magazine-category: Car and craftsmanship

The author has participated the Millie Miglia, the peak of rally events. After the baptism of the first day, they drove into the climax of the competition. First Part

In the second day, we ran to Rome. This was the longest running day of the rally, about 700 km. We departed at 7 in the morning. There were several CO (time of arrival) and PC (timed tests) on the road, and if we entered an historical old street, we would get a stamp point (a passing check), the average speed fell because we had a lunch break. It would take 14 hours to reach Rome on an average speed of 50km/h! But after a deep consideration, we still wanted to try. The average speed of the cars of 90 years ago is 50km/h, it means we would run as possible as we could!

There were wonderful towns such like Ferrara, Perugia and Urbino, but the Republic of San Marino was one of the most charming places. It’s a very precious experience for us to drive through the narrow road of the fortress city.

Finally, we reached in Rome, but after that the calamity was coming. A heavy rain hit down suddenly while we were parading in the city. As soon as we put up the hood, it was soaked through, we got back to the hotel like a drowned mouse. And it was almost the next day when we got back.

The third day we had 500km to run. The stormy of last night just like never come, it seemed like a sunny day in the northern part. We departed at 7 in the morning again. When we almost left Rome, the clouds became weird suddenly, the rain was coming again! We hurried stopped the car on the roadside and put up the hood. Although the hood might be only protecting us well from the sun light, better than nothing. And the rain became heavily gradually.

After the rain it was such a fine day when we reached Toscana. Many audiences gathered in Piazza del Campo (Campo Square) of Siena. And this’s another highlight of Miglia.

When we crossed the mountains and headed for Parma, the rain came again. The temperature dropped sharply towards evening. The temperature on the mountain was only ４℃. We wore summer clothes, trembling and crossing the mountains.

Finally, the final day was coming. There were only 250km left! This was almost the end of the journey. Although there was no slack, an accident happened shortly after the beginning. The engine stalled suddenly. But fuel and starter were no problem, but the engine couldn’t be ignited. I didn’t know what happened, due to the judgement of the driver, we should change the plug. But we were really very lucky for that our mechanic support wagon was stopped near us. It was really so luck.

It took about 15 minutes to change the plug though, the Bugatti was recovered well. My and driver’s mood recovered too, and we began to take on the final challenge.

The city Mantova, where there Tazio Giogio Nuvolari, the best racing driver ever, was born, made the tiring rally wistful. My body was relaxed at once when we returned Brescia. When we entered the city, all participants took full throttle, four or five cars lined up side by side and ran through a wide road. Just like reproduction of the public race age.

Finally, we crossed the finish line safely!

At the moment of the end, I considered I want to come again.
This rally is so addictive.
　
　

*CO (CONTROLLI ORRARI): time of arrival *PC(PROVE CRONOMETRATE)：timed tests

First Part

Driving events are now rising all over the world (Although it is only in the automobile advanced country) by vintage car enthusiasts. It can be said that in Japan, from the rally touring events to the circuit events of classic racing car, keep increasing both in numbers and types. It is no wonder that the people in the world who are interested in the cars of the opposite pole to the practical car such as the electrification and automation advances will be able to gather more and more. This time we want to confirm the fact a little from inside of the Millie Miglia, the highest peak of the rally event.

Miglia is an Italian word means thousand miles. Because all race is 1600 kilometers long. From 1927 to 1957, the original Official Highway Race has been held for over thirty years. The luxury brand cars at that time, such as Alfa Romeo and Bugatti, ran throgh a tough severe race, start from Brescia to Rome and return to Brescia.

A disastrous accident occurred in 1957, and the subsequent event was forbided, but it revived as the present type rally event in 1977. But ruled only the types of cars which have joined the race and produced through 1927 to 1957, or the cars as same type (the same brand car is permitted) as those produced during that period can participate the competition.

The number of participants now exceeds 450. Even if let three cars depart together every minute, it would take about two and a half hours to make all cars depart, so that the participants who get a big number zeichen (cloth printed with numbers) will be late to the destination.

By the way, the arrangement of zeichen first came from Brescia’s late brand, named OM, followed by chronological order. In the other word, the old cars can depart earlier. Japan’s rally event also follows this rule, that’s one of the reasons why all the participants would like to buy the old machines those produced before WWII. According to the old style, the start is in the center of Brescia. participants prepared the car three days before the rally and finished checking the car two days before the rally and sealed the car body in the last day before the rally in Brescia city. And have to finish the series of preparation all by their selves.

I participated the rally with a friend last year, we were driving a 1927’s Bugatti and trying to record and report the rally in the order.

In the first day, after enjoyed the lunch in the Miglia Museum (Great spot for classic cars lover!), we left for the start of the rally. I was so exciting and nervous that I could consider nothing.

The start was seen by many audiences. Last year’s course was over 1700 km and should be finished in four days. The severity has been better than in three days, but it was not a distance could be cleared easily by vintage cars produced over 90 years.

The first day was 280 kilometers to Padova. The people sit in assistant seat play a Navi role, do the assistance of time control and compete through the PC (compete to arrive at the correct time from the settled 120 spots in the trip) to support the driver. We got the zeichen of No. 50, but there were all experienced warriors around us who have participated this rally many times. When we tried to show friendly greetings to our audiences, we saw our competitors catched up quickly. We were exceeded in one second and without hope to catch them up again. There might be a passing prohibition, but the car already on the opposite lane. And even no one obeyed the traffic signals. We lost words for the competition style which would never be happened in Japan. Yes, this is true Miglia. Due to the nation’s condition, the police riding on blue bike guiding and arranging the traffic in the front of the race at the important positions. We drove carefully in the first day, and late for eight minutes at the first CO (the time of arrival). So that’s why the participants drove so fast, if you obeyed the traffic rules, you would not arrive in time.

　We arrived at Padova when it began to get dark. 　Later Part

When you hear the words about skills of artisans, you may imagine of the artistic jobs. But a real artisan doesn’t like to be explained his job as art works. Everything for the needs of customers. Depend on the experiences, knowledges, originality and time, make all asks of the orders realize and 100% satisfied by whoever at wherever. This is the job of an artisan. Certainly, the wonderful works in the others’ eyes are as same as kind of art though. And this time, by the relationship between human and cars, and by the interior of car, where should be paid attention mostly, we want to fit kinds of needs by artisans’ skills, make the cab as an art work. We selected the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as interview place, where is famous of the 18th hole of golf course, and which dose open every summer for car beauty contest.

At first, what is the development opportunity for auto interior? It’s easy to imagine the cabin which contains seats space is developed from carriage. And in modern time, it’s the cab established by steering wheel and instruments. The place where meters, switches and monitors lined up is called dashboard. The carriage which was made for protect coachmen and passengers from the mud and small rocks kicked up by horses at first, though the horses already exchanged by engines, nothing changed of the role they played. The structure of the car gradually becomes complicated, especially in proportion to improving engine performance, in order to monitor the mechanical condition, the types of instruments are needed. Then there are variety of meters set in the dashboard. The layout of dashboard today, keeps the style from the very first, only some evolutions in the design of panels, wood panel or leather panel, metal panel with decoration, body integral panel etc. The instruments also progressed from analogue to digital, although the monitor and the air conditioner were added, the configuration and function of dashboard has never changed. So hasn’t steering wheel. It’s rare to see a slender design of steering wheel, while the new functions of airbag and semi-automatic transmission etc. has been added, but the shape and function never changed. (The structures changed by time, and the time of disconnect with mechanical is come).

Although the function doesn’t change, we can still feel the old dashboard like an art. In the past, the artisans designed, fixed and even distinguished the selection of materials by the asks of customers, after 50years, after a century, it sublimated to a fine piece of Art. We can understand the design from the unchangeable things and attracted by the design impossibly in modern time. This is a reason why vintage car is called “Art with wheels”. At first, the dashboard which consists of only a few meters and switches becomes complicated, the more convenience the instruments change, the more implicate the system constructed. Not only the dashboard, the handle and roof liner also configured operating system, and center console has been added too.

The innovation is waiting in the near future. The interesting fact is about the CASE (Connected, autonomous, sharing, electronic) progressed, but the dashboard returned to the initial state. The monitor will become a simple board again, even the steering wheel will disappear. At least, our aesthetic will not be hindered. And how to draw the future of board design on canvas, it’s the job of artisans.

Traditional crafts, for us who are living in modern time, may know them as only things and affairs of ancient good times, but we can never forget those ancient fine things used to be standing for the newest technologies of that time. For instance, the famous ancient shrines and temples in Kyoto are visited by millions of visitors from everywhere of the world, used to be the “newest” once upon a time.

And now, we want to make the “newest” ancient technologies known by the world. Whenever in the history of traditional crafts, craftsmen, otherwise recognized as artisans, were playing a very important role. And in this series of articles, we will introduce you the excellent achievements of craftsmen with the back ground of the cars through ago to nowadays.

Section 1: fabric of sheets.
What if you imagined when talk about the sheets of luxury cars? You may think about the leather sheets with elegant fragrance which are used by Rolls-Royce or Bentley. For there are kinds of leathers for customers to choose, people may think luxury cars are set with leather sheets, the leather sheets those are soft and well stained. But in the past, the leather sheets were not as popular as now. Certainly, as a heavy-duty product, leather sheets are important in the driver’s seat, but due to the common sense of the limousine, the front seats are always made by leathers though, the back seats must be made by textile. And as one famous fact, the back seats of the official cars of the Mikado are all made by the NISHIJIN ORI (西陣織, Nishijin fabric is a traditional textile produced in the Nishijin (西陣) district of Kamigyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan.)

Leathers are good, and fabrics are extraordinaire. Maserati and Zegna’s collaboration made the point to change the image of fabric-made sheets again. And the most outstanding model was the silk sheets of Ermenegildo Zegna Interior.
　　
Certainly, silk may have a colorful and soft image, and easy to be damaged, but same as the spider silk, due to the different way of weaving, silk can be tough enough for being used by the belts of parachutes.

The 100% natural mulberry silk developed by Zegna for Maserati, 10 times thinner twisted than normal shirts. And the seats are made into herringbone print to improve the durability. The combination of extra fine grain silk of Poltrona Frau, make a special feeling with only one glance, and you will never get tired of it.
　　
We deducted and developed a new purpose of silk for using in a high performance of car seats, not only in design, but also in durability, light resistance and non-flammable etc. different from the material of clothes, but a new technology which above tradition. And you can find the remarkable spirit of artisans.