By Moses Akaigwe
There was palpable excitement at the foyer of the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos recently where Nigeria’s most popular luxury car customisation, re-styling and detailing company, Twincustom Nigeria Ltd, unveiled to a gathering of auto freaks a range of customised bespoke car models in Lagos.
Restyled by hand by the indigenous customiser and auto shop to suit the high automotive tastes of the targeted users, the sporty-looking luxury SUVs, were presented to the guests as Vintage Modern Bespoke Vehicles (VMBV) at the event
Christened CX 5, CX 6 and CX 7, and also fondly known by their collective alias Africa’s Rolls-Royce, the three models were customised and richly equipped with an impressive range of modern luxury convenience features by the Ibadan-based Twincustom.
Addressing the special guests during the launch at the Silverbird Galleria, the brain box of the project and managing director/CEO of Twincustom Nigeria Ltd, Twinkle James Oruwariye, said the CX series took his company six years of hard work to finish, stressing that most of the top quality materials were sourced locally.
Oruwariye, however, explained that the first three years out of the six was dedicated to research and development, while three years was used to work on the cars.
The event, which was witnessed by some high-profile car enthusiasts, including real estate investor, Dennis Nwokedi, Dr. Bayo Kuku of EKO Hospital, and Honorary Australian Consul, Alan Davies, drew attention to the vast local input in the cars and the ingenuity of Oruwariye and the Twincustom technical team.
The unveiling was kicked off when the representative of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Temitope Akintunde, lifted the cover off the theme of the event, which was inscribed on a board: Boosting Local Content in the Nigerian Automobile Industry.
Oruwariye, whose Twincustom has been in the business of making head-turning versions out of luxury cars since 1986, disclosed that, unlike many years ago when his company accepted customisation jobs from customers who came with cars of various brands, the focus now is on customising original Volvo XC90 models (between 2004-2013) which Twincustom imports directly from tte USA.
It is after being meticulously customised by hand, according to Oruwariye, that the cars are sold to those who appreciate top quality features in luxury automobiles.
Just before models of ‘African Roll-Royce’ were unveiled, their various modifications, including 53 on the CX7, 57 on the CX6, CX5’s 60 modifications, were highlighted by three of the guests,
One of the highpoints of the event was the unveiling of the Automated Ventilation Control System (AVCS) which is currently undergoing the process of earning International Patent.
AVCS was introduced to the guests at the launch by the Chairman of Sterling Bank PLC and founder of Banwo & Ighodalo law firm, Asue Ighodalo.
Designed and developed by Twincustom research and development department headed by the CEO himself, the AVCS helps to protect passengers from getting cancer from their vehicles.
This was preceded by the introduction of Twincustom by Kaladata Oruwariye, daughter of the MD/CEO, who gave a brief biography of the man behind the project and the history of the company.
Many of the invitees who witnessed the unveiling of the cars thumbed up for Twincustom Nig Ltd Research and Development Department when they were informed that it is the heart of the company which is responsible for the concepts that make the company tick.
It was learnt that the department is headed by Twinkle Oruwariye himself and comprises his only daughter, Kaladata Oruwariye, and his two sons – Tralapuye Junior Oruwariye and Damiete Oruwariye. – who presently live in Shanghai, China and could both not be able to attend the CX Series event in Lagos.
An indication of how well received the CX models would be among special car lovers came when it was announced that one of them, the CX 7, was sold even before it got to Silverbird Galleria, the venue of the launch and display in Victoria Island.
The three-day event planned on behalf of Twincustom by Renee Cole Events (Tosin Southey-Coke), continued on Saturday and Sunday with privileged views by car enthusiasts.
Twincustom made a debut decades ago with the wave-making Twintana Z1, a redesigned and modified version of the then popular Volkswagen Santana assembled then by Volkswagen of Nigeria, Ojo, Lagos.
So attention-grabbing was Twintana that it was not only a traffic-jammer, but also earned the approval of the VW plant in Lagos, and boosted the popularity of the sleek Santana model.