Bufori: One of the World’s Most Exclusive Coachbuilders | Capturing Car Culture

Host introduces Bufori, a Malaysian coachbuilder founded in Australia in the 1980s by three brothers, covering its models and hand-built carbon-Kevlar construction.

Explains why Bufori mixes carbon fiber with Kevlar, why dry fabric beats pre-preg for complex shapes, and the layup, peel ply, bleeder, vacuum bag and resin infusion process producing a razor-light door.

Bufori makes all molds in house for itself and other companies, and produces small carbon-Kevlar model bodies as paint swatches for each customer.

Host delivers a sponsor read for Hagerty classic car insurance.

Tour of the body shop showing a two-door Geneva prototype that abandoned gullwing doors for homologation reasons, with precise tail light apertures molded in.

Bufori avoids reproduction parts by casting aluminium light housings in molds on a turntable and making their own lenses for any vintage car.

Seat foam and door armrests are molded in metal molds with expanding chemical and optional in-mold texture rather than glued foam blocks.

The CS monocoque comes out of a single full-body mold with consistent resin-infused weight, unlike other manufacturers who mold in sections.

To avoid stress cracks around hinges, components mount to a lightweight steel chassis inside the body which is bonded with engineering adhesives.

A Bufori CS on its jig shows the 12-layer carbon-Kevlar monocoque, in-house subframes and suspension, Brembo brakes, and the hollow one-piece repairable clamshell front with overlapping crumple zones.

Bufori employs about 130 people and fabricates its own exhausts, radiators and hand-welded rollover-tested capless fuel tanks.

Harnesses are built in house from Sumitomo wire for new cars and restorations, with corrected designs, 3D-printed replacements for brittle Bakelite connectors, insulation against moisture and custom PCBs replacing relays.

The upholstery shop demonstrates true tuck-and-roll leather, hand-stitched piping on a Mercedes 190 SL seat, hand-embroidered mango interior and a customizable starry night headliner.

Engine shop rebuilds and remanufactures complex V12s, resleeves old engines, and converts classics to fuel injection with injectors hidden inside gutted carburetors.

The original MK2 roadster cost around $40,000 new and still trades for $30-40k, with production capped at 100 units per model.

After 40 years, early Buforis have been returning for full restorations that are guaranteed better than new.

Founder explains the invitation from Malaysian leaders, a failed initial partnership, regaining control of the company, and the loneliness and passion of building cars there.

The Geneva retails from $500,000, does not depreciate, and the founder discusses why few boutique builders make luxury cars and hints at an SUV.

The CS8 makes 900hp detuned to 810 from a forged supercharged 6.4 handmade engine, with prop shaft vibration being resolved, and earlier prototypes now serve as F1 circuit safety cars.

Tour of the CS8's exposed carbon interior, included Snap-on tool kit, cleaning products and first aid kit, and a front trunk that fooled the host into thinking it was the engine bay.

A unique six-speed manual Bufori showcases craftsmanship with welds done on the inside of complex shapes and a body strong enough to walk on.

Founder recounts buying, restoring and flipping old cars as a young man before deciding to build his own like Henry Ford with modern technology.

One of the last La Joya coupes; production was stopped to limit numbers, secondhand values exceed new price, colors are named after customers, and each car takes 9,000 man hours.

Bufori restores everything from Minis to Rolls-Royces, stripping cars to bare bolts, using base coat with impact-resistant matte lacquer instead of powder coat, concealing air conditioning in a restored car, with a Mercedes on a rotisserie and a 24-month order backlog.