The Round Six Podcast
Where a Derelict Becomes an ICON
"I WANT MY STUFF TO BE WHOMPED ON."
Here on episode sixty-five, we sit down with ICON 4x4 and TLC founder and CEO Jonathan Ward. It's a laid back, candid look at building cool vehicles in a very technology-driven world. A self-starter in definition as well as practice, Jon's childhood acting days (from a chance shot in Peter Pan to Charles in Charge to a stalker incident) and an interest in restoring old tech and cars lead to starting a business. We explore the passion that drives ICON, the idea behind the brand, and the marketing approach.
THINGS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Industrial design meets entrepreneurship
- Raymond Leowy
- Avoiding the "theme" build while staying true to the vehicle's character
- Steering clear of bad design directions
- Crafting a unique aesthetic
- Creating brand identity
- Working to make a unique statement without turning down the bread and butter work
- The balance of loving what you do and loving the customer
– When to fire a client - Steering the client via renderings
- Nostalgia as a motivator in building a project
- The gender difference in styles/needs/wants
– Women VS men with regard to needs and wants in a vehicle - "Corrupted by the perversions of modernity"
– A discussion on tech and obsolescence - Being an "old school martyr"
– Brian proposes the "Tune-ruining choke knob" feature - Changing the mood and personality of a vehicle just through exhaust note
- A "rockabilly" bar cruiser Hudson Hornet
- "Build it like you'd keep it"
- The challenges of working with obscure vehicles
– "It's like the dot-com era for hot rodders" - Working with technology like 3D printing and composites
– The "pucker moment" when you need an impossible-to-find part - Watching tech and changing attitudes toward old-school craftsmanship
- Research and design on the fly
- Getting stuck in a rut in your craft and not seeing the advantage of pushing forward
– Looking forward at nanotech, hydrophobics and more - Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of sources
- Passion builds versus assembly line product
- Early days of tech scrounging
- The first resto project: a '55 Ford
- Meeting Mikhail Baryshnikov
– Hitching a ride to a cattle call and landing a role in Peter Pan on Broadway - The advantages of not having a board to answer to when working to preserve the passion and DNA of a brand
- Purity of execution working through a series of compromises
- Going international with SEMA Australia
- A discussion on the appreciation of vintage Americana