Last week I selected four great films (my opinion) from YouTube about iconic cars (also my opinion). But how are they made? And what does the making say about the brand and its philosophy. The samples I present here range from the relatively modest to the very edge of prestige, but the process of building them is something less profane than divine.

Film 1 | Stradale

Thunder, lightening, molten metal and hand-stitched leather. Monochrome film, rhythmic music, the close ups, the dancing shadows of hand welding, reveal the car as object d’art. No spoken words interrupt the almost miraculous birth of the SF90, which seems to come from points of contradiction: the hand of man; and the mind of God. There is only one Stradale, to be seen from afar, an immaculate conception never to be repeated.

Film 2 | call of the Mountain

Sunrise, the place of birth and hope. A voice. The A110 is not some distant ideal. It is the work of the people of a little-known French town, embodying their pride and passion for a myth reborn. This is a car to be touched, caressed, owned and driven; a car that lifts the spirit, stirs the emotion, rekindles memories, becomes family. A car that searches for its home, Rédélé’s mountain.

Film 3 | deus ex Machina

29 minutes and 3 seconds, the hiss and clack of machines, the whir of motors and the rumble of robotic arms and conveyors. We are left in no doubt that in this place precision has primacy. A new car born in an era where man is an aside, a source of error, an accommodation. A servant and a supplicant, but no more.

Film 4 | wood and iron

Plane, chisel, hammer, saw. Steel, hide, furnace. The old ways don’t die, and neither does the Morgan 44. This is a car built by craftsman, each vehicle not so much a copy of the last as a variation, a phenotypical drift. A car worthy of the land where Gandalf walks amongst wood and stone, where Shadowfax can be seen against the brooding sky, and ravens watch from the heights.

A couple of weeks into Australia’s semi-lockdown (if nothing else, we’re really good at doing things half-arsed) and I’ve spent way too much time surfing the internet. Screen time last week (according to Apple): 7 hours 36 minutes a day. That does, of course, include a fair chunk of work via Zoom and Teams, but still…

The upside is that I’ve managed to find a few brilliant videos that are worth watching. I’ve decided to share them with my (very small) audience, just because I can and because writing is fun. Please send it on to others if you think they’ll be interested.

This week I’m presenting my favourite short-short films about cars. But before all you car haters out there switch off, these videos aren’t your run-of-the-mill YouTube schlock prepared by idiots with shaky cams and too much testosterone (or too little common sense); each of these shorts is a product of passion and dedication, filmed with loving care by professional videographers, using well-honed scripts, evocative scoring and even some pretty cool typography. My favourite of these four favourites is more art than video…if you only watch one, watch the last.

So, without further ado, here they are.

Film 1 | The Rally Queen

I’ve never followed rallying, but I’ve always been aware of three iconic rally cars from the golden era of the sport: the Alpine A110 (of which I own the modern reinvention), the Audi Quattro and the car presented in this marvellous biographical journey. Erik Comas, a Formula 1 and Le Mans driver, introduces you to The Rally Queen, his 1974 Lancia Stratos. His passion for this raw, singular vehicle is wonderful to see, and the car itself is unbridled fury.

Film 2 | The Family Car

A sweet tale about a simple man and his love affair with a modest car that is special not because it broke track records or represented the bleeding edge of automotive technology, but because it is woven into the fabric of his memories. Alfa’s 1971 Spider 1300 has become part of Tiziano’s family. His collection of miniatures is wonderfully sweet, and the final frame is perfect. Get to know a car and all those bound to it through love.

Film 3 | The Most Beautiful Car in the World

Beauty is subjective, but I’d contend that no other car can surpass the perfection of Aston Martin’s DBR1. The DBR1 was designed by Ted Cutting in 1955 and built by a small team. Whatever sorcery they invoked, this wonder emerged from Aston Martin Works. It wasn’t just all looks though: it went on to win Le Mans and the 1000 kms of Nürburgring.

Film 4 | Forever

This is the one to watch if cars leave you cold but art is something that excites you. Watch this to hear the words of Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African-American poet from the 19th Century. His poem Forever, heard in Rick Whelan’s rich timbre, is utterly compelling. I’ll let you guess at the car though; it’s a beauty.