A car that uses the most modern construction technologies, but has the Sixties at its heart . A “bolide” that maximizes the connection between vehicle and driver and that contains the best of “made in Italy”, namely beauty, innovation, tailoring and driving pleasure .
It is called “Rina” and it is the new two-seater “barchetta” by AM – Automobili Mignatta , presented in a world preview these days. Built in carbon fiber, by hand, down to the smallest details, it will be produced in Valfenera d'Asti (Piedmont), in an exclusive annual edition limited to just 30 units.
"With Rina we aspire to make the art of making cars coincide with pure grace , creating a beauty characterized by noble simplicity and quiet grandeur", explains Josè Mignatta , owner of AM , a house that has its roots in Piedmont, with its prestigious automotive tradition. But the style of the new speedster (5-liter aspirated V8 engine, 6-speed transaxle manual transmission and self-locking differential) also speaks Sardinian .
<p>Rina by AM (Photo Alessandro Accossato)</p>Chief designer of the project is in fact Davide Dessì, 33 years old originally from Quartu . «Rina – Dessì explains to L'UnioneSarda.it – is a journey into design and emotion, a tribute to the Italian sports cars of yesteryear , from which it takes the sinuous and soft curves accompanied by taut lines . Every detail is designed to express purity and synthesis, without frills, just like the sports cars of the Sixties. The result is a timeless beauty, where every feature is functional and the form is the true protagonist».
From Quartu to Piedmont, to “sign” self-masterpieces. How did the adventure begin?
«I have had a passion for cars since I was little. I started drawing them when I was two years old and I haven't stopped since. Until I made it my job. After high school at Brotzu, I enrolled in Engineering in Cagliari, but I didn't finish. In fact, I won a scholarship to the IED in Turin. I moved there and graduated in Transportation Design. From there, my career started to take off...».
How did you get into Automobili Mignatta?
«I started working with Italdesign and as a consultant. Then I met Josè Mignatta, founder of AM and JM, a company that has been active for a quarter of a century in the processing of carbon and composite materials. He was already collaborating with prestigious car manufacturers. And for years he asked me: “Davide, when are we going to make a car of our own?”. In the end we made up our minds and went from words to deeds».
How much time passed between the first drawing and the realization?
«The first sketch of “Rina” dates back to last September. The launch took place these days. A few months then. A truly record time, considering that our team is made up of very few people. But the enthusiasm and the desire to believe in it gave us wings».
<p>(Photo Alessandro Accossato)</p>“Rina” is inspired by the two-seaters of the Sixties. The Aurelia from “Il Sorpasso”, the Alfa Romeo from “The Graduate”, the cars from “La Dolce Vita” come to mind…
"We wanted to pay homage to the Italian "know-how" that had its apotheosis in those years. A project to rediscover beauty, elegance, attention to detail and all those values of Italianness, which - unfortunately - are being lost a bit, in the automotive sector and beyond".
Losing… why?
"For a mix of factors: from management choices that have proven wrong over the years to political strategies that have proven penalizing. The effects, here in Piedmont - the kingdom of the Italian automotive industry - are felt more than elsewhere. The sector is in crisis, between layoffs, early retirements, redundancy payments. And unfortunately, this crisis is not talked about enough."
Will the future of cars really be electric?
"I don't think so. In Europe, we have tried to set the horizon for the definitive transition to electric in 2035, but I think that plans will soon have to be revised. Electric is too expensive and companies like Tesla that have focused on it see their sales constantly declining."
What will tomorrow be then?
«In fifty years' time I believe that we will focus on hybrids and biofuels, because the signals say that there are no conditions to rely solely and exclusively on electric».
Let’s go back to your career as a designer. Who are your role models?
"The car that inspired me and made me say: "I want to do this job" was the Alfa Romeo Brera, whose first concept was amazing. But over the years I have also been inspired by Paolo Martin with his Ferrari "Modulo", Marcello Gandini and Flavio Manzoni, Sardinian like me."
Sardinia. Has being born on the island influenced your career?
«Definitely yes. Having origins in a place like Sardinia, so different and so small compared to the reality of the big cities and so far from the automotive world has given me the “hunger” necessary to try to reach my goals».
<p>The AM team (Photo Alessandro Accossato)</p>His next projects?
«Rina is a battering ram for other projects with Automobili Mignatta. We are already working on the coupé and spider versions. Then who knows... I certainly want to exploit the flame of creativity while it is lit. Then, when it goes out - because creativity has an expiration date - I will dedicate myself to something else. Maybe returning to Sardinia...».
To do what?
"In parallel to my work, I teach at the Polytechnic School of Design in Milan and I know how important training, turnover and the ability to nurture creativity are in this sector. Therefore, in the future I would like to create an academy for young design talents or a creative laboratory. And I would like to do it right here in Sardinia, a perfect place - thanks to its beauty and its peculiarities - to give inspiration".