There are machines that transport, and then there are machines that go beyond that. The best automobiles are more than just metal and mechanics, they are memories in motion, relics of a time when driving was as much about sensation as it was about speed.
But now what we’re seeing is a generation in auto development increasingly defined by environmental urgency and technological overhaul, the future of these mechanical icons hangs in the balance. Restrictions tighten, fuels fade and the very act of driving for pleasure risks becoming a relic itself.
Rather than watching these machines slip into obsolescence, a handful of companies are working to adapt them for a new era. Among them is Everrati, a UK-based company with a single mission: to preserve the spirit of the world’s most beloved classic cars by carefully electrifying them — without erasing what made them special in the first place.
Founder and CEO Justin Lunny puts it plainly:
“I started Everrati because I saw the opportunity to preserve the world’s most iconic cars by using the most modern, sustainable automotive technology,” he says. “We’re not in the business of changing what makes these vehicles special. In fact, we always aim to enhance the driving experience, and in doing so, we’re making sure these incredible vehicles can live on for future generations.”
The distinction between thoughtful preservation and careless modification is critical. Electric “conversions” have earned a checkered reputation among enthusiasts: too often, they rip the heart out of a car and replace it with sterile competence. Weight distribution, steering feel, throttle response—all sacrificed on the altar of modernity. It’s the automotive equivalent of painting a modern skyscraper onto the side of an 18th-century church.
Everrati’s philosophy seems to aim to strike a more considered balance. Rather than force the car to accept new technology, their engineering approach tailors the electric platform around the car’s original spirit.
As Lunny puts it:
“Our engineering approach is all about respecting the soul of the car. We fit our technology to the vehicle, not the other way around. That’s what makes us different.”
It’s a thoughtful argument at a time when too many electric projects confuse speed with soul. A Tesla Model S Plaid might beat a Ford GT40 to 60 mph, but it can’t replicate the sensation of managing raw, imperfect power through fingertips and seat-of-the-pants intuition. Driving isn’t simply about numbers; it’s about sensation, tension, connection. Auto enthusiasts know the difference immediately.
Of course, not everyone will be convinced. Purists will understandably bristle at the idea of electric motors replacing iconic internal combustion engines. There’s a legitimate fear that removing a flat-six or a roaring V8 might sterilize the very thing that made these cars special. And some will argue, with good reason, that no matter how sensitive the engineering, some elements—the smell of hot oil, the mechanical whir of ancient gears—simply can’t be recreated.
Yet the reality is this: unless carefully adapted, many of these classics face extinction from public roads in the coming decades. Emissions regulations, fuel availability, and shifting societal attitudes are all tightening the noose. Without innovation, these mechanical masterpieces risk becoming nothing more than static museum pieces—admired, but never driven.
Preservation doesn’t have to mean entombment. Done with care, reverence and proper engineering, electrification can be a way to honour history, not erase it. Whether the wider enthusiast world embraces this remains to be seen. But the conversation Everrati is forcing upon the automotive community is one worth having.
Because the true tragedy would not be seeing a silent 911 glide quietly past in the future.
The true tragedy would be seeing none at all.
Photo by Yaniv Cohen
