Auto Restorer Icon hits high gear with its souped-up iterations of vintage 4x4's

At a grease monkey shop in industrial Van Nuys, Jonathan Ward and his ICON staff are rethinking the off-roader from scratch and speeding into pole position as perhaps the coolest name in the auto restoration biz. In addition to installing state-of-the-art mechanical systems in midcentury Land Cruisers and Jeep Wilys, they're adding such deluxe (but consciously understated) elements as powder-based, Teflon-polyester-matte finishes, softly simmering Chilewich upholstery that can be found in placemet for at WP24, and sun visors devised for Learjets. After up to an eight month long assembly period, these haute rides are taken out on 400 miles of test drives (yes, 400), just to make sure they do not rattle when delivered to style-maestro customers like Marc Newson, James Perse, and Mickey Drexler.

    With Toyota's blessing, Icon first gained attention in 2005 for its inspired take on the Land Cruiser. Its newest is a tricked out Wilys, which starts ar around $79,000. Discussions are in the works with GM about an electric powered Camaro. For these auto behemoths, partnering on so-called "heritage model" revivals with an upstart firm is not so much about making significant money. Rather, runs as small as these are primarily about cultivating trickle-down brand prestige amoung an out-of-reach elite demo. The same strategy, for comparision, is behind all of those limited-edition collections at Opening Ceremony with storied labels like Dr. Martens and Pendleton. Explains Ward: "It's leveraging the bespoke experience".

   Ward says he has never sold any of his 4x4's at base price, noting that his customers, generally, are people who already thought they had what they needed on wheels"-are always asking for one-off amenities. Those range from stainless steel boxes with drainage for wetsuit storage (surfer James Perse's request) to specialty rigs that can accomidate such expensive hobbies as falconry. Still, he has his limits, resolutely steering away from appeals for add-ons like 44" tires and other pimp my ride-worthy excess. "If you do things like that, it ends up reading as a cul-de-sac vehcile", he says tactfully, before turning more blunt: "This isn't hot rod bullshit with flames. We're the anti-bling. No chrome, no TV screens".

   After all, it's the performance that really counts. The upgrade options are extensive under the hood. Big spenders can choose, say, a 5.7 V* engine boasting 470 HP on the Land Cruiser. By contrast, a plebe's standard version typically rocks on with a 5.3 V8 at 350HP. Thanks to a top-flight suspension system (Nitrogen charged shocks), the Icon's stale ride is not as bumpy as one might expect, although they certainly remain rugged-and kept that way by design, for authenticity's sake.