplifiedExplanation":"Right-hand drive means the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. The speaker is saying only a small number of these cars were made that way, which makes them rarer."}},{"startTime":503.4,"endTime":510.5,"type":"concept","title":"Hot Rod","url":"/glossary/hot-rod","quote":"moved to California in 2003 and built my own Hot Rod, what I thought was my own Perfect 9-11.\n\nAnd the great thing, if some folks don't realize it, is that you take a 9-11 from 1965 and a 9-11 from 1998,","canonicalId":"concept:hot-rod","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A “hot rod” is a car modified for performance, often with engine and chassis upgrades and a custom approach. In this context, the speaker uses it to describe their personalized 911 build after moving to California.","simplifiedExplanation":"A “hot rod” is a car that’s been modified to feel faster and more fun to drive. Here, they mean their custom Porsche build."}},{"startTime":563.4,"endTime":569.3,"type":"concept","title":"track days","url":"/glossary/track-day","quote":"I called it the Cafe Race, it was a car that I took to Willow Springs regularly and did autocrosses and track days.\n\nAnd I fancied myself with Steve McQueen and James Dean, and I lived just below Mulholland.","canonicalId":"concept:track-day","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Track days are organized events where enthusiasts drive their own cars on a racetrack under safer, controlled conditions. The speaker’s use of track days suggests their “Cafe Race” build was intended for repeated high-load driving, not just show."}},{"startTime":645.3,"endTime":648.0,"type":"car","title":"Porsche 911","url":"/cars/porsche/911","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/2013_Porsche_911_Carrera_4S_%28991%29_%289626546987%29.jpg","quote":"[645.3s]  Simple, evocative 9-11 with no spoilers.\n[648.0s]  Just the purest of 9-11.","canonicalId":"car:porsche:911","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Porsche 911 is the iconic rear-engine sports car line from Porsche, known for its distinctive silhouette and air-cooled heritage. In this segment, the speaker is describing a “pure” 911 look—simple and evocative—without extra add-ons like spoilers.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s famous sports car. It’s known for its classic shape, and here the speaker means a clean, simple 911 style without flashy extras.","imageAttribution":"David Villarreal Fernández (CC BY-SA 2.0)"}},{"startTime":1113.7,"endTime":1116.9,"type":"concept","title":"racing provenance","url":"/glossary/racing-provenance","quote":"And it was quite famous. It had quite a racing provenance. Oh, right.","canonicalId":"concept:racing-provenance","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Racing provenance” means the car’s documented history in racing—who drove it, what events it entered, and how it performed. For collectors, provenance can significantly increase value because it ties the car to real competition history rather than just being a well-kept example.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Racing provenance” means the car has a real racing history. Collectors care because it’s proof the car was used in competition, not just owned."}},{"startTime":1192.9,"endTime":1207.0,"type":"concept","title":"no attempt to get any margin","url":"/glossary/no-attempt-to-get-any-margin","quote":"...with no attempt to get any margin and make any money for it. All the first seven, eight years were making cars that cost us far more than we charged","canonicalId":"concept:no-attempt-to-get-any-margin","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Margin” is the profit left after costs. Saying they made cars with “no attempt to get any margin” means the pricing didn’t cover the true cost of production, so the business relied on other funding or acceptance of early losses.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Margin” is the profit they keep after paying for everything. They’re saying they weren’t really trying to price the cars so they would make money."}},{"startTime":1200.0,"endTime":1212.26,"type":"concept","title":"costs far more than we charged","url":"/glossary/costs-far-more-than-we-charged","quote":"All the first seven, eight years were making cars that cost us far more than we charged","canonicalId":"concept:costs-far-more-than-we-charged","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"This highlights a classic early-stage or passion-project business problem: production costs exceed sales price. In automotive ventures, that usually means long-term sustainability depends on investors, cash reserves, or later product/scale improvements.","simplifiedExplanation":"They’re saying the cars cost more to build than what customers paid. That’s tough for a business unless they have money coming in from somewhere else."}},{"startTime":1291.86,"endTime":1298.4,"type":"concept","title":"virginal 964s","url":"/glossary/virginal-964s","quote":"What is the supply of virginal 964s like, you know, because you've got through a few, haven't you?","canonicalId":"concept:virginal-964s","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Virginal” is enthusiast slang for a car that’s essentially untouched: low mileage, original parts, and minimal modification or restoration. In collector circles, this matters because it affects originality, value, and how “authentic” the car feels compared with heavily worked examples.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Virginal” here means the Porsche 964 is in very original, unspoiled condition—more like a collector-grade car than something that’s been modified a lot."}},{"startTime":1306.9,"endTime":1314.9,"type":"concept","title":"cut up nice cars","url":"/glossary/cut-up-nice-cars","quote":"And we try and use the crappiest ones around. So we don't, we try and not cut up nice cars, but, but yeah, there's plenty, there's plenty of them around.","canonicalId":"concept:cut-up-nice-cars","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Cut up nice cars” means taking an otherwise good, valuable, or original car and disassembling it for parts or converting it into something else. In the classic-car world, this is controversial because it reduces the number of intact, collectible examples.","simplifiedExplanation":"They’re talking about not destroying good cars for parts or projects. Cutting up a clean, valuable car can hurt its collectability and value."}},{"startTime":1396.5,"endTime":1402.6,"type":"term","title":"1600 hours","url":"/glossary/1600-hours","quote":"So there was a huge amount of hand working that went into it. 1600 hours. That's no exaggeration. Bodyworking the cars.","canonicalId":"term:1600-hours","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.92,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“1600 hours” is the quoted build time devoted specifically to bodywork. In high-end coachbuilding/restoration-style builds, such time is spent on shaping, panel alignment, and surface finishing to achieve a near-perfect appearance.","simplifiedExplanation":"“1600 hours” is how long they’re saying the bodywork takes. That’s a lot of time spent getting the panels and surfaces just right."}},{"startTime":1412.0,"endTime":1421.4,"type":"term","title":"door gaps, shut lines","url":"/glossary/door-gaps-shut-lines","quote":"Because we had to take and to get the highlighting right. Because I've been in door gaps, shut lines, highlighting. I was just like, nutty about it.","canonicalId":"term:door-gaps-shut-lines","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Door gaps and shut lines refer to the visible spacing and the seam lines where doors meet the body. Achieving consistent gaps and clean shut lines is a key part of high-end fit and finish, and it’s often measured visually and by feel during assembly.","simplifiedExplanation":"Door gaps and shut lines are the small spaces and seams around the doors. If they’re uneven, the car looks “off,” so builders obsess over getting them consistent."}},{"startTime":1456.2,"endTime":1461.9,"type":"term","title":"tooling","url":"/glossary/tooling","quote":"We have to insert some process into it and we have to have better tooling so the cars fit together better.","canonicalId":"term:tooling","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.82,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Tooling is the specialized equipment used to manufacture or assemble parts—like jigs, fixtures, molds, and machining setups. Better tooling improves dimensional accuracy, which is crucial for bodywork fitment and consistent assembly.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tooling is the special equipment that helps make and assemble parts accurately. If the tooling is better, the car’s parts line up better and the build is more consistent."}},{"startTime":1615.2,"endTime":1622.5,"type":"brand","title":"Formula One","url":"/glossary/formula-one","quote":"And it's eye-watering now because we've got fantastic talent from the Formula One community,\nfrom Aston Martin, from McLaren.","canonicalId":"brand:formula-one","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Formula One (F1) is the top tier of global motorsport, and it’s known for extremely advanced engineering. The speaker is saying Singer has attracted talent from F1, which typically brings a culture of precision, data-driven development, and high-performance systems thinking.","simplifiedExplanation":"Formula One is the highest level of racing. People from F1 often bring a very detail-focused way of engineering cars, with lots of testing and performance know-how."}},{"startTime":1622.5,"endTime":1624.6,"type":"brand","title":"McLaren","url":"/glossary/mclaren","quote":"And it's eye-watering now because we've got fantastic talent from the Formula One community,\nfrom Aston Martin, from McLaren.\nI had some fantastic people and they used to building proper cars in proper car companies.","canonicalId":"brand:mclaren","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"McLaren is a British performance brand with deep roots in Formula One and advanced vehicle engineering. The reference suggests Singer is recruiting people accustomed to racing-level development standards.","simplifiedExplanation":"McLaren is a famous performance car maker, and it’s also heavily involved in racing. The point is that their engineers tend to be very rigorous about performance and engineering quality."}},{"startTime":1622.5,"endTime":1624.6,"type":"brand","title":"Aston Martin","url":"/glossary/aston-martin","quote":"And it's eye-watering now because we've got fantastic talent from the Formula One community,\nfrom Aston Martin, from McLaren.\nI had some fantastic people and they used to building proper cars in proper car companies.","canonicalId":"brand:aston-martin","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Aston Martin is a British luxury sports-car and grand touring brand. Mentioning Aston Martin here signals that the company’s engineering talent and design culture are influencing Singer’s development approach.","simplifiedExplanation":"Aston Martin is a well-known British car brand that makes high-end sports cars. The speaker is pointing out that people from that world are helping with engineering and design."}},{"startTime":1798.7,"endTime":1812.4,"type":"term","title":"CMF","url":"/glossary/cmf","quote":"He says, Rob, who does your CMF?\nAnd I really did say, what's CMF?\nWhat is CMF?\nColors materials.\nColors materials and fabrics.","canonicalId":"term:cmf","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"CMF stands for Color, Materials, and Fabrics. In automotive design, CMF is the coordinated system that defines how the car looks and feels—everything from exterior paint color to interior textures and upholstery.","simplifiedExplanation":"CMF is a design term for the car’s colors and what materials you use. It covers both the outside paint and the inside fabrics and textures."}},{"startTime":1858.6,"endTime":1866.6,"type":"term","title":"Bahama Yellow","url":"/glossary/bahama-yellow","quote":"And Bahama Yellow, which is the famous Porsche color and everyone had a Bahama Yellow in the 1960s, [1866.6s] was like the standard.","canonicalId":"term:bahama-yellow","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Bahama Yellow is a well-known Porsche paint color associated with classic 1960s-era cars. In this segment, it’s treated as a signature shade that strongly influences how other colors and graphics look against it.","simplifiedExplanation":"Bahama Yellow is a specific yellow paint color Porsche is famous for. Here, they’re talking about how good it looks and how it became part of a recognizable style."}},{"startTime":1899.0,"endTime":1920.3,"type":"concept","title":"ghosted stripes","url":"/glossary/ghosted-stripes","quote":"And then I put these ghosted stripes that were Bahama Yellow with just a bit brighter. [1907.5s] And you're welcome, Porsche.","canonicalId":"concept:ghosted-stripes","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Ghosted stripes are a graphic design where the stripe pattern is subtly blended into the base paint, often using a slightly different shade of the same color. In this segment, the ghosted background uses Bahama Yellow with a bit brighter tone to create a layered, low-contrast effect.","simplifiedExplanation":"Ghosted stripes are stripes that aren’t super bold—more like a faint, blended pattern. Here they’re made by using a slightly different shade of the main yellow so it looks layered."}},{"startTime":2258.8,"endTime":2262.2,"type":"car","title":"Bentley Continental T","url":"/cars/bentley/continental","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Bentley_Continental_GTC_%284th_gen.%29_DSC_6982.jpg","quote":"But I've got Bentley Continental T sitting outside.","canonicalId":"car:bentley:continental","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Bentley Continental T is a grand tourer from Bentley, known for its upscale comfort and performance. Mentioning it “sitting outside” sets the scene for the speaker’s current garage and priorities.","simplifiedExplanation":"That’s a Bentley grand tourer—an expensive, luxury performance car. The point here is that he already has one and it’s part of his car life.","imageAttribution":"Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":2411.8,"endTime":2415.1,"type":"concept","title":"someone else's badge","url":"/glossary/someone-else-s-badge","quote":"which is maybe something that doesn't have someone else's badge on the car, we have a very clear view of what the joy of driving means to us","canonicalId":"concept:someone-else-s-badge","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Someone else’s badge” refers to rebadging—selling a car under a different brand name than the original manufacturer. They’re implying they want to build cars that are truly their own rather than rebranded versions of another company’s product.","simplifiedExplanation":"A “badge” is the brand name on the car. They’re saying they don’t want to just put their name on a car made by someone else."}},{"startTime":2448.8,"endTime":2451.9,"type":"concept","title":"car from scratch","url":"/glossary/car-from-scratch","quote":"That would be a big project, isn't it? A car from scratch of your own. Big projects.","canonicalId":"concept:car-from-scratch","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A “car from scratch” means designing and building a vehicle as a new project rather than heavily basing it on an existing platform. It usually implies major work in packaging, engineering, sourcing, and validation to hit specific performance and quality goals.","simplifiedExplanation":"“From scratch” means you’re not just modifying an existing car—you’re building the project as a whole new vehicle. That’s a lot of engineering and testing to get it right."}},{"startTime":2545.0,"endTime":2550.0,"type":"concept","title":"car spotting","url":"/glossary/car-spotting","quote":"So I take my son to Malibu every Sunday, and we go car spotting. It's the best car spotting in the world, five or six cars and coffees than PCH.","canonicalId":"concept:car-spotting","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Car spotting” is the hobby of going to public places to look at and photograph interesting cars in person. In car-culture areas like Los Angeles, it often turns into informal meetups where owners talk about their cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Car spotting is when people go out in public places just to look at cool cars. Sometimes they also meet the owners and talk about what makes the cars special."}},{"startTime":2548.2,"endTime":2552.0,"type":"concept","title":"cars and coffee","url":"/glossary/cars-and-coffee","quote":"It's the best car spotting in the world, five or six cars and coffees than PCH. And you just bump into people who are dripping with passion for cars","canonicalId":"concept:cars-and-coffee","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Cars and coffee” refers to casual morning meetups where car enthusiasts gather to show their vehicles and chat. It’s a big part of modern car culture because it mixes socializing with real-world car talk.","simplifiedExplanation":"“Cars and coffee” is a casual car meetup—usually in the morning—where people bring cars and hang out. It’s a fun way to see other people’s cars and learn what they’re into."}},{"startTime":2613.0,"endTime":2615.7,"type":"concept","title":"aerodynamicist","url":"/glossary/aerodynamicist","quote":"Absolutely. Porsche is quintessentially an aerodynamicist,","canonicalId":"concept:aerodynamicist","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"An “aerodynamicist” is someone who designs and optimizes how a vehicle moves through air. Aerodynamics affects downforce, drag, stability, and overall efficiency—especially important for high-speed sports cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"An aerodynamicist focuses on how a car cuts through the air. That matters because it can make the car feel more stable and help it go faster with less resistance."}},{"startTime":2679.9,"endTime":2683.58,"type":"term","title":"gurney flap","url":"/glossary/gurney-flap","quote":"So we raised it 30 millimetres and put a gurney flap on the top","canonicalId":"term:gurney-flap","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A gurney flap is a small upright tab added to the trailing edge of an aero surface (like a wing or splitter). It increases downforce by altering pressure distribution and can be tuned for track conditions.","simplifiedExplanation":"A gurney flap is a small fin-like add-on on the edge of a wing. It helps the wing “work harder” by changing how air pressure builds up, usually adding grip."}},{"startTime":2699.2,"endTime":2708.3,"type":"concept","title":"Geneva Motor Show","url":"/glossary/geneva-motor-show","quote":"We showed DLS, we got it on the Michelin stand at the Geneva Motor Show. One of my, I showed a car at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018.","canonicalId":"concept:geneva-motor-show","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The Geneva Motor Show is a major international auto show in Switzerland where automakers and coachbuilders often debut concept cars and prototypes. Being on the Michelin stand suggests the car was featured as part of a broader technology or tire-related showcase.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Geneva Motor Show is a big car event in Switzerland. Companies bring special cars there to show them off to the public and press."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Autocar","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/bonus-singer-founder-rob-dickinson-meets-steve-and-matt/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}