Cars are fascinating, but at the end of they day, they're just machines that people create. They're nothing without the fascinating people behind them. It takes a dedicated person — or more often than not, a team of people working together — to make an extraordinary automobile.
So let's stop talking about design and horsepower figures for a moment and talk about the men and women behind the machines. That's our question this weekend: who is the most fascinating person in the automotive world, past or present?
You can name someone current, like Bob Lutz or Elon Musk, or someone long dead, like Hans Ledwinka. Go nuts!
I don't know if he's the most interesting in the entire realm of car-dom, but I've always had a soft spot for Ferruccio Lamborghini, myself. The guy was a hugely successful industrialist and sports car enthusiast, but when he meets with fellow titan of industry Enzo Ferrari to complain about the clutch in his car, Ferrari tells him where to stick it.
So what does Lamborghini do? Out of spite, the legend goes, he makes his own exotic car which he names after himself. And bullfighting. Because he was a badass like that. I just love that story.
Who's your favorite interesting person from the world of cars?
Photo credit Wikipedia/Philipp Lücke