Californian custom truck maker ICON is celebrating an important milestone, the 500th bespoke vehicle to come off its production lines. Over the years, we’ve followed founder Jonathan Ward’s journey as he turned a niche restoration garage into a cult business, beloved by Hollywood types and auto enthusiasts alike. Ward set up ICON with his wife Jamie in Los Angeles in 2003, a development of his earlier business, TLC 4x4.
This model, the 1964 ICON New School Edition FJ44, bears all the hallmarks of a typical ICON project, as well as the attention to detail that made the company’s name. Over the course of hundreds of ground-up rebuilds and repairs, Ward and his team know the model inside out, as well as the more esoteric and rare variants like the limited edition 1977 FJ40.The restomod business evolved out of an early TLC 4x4 project to rebuild a 1965 FJ43.
‘This restored FJ43 showcased the nascent stages of ICON with this super premium charcoal grey metallic exterior colourway from Audi and these high-end German leather seats integrated into the build. Now, today’s enthusiasts will think, “no big deal”, but absolutely no one at the time in 2002 was integrating German luxury into a Land Cruiser.
Is that a joyful little Hermès silk and diamond pony I spy galloping towards your wrist? The Arceau Mon Premier Galop watch enters the arena© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.