These men’s clothing designers want to sell you a vintage 4×4

Early 2019, We asked Virgil Abloh if fashion had reached its peak.

I don't understand how a peak could be reached, he said. And who would know better? After all, Abloh created the Off-White streetwear phenomenon, which has collaborated on product launches with companies from Nike to Evian, and is the male creative director of Louis Vuitton.

That said, Abloh only recently got in the vintage auto game, and probably isn't paying as much attention to another male trend that is steadily gaining ground in the zeitguysst, that of the vintage SUV. But a year later, the worlds of male collaboration and 4 × 4 nostalgia joined forces, leaving us to ask the question: do we find ourselves in a new era of automotive excellence or, like crossing the currents ghost hunters, will this intersection mark the end of the two?

The trend first appeared on our radar when Todd Snyder came out a personalized Toyota FJ43 Land Cruiser last summer with The FJ Company, whose restorations have been reviewed several times before. But since then, more and more versions have taken up our reveries and our Instagram feeds, of the 95 Range Rover Classic Barbour and Orvis given to one-offs Iron & Resin dreamed with New Legend to, more recently, Ball and Bucks Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler, which started taking orders in February.

They are vehicles of impeccable beauty. Complete stop. They are also somewhat impractical, presenting an idealized version of the past, where the vehicles you covet as a child or a young man are restored and modernized to make you dream (I think of Marty McFlys Toyota Hilux here), but at a price as you can imagine quite strongly.

For context, Hagerty puts the average value of a 1983 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler at $ 14,500. The custom version of Ball and Bucks costs between $ 65,000 and $ 105,000, depending on your personal configuration. As for a 1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, Hagerty sets the average value at $ 24,000. After Todd Snyder stamps, you watch $ 195,000 and more.

To be fair, putting these prices next to each other is a bit misleading, because custom made men's clothing models are not only restored to immaculate condition, but pimps Xzibit style with features and equipment you won't find anywhere else. So, to get a better idea of ​​them, we called Mark Bollman, founder and CEO of Ball and Buck, who explained that his Scrambler is a natural progression for the brand.

We started with the New Balance shoe, then we went to the Danner boots, then we went to the Allen Edmonds moccasin, then we made a shotgun with Ruger, then we made skis, so we made a bunch of collaborative projects, Bollman told me. What I really like about them is that it gives us the opportunity to tell the story of our brand… but do it with a partner who is ideally a leader and the the most emblematic version of this category.

Ball and Buck built its reputation on clothing for the athletically inclined sartorial, the Scrambler was therefore the ideal basic model; As Bollman told InsideHook, it has a history with quail hunting, and they continue this tradition by teaming up with the Georgian Bird Buggy outfit to make the vehicles. But there is a personal element, as he has also been driving one of the original Jeep pickups for five years.

If you've seen the King Ranch trucks and the Subarus and Jeeps Eddie Bauer, it's that kind of build quality. It's not some kind of kit feeling. It’s very intentional.

Mark Bollman, Founder and CEO of Ball and Buck

Passion is also what drove Todd Snyder, although he hasn't done Land Cruiser for years.

I have always loved the FJ Land Cruiser and have dreamed of owning one for years, but I wanted something different and mine, Snyder told InsideHook. When I met The FJ Company, I realized that I could make my dream truck and customize it from the Red Wing leather interior to the air conditioning installation and really do my dream truck from scratch.

This combination of ultra-luxurious touches that the average driver would not think possible and a respect for the robust beginnings of vehicles is the hallmark of all these collaborations. They're designed as much for off-road performance (from the new suspension engines) as to make sure you really stand out at your next car and coffee gathering (the four signature Snyders colors are all from its collections men's clothing and Ball and Bucks are all vintage Porsche 911 colors).

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Whether or not you're convinced to buy one yourself, you may be wondering if that's the point. At these prices, are these 4x4s more of a marketing coup than a real product? The Barbour and the Range Rover from Orvis certainly are, because it is a gift. But one particular test case proves that there are really men who are looking to take brand loyalty to a new level, the Chevrolet Silverado Carhartt Special Edition. The two companies released a concept vehicle in 2016, but the interest was so great that its get a real version for 2021.

But there is also evidence of interest in even more specialized offers. So far, Todd Snyder has sold two Land Cruisers, with a mix of people interested in buying. Ball and Buck has three Scramblers in the works, according to Bollman. It's not just brand fans, but people who are looking for what everyone is looking for in a new car: the perfect feeling.

One of the real estate guys is doing a lot of land sales. So he takes customers to properties and thinks about the philosophy and the vibe of, Hey, you're living city life. Get that piece of property. Let me take you back to a simpler time of the good old days. So he wants Jeep to drive his customers and get them in the mood this way, said Bollman.

Will we ever be able to redeem ourselves in the good old days, whether through a dilapidated farm or a vintage 4 × 4? Of course not, because the good old days never really existed. But as these designers have shown, if they can make you feel like you are ideal in their clothes, they may also be able to do it with your vehicle.