I’m very excited by what I sense as a renaissance occurring in America… a revival of craftsmanship and products born of passion and care.
In a remote location in South Africa, over a bottle of wine, Jonathan Ward and his wife made a decision that would forever alter the course of their lives.
As a business school student, Ward contradicted the traditional supply and demand model, arguing instead that if the supply is there, the demand will follow. He recognized that there was an increasing affinity for the vintage aesthetic in the automobile industry, but a lack of pure, quality approach to restoration. “It was just a belief in something that could be done better, and needed to be done, and the audacity to just go for it.”
When they returned home from their vacation, he and his wife quit their jobs and founded ICON, a Los Angeles-based company that restores classic vintage models of 4-wheel drive vehicles with an eye toward quality, modern reliability, and environmental responsibility. ICON currently has four production models, including the Bronco (ICON BR Series), Land Cruiser (ICON FJ Series), Chevy Thriftmaster (ICON TR Series), and the E-Flyer, their first electric bike. However, Ward welcomes custom requests and the chance to work with new vehicles. It just might take a little while – every ICON vehicle is built to order by one of ICON’s 40 employees in California, and some can take up to three years to complete, depending on the complexity of the request.
ICON’s mentality is reminiscent of the early days of the automobile industry, when the focus was on a pure, quality design rather than mass production and taking shortcuts to cut back on time. This mindset brings its fair share of hurdles, however, such as keeping up with ever-changing advances in technology, engineering and energy efficiency, and effectively marrying those items with a very hands-on, turn of the century craftsmanship.
Jonathan Ward welcomes the challenge. “I think we need to get back to our strengths as Americans not as consumers of product but as creators; as problem solvers; as risk-takers.”
As for the future, Ward keeps his eyes on the long-term goals for ICON rather than short-term opportunities – don’t expect to see him on a reality TV show. For him, improving the quality of the process and product, changing the standards of the industry, and protecting the values of the brand are top priorities. And, of course, having fun doing it.
“If I’ve learned anything as a small business owner in a creative environment, it’s that you have to love what you do or you’ll never do it well,” Ward said.
Photos by Kike Arnal