Custom cars built by Vintage Modern in Georgia blend 1960s style with today's technology

Classic cars are known for their curves, chrome and nostalgia. But for many drivers, they also come with some very modern-day problems — from a lack of airbags and safety features to no air conditioning or GPS.

One Buford company is trying to change that by combining the look of a vintage car with the technology and comfort of a modern luxury vehicle.

Vintage Modern builds custom cars by hand at its Buford facility, using classic designs as the inspiration while incorporating modern engineering and amenities.

Founder Chau Nguyen said the idea grew out of his lifelong love of cars.

"When I was a kid, I had car posters on my wall," Nguyen said. "We grew up with nothing. So it was deeply rooted in me as a kid that I'm going to figure out how to be successful in life so that I can make money just so I can buy cars."

Nguyen went on to build a career in finance and technology startups and eventually owned more than 60 luxury and classic cars.

But one of those cars — a 1969 Ford Bronco — helped inspire the business.

When Nguyen brought the Bronco home, his wife wasn't thrilled about the idea of using it to drive their young children.

"The day I got that Bronco, my wife — our kids were younger at the time, eight and 10 — and she's like, you're not driving the kids around in that car," Nguyen said.

That led Nguyen to ask a simple question: "Why can't it look classic, but operate and act like a modern car?"

Vintage Modern's answer is to put modern technology and engineering beneath a classic exterior. Features include modern safety technology, air conditioning, GPS and parking sensors, while maintaining the vintage appearance.

The cars are also custom-built at the Buford factory.

Nguyen said each vehicle goes through about 900 hours of assembly, with handcrafted components throughout the build.

For customer Charlie Plumley, the result was enough to replace his own classic Bronco with a Vintage Modern vehicle.

"I cannot put fuel in that thing," Plumley said. "It takes me 20 minutes because I've got three people that come over and they want to talk about it."

The cars come with a luxury price tag, starting at about $200,000 and going up from there depending on the build. But every piece of the car, down to the stitching on the seats, is made to each driver's preference.

For Nguyen, though, the business is about more than creating expensive cars. It's about turning a childhood passion into a career.

"There are people who aspire to own these cars, just like I did," Nguyen said. "I was just a kid with nothing."

He said following that passion ultimately became the foundation for Vintage Modern.

"If you truly love what you do and you go after it, I think your odds of success are way higher," Nguyen said.

For customers, the appeal is getting the best of both worlds: the nostalgia of a classic car with the comfort, safety and technology of a modern vehicle.

And for Nguyen, it's proof that sometimes the dreams that start on a bedroom wall can eventually become something you can drive.