black to gold: refinished 1984 porsche 911 glimmers in california desert

webb bland’s new surface for a classic porsche

A 1984 Porsche 911 owned by Los Angeles–based Nick Londy becomes an optical illusion through a redesign led by automotive photographer Webb Bland with the help of designer Sera Trimble. It began as a simple respray, but ultimately evolved into a full visual redesign. The car is now defined by its black-to-gold gradient, a finish that seems to blend into the desert landscape where it was photographed.

After 40,000 hard-driven miles across road rallies, Londy’s car had lost the gloss of its factory black finish. A new coat of paint and a full protective film (PPF) set the foundation for what was to become a must larger project. As Bland recalls, ‘That’s when he realized he could make the car something special by way of a vinyl wrap.’ Working through dozens of renderings, the pair landed on a diagonal gradient — black at the nose fading to gold at the rear — echoed across the Fuchs wheels with matching powder-coated tones. Seen from the front, the 911 reads as pure black. From behind, it gleams gold.

‘There were easily fifty or more final designs we could have gone with,’ Londy says, ‘but the gold-to-black fade stood out. It wasn’t just unique to our renderings, it was unique to the air-cooled Porsche world here in LA.’

images © Webb Bland

a hidden tribute to the teton range

Among designer Webb Bland’s refinements of the 1984 911 is a small detail that connects the Porsche to Londy’s past. Etched within the windshield banner is a topographic outline of Wyoming’s Teton Range, as a subtle nod to his hometown of Jackson Hole.

‘Within the topo banner is the Grand Teton along with its elevation of 13,776 feet,’ Londy explains. ‘There are other fake elevations too: my dog’s birthday, the old Cardinals stadium zip code where my dad grew up watching Stan Musial, and my late father’s birthday. You wouldn’t know they’re not elevations, but they’re meaningful to me.‘

The layer of memory embedded in the gradient and the hidden map transforms a classic car into a personal archive. The surface becomes a coded record of the owner’s life and memories.

Webb Bland designs and photographs a custom 1984 911 with a black-to-gold finish

a porsche 911 to reflect the red rock desert

Webb Bland’s involvement in the Porsche 911’s redesign went beyond concept development. Once the car was complete, he photographed it in California’s Alabama Hills, a place chosen for both its dramatic red rock landforms and its warm sunlight. ‘I love the concept of a car matching its surroundings in tone,’ he says. ‘At first and last light, it becomes something really special.’ The gold wash of sunrise across the granite outcroppings mirrors the Porsche’s fade, each reflecting the other’s warmth and texture.

The resulting images render the car within a shifting landscape rather than as an object set apart from it. As Bland notes, ‘Seeing the car come to life from flat 2D render to a rolling work of art that turns heads and starts conversations has been so rewarding.’

the project began as a repaint after 40,000 rally miles left the car’s front end chipped

Despite its refined finish, Londy continues to drive the car regularly, true to its rallying roots. ‘It’s my road car and it’s absolutely not going to sit in a garage,’ he says. ‘We’ve done everything we can to protect it, so I feel comfortable driving it knowing whatever happens, happens.’ The gold gradient may suggest transformation, but the underlying intent remains the same: a car meant to move.

the gradient transitions from black at the nose to gold at the rear