MODERN COACH BUILDING

The State of Modern Coachbuilding: Luxury or Overpriced Aesthetic Blunders?

These days, coachbuilding often refers to customized luxury vehicles with exorbitant prices and questionable aesthetics. Usually, but not always.

Limited Editions: Are They Still Relevant in the Luxury Car Market?

Limited editions typically feature flashy brass plates and certificates on faux-vellum paper. While this may attract young collectors of action figures or trading cards, today’s ultra-wealthy find them laughably trivial. Or so one would think.

The Customization Trend in the Car Industry: A Double-Edged Sword

In the car industry, a decade-long trend of offering extensive customization options across nearly all vehicle classes has led to a vast array of personalizations. As the variety of (non-SUV) body styles has dwindled, customization options have multiplied. This proliferation makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish true luxury from mere “premium” vehicles, as custom stitching, piping, and leather(ette) are no longer exclusive to hand-built cars.

Redefining Luxury with Coachbuilding: A Missed Opportunity?

In this context, coachbuilding appears to offer a prime opportunity to redefine the line between luxury and “premiumness.” Providing unique body styles—whether shooting brakes, barchettas, or other distinctive designs—could reassert genuine exclusivity while linking back to cherished historical models. Or so one would think.