The Maserati brothers had to sell of their company in 1937 due to financial trouble, but they stayed on for another ten years working under contract. When that was up, they founded O.S.C.A., one of the coolest car companies of all time.
They weren't legally allowed to build cars that competed with official Maseratis, so O.S.C.A. built their race cars with tiny little engines, usually based in some form off of Fiats and measured in cc, not liters. These things absolutely dominated their class, and regularly punched above their light weight, getting a kind of success that rivaled Maserati. They folded in 1967, but they taught an important lesson: sometimes focusing on the small things and concentrating on the details pays off.
At least that's how things sounded when Toyota unveiled their drool-worthy kid-friendly Camette, which IDriveEveryDay echoed in his own story.
This is so great. Does anyone else remember reading the Robb Report magazine back in the 80's? As A kid I would flip thru the pages and ogle the Pantera's, Mongusta's, and Countachs'. But what really got me hyped was seeing the advertising for the mini super car replicas (possibly from FAO Schwartz??). Mini Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lambo's... To my little kid's eye these were perfection, attainable, and my ticket to freedom and coolness!
I obsessed over them. In every Christmas list and birthday I would write down, at the top of the list, "A mini Lamborghini" and hope that it would arrive.
Alas it never did. But my fascination for all things small and detailed wouldn't end. Micro-machines, The Littles, Robotech toys, Innerspace (Martin Shorts finest work), and Mini-coopers (I've owned 3 now).
I guess to me there is something remarkably cool and enigmatic about the finite attention that goes into making something not only small, but fully functional.
Coolness Toyota. Now can you put an AE-86 body on it?
Photo Credit: George Perfect