In the mid 1930s, Germany dominated motor racing.
Mercedes and Auto Union were funded by unlimited government money, their cars were the finest, the most modern, the most powerful ever built.
They were called ‘The Silver Arrows’.
They won every race, and their crowning achievement was going to be the 1935 Grand Prix which was to be held in Nurburgring, Germany, in front of a home crowd.
Winning was obviously a formality. Mercedes and Auto Union entered nine cars between them, just to make sure.
Against them were outdated cars from smaller private companies. One of these was Alfa Romeo.
They had a great driver in Tazio Nuvolari, but by then he was 43 years old.
The German cars were bigger and more powerful but Nuvolari thought there was one thing the Germans hadn’t allowed for.
The Nurburgring circuit wasn’t all about power, it had over 100 turns, it was a driver’s circuit.
From the start, as expected, the power of the German cars blew everyone else off the track.
Except Nuvolari.
The German cars were more powerful in a straight line: they had better top speed, and they had better acceleration. But to Nuvolari, that was also their weakness.
Because of their power, they had to brake hard for every corner, wearing rubber off their tyres, then accelerate out of the corners, wearing even more rubber off their tyres.
Nuvolari’s smaller, lighter Alfa Romeo took the corners like a ballet dancer, maintaining a fast speed on every turn. He didn’t have to brake hard going into the turns, so he didn’t have to accelerate hard coming out of the turns.
He got maximum speed for minimum tyre wear.
By lap ten Nuvolari had done the impossible, he was in the lead.
His nearest rival was Manfred von Brauchitsch in a huge silver Mercedes.
Both cars needed to stop for fuel.
Von Brauchitsch’s crew filled his car in 47 seconds and he was away.
But Nuvolari’s crew broke the filling pump. His crew took 2 minutes 14 seconds to fill his car, giving Brauchitsch a minute and a half lead.
Nuvolari came out of the pits in sixth place against the fastest, most powerful cars in the world.
But lap after lap Nuvolari did the impossible, he passed them one-by-one.
Until there was only von Brauchitsch in front of him, five miles from the finish line but 35 seconds ahead.
It was impossible to make up 35 seconds in just five miles.
And when von Brauchitsch saw the little red Alfa Romeo in his rear-view mirror he decided to blow off the Italian once and for all, he put his foot down.
But all that cornering, braking, and accelerating had worn all the rubber away on his tyres. As von Brauchitsch floored it, he blew a tyre.
His rear tyre was now just flapping around in shreds, that was it, he was out of the race.
The red Alfa blew past ‘The Silver Arrow’ Mercedes and over the finish line.
It was two minutes before any of the other ‘Silver Arrows’ caught up.
It was impossible, but Nuvolari made it happen.
The best, most creative driver in the world had just beaten the finest, most powerful cars in the world.
Creativity beat superior technology.
One person in particular was so impressed by what they saw it changed their life.
He was the young man in charge of Nuvolari’s team.
He learned that superior technology is wonderful, but it isn’t always enough. Sometimes human creativity beats the latest technology.
That young man thought, what if you put the latest technology together with truly creative people?
Imagine, both working together, that would be unbeatable.
That young man’s name was Enzo Ferrari.
Hello Mr Trott,
May I ask you a question?
Yesterday, outside Warren Street Station, I saw an advert for a fragrance 01 by Escentic Molecules.
The wording was hyberbolic (and unquantifiable) in a way I had not seen for decades; ‘A LANGUAGE ONLY WE SHARE’, and ‘THE FRAGRANCES THAT MADE FRAGRANCE QUESTION ITSELF’.
I read (hard-copy and online) multiple high-end fashion, lifestyle, and beauty magazines (10, Fantastic Man, Vogue, The Rake, Esquire etc), and browse high end perfumeries, yet, until yesterday, had never heard of the brand. The brand is carried in Nordstrom in the states and is £125 for a 100ml bottle
The advert worked to get into my memory (I also took a photo), but due to the unwarranted self -aggrandisement, I regard it somewhat negatively, as in who the F are U? It reminded me of the George Lois ‘Hilfiger Campaign’ which aligned the unknown incomer TH with established designers; Bill Blass, John Weitz, Ralphie, and brands; Brooks Brothers and Lacoste.
Do audacious claims’THE FRAGRANCES THAT MADE FRAGRANCE QUESTION ITSELF’work in drawing attention (although my post suggests question asked-question asked, and suggests that they do work) or do they ultimately alienate the consumer?
Perhaps you could do a post on same at some point?
Should read question asked- question answered.
States not states.
Best