By James Wong
04.12.2008
Passion.
It’s a rare thing these days, with every car manufacturer claiming a full-blooded engineering marvel every time they release their latest sports car. How many of the cars in the world today actually tugs at our heartstrings and make us crumble in joy whenever we see or hear one pass by us on the street? And where do these cars always come from?
Undeniably, Italy is one country that will produce automobiles that no any other country can ever replicate – and, although it’s a personal opinion, I do believe that they produce the most passionate cars in the world. Just articulating their names to yourself makes you smile, having spoken one of the most beautiful names you can ever give to a brand. Maserati. Ferrari. Pagani. Lamborghini. And their cars itself, each and every one revered by car enthusiasts worldwide, are no empty vessels either. They are true driver’s cars, built for the winding B-roads and the Autostrada that Italy is so famous for. So, this article hopes to explore why Italian cars hold a special place in every one of our petrolhead hearts, and why they are probably going to be on bedroom posters of young boys for a long time to come.
Italian cars are no stranger to history. Dating back to as early as the 1920s, Maserati has been making racing cars to compete in races that included illustrious competitors like Auto Union (which eventually became Audi) and Mercedes. Ferrari, a name synonymous with the F1 Grand Prix, is still a force to be reckoned with in the racing scene, having taken 1st place in the Constructor’s Championship for both 2007 and 2008. In the 1960s, Lamborghini built a car called the Miura which, up till today, is still looking as good as ever. Pagani, although a relatively new company set up in the 1990s, restored whatever lost faith people had in Italian cars by building outrageously opulent, gorgeous, manic cars that did not live by the constraints of conformity and tastes of the bourgeoisie. As one can plainly see, the reputation of Italian cars did not come out of nowhere – their colourful and deep history serves in some way or another to contribute to the appeal of Italian cars.
