Dustin

AT OUR BECK AND CALL

by Christian Gullikse

Reprinted from Robb Report Worth, October 2004

Behind the nondescript facade of an obscure Oxnard, Calif., shop, Howard Becker transforms mundane SUVs and vans into ultraluxe transport for the likes of Edgar Bronfman Jr., Tiger Woods and King Abdullah of Jordan. His clients want the accoutrements of a Rolls-Royce or a Maybach, but would rather do without the attention those cars tend to attract-at least some of the time.

Almost nothing blends into the crowd more easily than a Ford Excursion or E-350 Super Duty van-Becker’s usual platforms-but there is not anything ordinary about his interiors. The typical layout of an SUV conversion calls for the removal of the second- and third-row seats, replaced by two large chairs and up to three-rear-facing jump seats, all upholstered in high-grade leather. Beautifully finished wood trim accents the cabin. A large flat-screen monitor doubles as a divider that can be raised and lowered, and can be linked to entertainment and computer systems. Satellite links, a wireless keyboard, telephones and a collapsible desk allow us full connectivity during our journey. For relaxation, the seats fully recline and CDs and DVDs provide entertainment. (With the emergence of Wi-Fi networking, in-car entertainment options are expanding. We will soon be able to enjoy media downloads from our home computers.) Thanks to proprietary suspension modifications, the quality of the SUV’s ride is much better than we night expect, and it is unlikely we will be jolted awake from a nap. Vans – generally Fords or Mercedes-Benz Sprinters – offer an even greater measure of room and versatility – individual chairs or sofas, for instance. And as they are lass fashionable than SUVs, vans can also achieve an even lower profile.

Different levels of stealthiness can be achieved. Leave the exterior of an Excursion or a GMC Denali completely stock and no one will be the wiser. Specify an all-black exterior with custom wheels and satellite equipment mounted on the roof and other motorists will take notice. Most Becker cars fall somewhere in the middle.

The importance of stealth often hinges on our security concerns. Becker’s priority is creating environments that feel as normal as possible. Touches such as full operational windows all-around mean that adults feel less claustrophobic and children might not even realize they are riding in an armored car. We thought the armored Excursion felt weightier that the standard car, and was not nearly as confining as some armored sedans currently on the market.

A Becker SUV or van with every luxury and armoring option can top $365,000, about the price of an unmodified Rolls-Royce Phantom or Maybach. Unarmored examples typically sell just north of $200,000.

BECKER AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN: EXCURSION EXECUTIVE LIMOUSINE

Edited by John Kiewicz

Reprinted from Motor Trend Magazine, March 2001

The market’s strong and you’re finally doing well. You travel a lot and need to conduct business while you go about the town. You need a large, classy rig in which to pick up and entertain clients. Whatever the reason, you’re now in the market for a personal limousine. The only problem is you don’t want a traditional (stodgy-looking) stretch limo.

Becker Automotive Design has just what you need, and more. Becker specializes in creating personal limos using Ford’s more-than-full-size Excursion that not only offers loads of interior space, but will also tow a large boat or trailer. The best part is that nobody will know that the Becker Excursion is a limo, so you’ll have your privacy and security as you and your associates are shuttled around town.

The Becker Excursion contains all the traditional stuff you’d expect in a limo, including upgraded (super comfortable) seating, loads of legroom, food/drink service areas, plusher carpeting with extra sound-deadening materials, and more-but goes many steps further. Depending on how you option your Excurlimo, you can include items such as a 20-in. video/computer/navigation LCD monitor, Philips navigation system, a Dell Optiplex GX1 Pentium III computer, wireless Internet modem, a Palm Pilot interface setup, Nintendo/Sega/Sony video games, and even a Sony DVD system. Becker (known in Beverly Hills as the audio store of the stars) can also fit your Excursion with a custom audio package consisting of items such as a Nakamichi AM/FM/CD player, Panasonic DTS digital sound decoder, a plethora of speakers, including a pair of 10-in. sub-woofers, custom-built equalizer, and 600 watts of Sony power-all good for a serious brain bruise. Leather, suede, and carpeting are all of Rolls-Royce quality-or better.

Externally, Becker spruces up the look of the Excursion by color-sanding the factory paint and adding items such as body kits, cowl-induction hoot, special side mirrors, aftermarket billet grille, and auxiliary lighting. Performance improvements come in the form of 3-in.-diameter Remus chrome oval exhaust tips, Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks, and Boyd’s 18-in. aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion p285/60R18 tires.

When it comes to security, the Becker Excursion limo doesn’t dissapiont with its extremely elaborate electronic protection system. But if you need even more, the Excursion can be fitted with Becker’s Ultimate Security Package that includes armor plating capable of withstanding “full metal jacket” gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades. Don’t forget rem-style bumpers, Runflat tires, remote engine start, and even GPS tracking of the vehicle.

Now that you’ve made it big, leave those traditional stretch limos to movie stars and heads of state; consider a discreet, though decidedly large, Becker Excursion. Sorry, driver not included.

Reprinted from The Robb Report Collection, April 2003

Howard Becker of Becker Automotive Design can be considered the forerunner of the urban SUV scene with the stunning sound systems and luminescent interiors he built into customized SUVs for Will Smith and other music industry heavyweights in the mid-1990s. Becker still has his star-studded clientele, but he is now leading the evolution of SUV tuning into luxurious, high-tech mobile offices. Becker started out by turning Ford Excursions into luxuriously appointed limousines that would make a Maybach owner envious. Wireless Internet, onboard PCs with printers, surround-sound DVD systems with 20-inch screens, folding tables, and aircraft-style reclining seating are ready to serve for business or pleasure. Never one to stand pat, Becker has now turned his attention to converting Ford vans into sumptuously equipped land-bound equivalents of executive jets. He also sees a growing trend among his customers to armor their vehicles.

FANCY CONVERSIONS HAVE CAUGHT ON WITH MOBILE VIPS

Reprinted from the April 22nd, 2002 issue of Business Week

On the outside, it looks just like any other hulking $40,000 Ford Excursion or Chevy Suburban. But peek inside, and this is what you see: a personal limo that seats four or five with wet bar, deep pile carpeting, and luscious leather seats that recline to nearly horizontal. Press a button, and the divider between driver and passenger rises, revealing a wide screen television.

More and more, there’s an office tucked in there, too. The computer is nestled in the cargo area behind the rear seats (next to the refrigerator), with a wireless keyboard and mouse – plus printer, copier, and fax machine – in the passenger compartment. Want satellite phones for those annoying moments when your cell service fades in and out? That’s another option: four lines and a satellite Internet connection for $16,000, plus $1.19 per minute – perfect for video conferences.

Kareem Burke, better known as Biggs in the music industry, gets around in one of these babies. One of the three owners of Roc-A-Fella Records in New York, part of Universal Music Enterprises, he spends more time in his car than his office, crawling through traffic to meetings and music studios. He uses the time to listen to new artists, catch up on phone calls, and check e-mail. “It’s like having a Bentley or Gulfstream IV, but it’s hidden inside a Ford Excursion,” he says.

Burke paid a near-Bentley price, $200,000, for his Excursion at Becker Automotive Design in Oxnard, Calif. Howard Becker, 53, took over his father’s electronics store, but made his name installing custom sound systems in the cars of Hollywood celebrities. When the SUV craze hit in the early ’90s, he was well placed to do SUV conversions for them. “They wanted a big American SUV, but the hated the seats, the carpet, the fit and finish,” he says. What they wanted was the look and feel of a European luxury car, so Becker took off all the chrome, buffed up the paint job, used better wheels, and installed wood interiors, expensive sound systems, and luxury seats and carpets.

From there, it was a short step to personal limos for executives who already had a driver. They want privacy and a mobile-office environment but don’t want to attract attention or create resentment among their employees by plying the streets in a showy stretch limousine. As his business gravitated toward chauffeur-driven vehicles – nearly half of which are in the Northeast, according to Limousine and Chauffeured Transportation magazine – Becker shuttered his retail store outside Beverly Hills, Calif., and moved to an industrial park in Oxnard, 50 miles north of Los Angeles.

Becker has built 50 limos since 1998 and an equal number of SUV conversions for the drive-it-yourself crowd. Now, close to half his production goes to executives instead of celebrities, though he admits there’s overlap. Buyers include film producer Arnon Milchan, New Jersey Nets owner Lewis Katz, and New York real estate executive Andrew Farkas. Vincent Chhabra, chief executive of USA Prescription, an Internet pharmacy, will take delivery of his any day now. Diet queen Jenny Craig just ordered one as a gift for her husband Sidney.

Prices start at $85,000 for a basic Excursion limo with leather seats and no exotic woods. With a Rolls-Royce quality interior and all the executive toys, the price can easily top $200,000.

Since September 11, some customers are demanding even more: armor. Becker is happy to oblige. Enough steel and Kevlar and bulletproof glass to stop handgun fire will add about $65,000 to the tab. For that amount, you can travel in style, securely and productively – and completely incognito.