Vintage cars rebuilt with hidden modern amenities

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A tattered old Buick convertible can be interesting to look at, but its best days are probably long behind it.

That is, unless it's a Derelict.

Derelict cars, created by Icon, may look like a heap of old metal on the outside, but on the inside it's a modern performance vehicle.

"The chassis engineering and all the corruptions of modern cars are all integrated, but we leave the as-found patina on the exterior," said Jonathan Ward, the designer and CEO of Icon.

For the Derelict series, the transformation starts under the hood, and then the details of the car are what the Icon mission statement is all about.

From power windows to power seats and a navigation system, these vintage cars have got it all.

The Derelicts are so appealing because they have very modern amenity a driver could want. Many old cars can have those features added on, but what Icon does so well with its Derelicts is hide those modern quirks within the car.

The wheels on one of the models may look like primed steel, but they're purpose-built alloys with modern disc brakes hiding behind them. Even the navigation system screen is hidden away in the dashboard.

Drivers interested in these cars will need to pull out some hidden-away cash. Donor cars for planned projects are on stand-by and will come in at a six-figure price tag when completed.

For Ward, half the fun is completing each car.

"Really the challenge with the Derelict projects at Icon is making it look like we did nothing," Ward said.