n2a Brings Classic American Cars Back to Life

One of the finer aspects of motoring is getting behind the wheel of a classiccar. Aside from being the direct relatives of modern automobiles, classic cars often evoke fond memories of years past. But one of the biggest problems about classic car is that they’re just not new vehicles. Any car old enough to be considered a classic needs to be under constant attention; parts wear out or break down, they overheat, don’t steer, brake or handle as well as their modern counterparts. To some, maintaining a classic is a labor of love, but for others it’s a nightmare. That’s where companies like n2a come into play.

n2a (no two alike) is a US-based custom car maker that takes the iconic designs of retro American vehicles, and brings them up to date by building them on modern GM sports and performance cars. Their best known product is the 789, which looks like a cross between a1950s Chevrolet Bel Air coupe, and an early 1960s Chevrolet Impala. The detailing is absolutely fantastic; the headlamps look to be accurate to spec, as do the rubber-tipped bumpers, tail fins, chrome garnish and almond sliver tail lights. But behind this beautiful retro look is a truly modern sports car. There are a couple of little clues that give away the vehicle’s true identity, such as the side-view mirrors, cornering lights and the bucket seats, not to mention the windshield. Indeed, the 789 is based on the modern Corvette! For the curious, 789 stands for the final digit in the years that inspired the design: 1957, 1958, 1959. n2a suggests that a turnkey 789 would cost around $135,000, but there’s much more in the works for n2a than just the 789. These creative geniuses have planned out two future vehicles that are currently in the process of development.

The first is the Wildcat, which shares the name with thelarge but sporting Buick of the 1960s. There’s one primary difference, being that neither the styling nor the size of the n2a Wildcat really resembles the full-size, boxy proportions of the original. Instead, what they’ve done is rebodied a Kappa-platform GM sports car (Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky) with the curves, grille, headlamps and paintwork that would seem more appropriate adorning a ‘50s Buick Eight. The interior is also significantly different than the stock machine. With a straightforward dash garnished with chrome, and a classic style clock it bears absolutely no resemblance to its donor car. It might seem a little inappropriate for a car with such classic Buick styling that even includes Ventiports to be powered by a little puttering inline-four, which is why the Wildcat will be available with V8 power at the buyer’s request.

The second is a new project called the 5-to-1, but very little is known about it aside from a couple of sketches and a few scale models. Judging by the design, the 5-to-1 seems to be another 1950s-inspired Chevy, but it looks to be smaller than the 789. We’ll bring you more info on both when the Wildcat and 5-to-1 are completed.