Lunaz is a young (in existence since 2018) British company which remanufactures and electrifies vehicles, and it claims to be the world’s leading creator of upcycled, restored and electrified classic cars. Models which it has electrified include the Jaguar XK120, 140 and 150, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Rolls-Royce Phantom V, Bentley Continental, and Range Rover Classic.
The company typically does work on commission, and it has three divisions providing all the necessary services that further the legacies of the most celebrated cars in the world. Its most recent project which has been completed is a 1952 Jaguar XK120.
The car presented a world-first for a project of this type – a leather-free interior that utilises ocean clean-up materials. This includes carpets that are woven from reclaimed nylon sea-fishing nets. Additionally, the backing of these carpets is upcycled from marine plastic pollution such as plastic bottles.
The process of reclaiming waste materials from the ocean is already being successfully utilised in the worlds of fashion, fine furniture making and high-end watch manufacturing. Global demand for these kinds of sustainable materials is driving significant positive environmental impact: for every tonne of the raw material produced to make the materials that make Lunaz’ carpets, 7 barrels of crude oil can be saved and nearly 7 tonnes of carbon will not be emitted.
In handing over this beautiful electrified and upcycled Jaguar XK120, we conclude a project that has empowered our designers to re-imagine the traditional classic car material palette. We are proud to take materials and create processes that significantly reduce the global impact of enjoying these cars by unlocking the power of upcycling,” said David Lorenz, Founder & CEO of Lunaz (which has David Beckham among its investors).
While such a car is already exclusive, Lunaz’ customers would expect to be able to personalise their cars further and this is handled by an in-house design department. The team works in close collaboration with customers to understand their aesthetic and personal sensibilities. In the case of this very special build, the customer visited Lunaz throughout the commissioning and specification process to understand the way that alternatives to leather and innovative upcycled materials perform from a visual and comfort perspective.
This led to a decision (by the customer) to create an entirely leather-free interior specified to complement the bespoke Obsidian Blue exterior colour scheme. This was painted in-house at Lunaz’ home in Silverstone, UK and is one of the limitless palettes of colours available to every Lunaz customer.
This very close collaboration yielded an interior finished in an innovative blend of textiles, traditional woods and upcycled materials. For example, the seat frame is constructed from recyclable aluminium. This offers both a contemporary aesthetic and an alternative to traditional classic material palettes while delivering the functional requirements of the seat.
The seats are finished in a super-high-quality fabric material. Subtle reference to the driver-focus of this particular car is made through the addition of a black stripe to the driver’s seat.
The Burr Walnut veneer wood has a contemporary aesthetic through a satin lacquer. Wherever possible, material from the 70-year old car was painstakingly restored to minimise the requirement to create new materials. This extended to the substrates which were then re-veneered in sustainably sourced timber.
Lunaz’ team of engineers subtly integrated the latest infotainment and audio technology into the car. This includes the discreet placement of a screen installed with Apple CarPlay to operate the customer’s preferred navigation and music streaming apps.
The Lunaz modular powertrain used in the Jaguar was developed by a team of engineers drawn from some of the leading names in automotive design and technology and under the leadership of Jon Hilton, former Technical Director of Renault Formula 1.
Lunaz’ proposition has created unprecedented global demand from both new classic car owners and existing collectors seeking to rebalance their collections in line with shifting global sensibilities. An independent environmental audit found that once a Lunaz vehicle undergoes the brand’s process of re-engineering and electrification, it reclaims more than 80% of the embedded carbon of the original car’s manufacture.
Therefore, this approach represents a sustainable means to keep the most celebrated cars in history on the road while addressing the other key barriers to classic car ownership, usability and reliability.
Keyword: Lunaz rebuilds a classic Jaguar model as EV using ocean rubbish