Singer's ACS falls foul of Porsche trademark

Singer Vehicle Design’s awe-inspiring ACS (All-terrain Competition Study) may well have melted the interwebs when it was unveiled in January, but its shock release has left one stakeholder more than a bit perturbed.

As first reported on Carscoops.com, Porsche has reached out to the California-based modifier and requested that all media surrounding the ACS be pulled from the company’s website and social media accounts until further notice.

The Stuttgart firm has apparently been displeased with Singer’s use of the Porsche name on the ACS, which features on printed graphics and is even moulded into the car’s side sills.

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A representative from Porsche said that, while Singer invariably spurs passion for the brand, and ensures that older products remain loved and on the road, it must protect its marque for the sake of its customers.

“We are glad to have a growing community of Porsche enthusiasts. They help us to ensure that so many Porsche cars originally built decades ago remain on the road and are still being enjoyed.

"At the same time, we have a responsibility to our customers to ensure that Porsche products – designed and engineered by us – can be clearly and easily identified.

"This can range from an individual component or piece of clothing using our name through to whole cars. We do this by allowing only products created or directly licensed by us to carry the Porsche name.”

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This stance sets a potentially worrying precedent for the fast-growing restomod industry, which has spawned seemingly endless neo-vintage models of late.

There’s no word yet from Singer as to what they will do to resolve the issue with Porsche, but the ACS has vanished from all its platforms.

Still, with an RRP rumoured to be equivalent to that of a shed full of 964 RSs, Singer’s ACS hiccup is set to affect only the wealthiest of enthusiasts.

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