Here's the second piece that I did for the Sir William Lyons award. Enjoy!
PART 2 b) What gives a
car or motorbike 'iconic' status?
Icons. It's a short word,
but one which conveys many things. A person could be considered to be an icon
because they've achieved something great in their life, or maybe they've
survived a big event and then told the tale. Or perhaps they've gone against
the odds and won. All of these things are subjective, as is whether any car
could be defined as an 'icon'. It's a similar thing with 'legends'. Where's the
yardstick for when something (or someone) is an 'icon'?
Maybe the car in question
has starred in a hit movie and is now – years after it first appeared on the
big screen – remembered as an 'icon'. Take the Aston DB5 from the James Bond
film 'Goldfinger'. At the time the DB5 was a 'cool' car to be seen in,
and as a result James Bond had one, and suddenly everyone wants one and wants
to be James Bond. Nearly fifty years after its screen début, the DB5s are
sought after. The same can be said for the original Mini which was a piece of
packaging genius. Then it appeared in The Italian Job and again,
everyone wanted one. BMW obviously thought this when the German company bought
the Mini name in 2000 and then manufactured an up-to-date Mini which not only
appeared in a re-make of The Italian Job, but is also considered to be
an icon of style, like a Gucci handbag. No wonder it sold so well.
Yet, the Mercedes 300SLR is
considered to be an icon by many and it hasn't appeared in any British films or
American remakes, so why is it considered to be an icon you may ask. Its
considered to be an icon partly down to one of its drivers – Sir Stirling Moss
– and also because of its success in the Mille Miglia, more specifically, the
Mille Miglia of 1955, where Moss and his co-driver, Dennis Jenkingson drove the
300SLR at an average speed of nearly 100mph over a thousand miles of rugged,
rutted and rough Italian roads. Because of that iconic win, the car is one of
most valuable in the world and the number that adorned it – '722' – is an
iconic number in itself in motorsport folklore thanks to the victory.
Another racing car that is
considered to be an 'icon' is the Ferrari 250GTO. It is described by many as
the 'Da Vinci of motoring' and is as rare as an English football win. It was as
rare back in 1962 as it is now thanks to only 36 (39 if you count three
prototypes) being built altogether and it was the Audi of its day, winning the
over 2000cc class of the FIA International Championship for GT manufactures in
1962, '63 and '64. Since then, the car's value has rocketed up thanks to its
rarity and the fact that it is often referred to the best Ferrari to have been
built. In June, a lime-green example originally destined for Sir Stirling Moss
sold for £22million, making it the most expensive car to have ever been sold.
So, is a designer's dream an
icon? Yes, it can be. Take the Lamborghini Muria as an example. From that
perfectly proportioned body to the 'eye-lashes' at the front via the doors that
when opened fully look like a pair of bulls horns, the car oozes style and
substance and is often considered to be one of the best looking cars ever made.
Never mind that it was in effect the first ever 'supercar' and it is an icon
pretty easily. Also, soon after it was launched Twiggy was pictured with one
and it inspired a generation to put it on their bedroom walls. Again, all very
subjective, but personally, it is one of the best looking cars ever made, and is
also one of the few cars that is worth more today than what it cost to buy it
new. Surely that's another sign of an icon?
You may have noticed by now
that I haven't really concentrated on more modern machinery when picking
examples of 'icons' and that's because in my opinion, cars need to gain that
reputation and you can't achieve that reputation overnight. Take, say, Senna.
He was considered one of the best drivers in the world when he was racing but
never was he called an 'icon'. Now, sixteen years on, it's hard to dispute that
he's anything but an icon for the sport and inspired a generation to either
follow Formula One, or decide to take the long path in the hope of emulating
their hero.
With icons, comes a huge
reputation to live up to. Many journalists have said that the Muria feels
wooden when they drive it, and it doesn't live up to the reputation that
precedes it and is a huge disappointment. Some are – quite understandably –
annoyed about this, but then again, since the Muria has been launched, car
standards have raised massively and so the icon doesn't live up to its billing
any more. In terms of this piece does that really matter? No, not one bit,
because I'm talking about what makes an iconic car in my opinion.
So, for a car to be
considered to be an icon, a break in a big film does help raise its public
awareness, as does winning big races on the world's racetracks, but mainly an
iconic car is a car thanks to things that you can't quite put your finger on…
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