There
is no doubt that a car can be a work of art, and
even more so when there is an individual behind
it.
Most people identify with men like Enzo Ferrari,
W.O. Bentley, Ettore Bugatti - they all started
with nothing and stuck passionately to their individual
vision. It shows in their work.
The Bugatti is a perfect example. Made by an Italian
family of artists and sculptors, the Bugatti cars
still take the breath away. Ettore Bugatti received
classical art instruction, then taught himself
engineering and began building racing cars.
Aesthetics seemed to be as important to him as
technology. His cars have boldly styled bodies,
and even the engines look like modern sculptures.
The Antlantique was designed by his son Jean in
1936, but as it nears age 60 it still looks as
futuristic as ever. Jean Bugatti was killed in
a car crash and his father lost his business during
the war, but their artistic cars remain as their
legacy.
The Antlantique has rounded contours, and a studded
seam along the top, it's truly a remarkable vision.
On a race track today, it can still do 100 mph
without any trouble at all.
Only
three of these cars were ever built. One was demolished
when it got stuck at a railway crossing. Ralph
Lauren, the fashion designer, owns the second
and can't be sure where the third one is, if it
exists at all.
Now
most cars look alike. If they didn't have the
small individual logos on the trunk you wouldn't
be able to tell a BMW from a Toyota Camry. There
are, of course, exceptions, and most of those
fall within the sports car world.
There's nothing like waking up on a nice sunny
day, and going for a drive on a country road,
and putting a good sports car through its paces.
The pleasure is not about trying to go fast -
it's the feeling of handling a thoroughbred: the
way it comes around a corner, the way the mechanism
feels when you shift, and, of course, the roar
of the engine.
Each of the great cars from the past had a distinctive
character. The Alfa Romeo readily calls to mind,
the little Morgan, the Long-nosed D-type Jaguar,
the Porsche 356 Roadster - some of the most beautiful
cars in the world.
Now cars are sold at auction just like works of
art, and the prices they command are getting higher
and higher. As they become expensive antiques
lets hope all of them don't get taken off the
road. It would be sad to see them all locked up
in large storage vaults or glass cases - after
all, they were designed to be driven!
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