So what if the price of petrol is going through the roof? With Reuge, you can still enjoy your car, safe in the knowledge that it’s CO2 neutral. The historic manufacture based in Sainte-Croix is breaking new creative ground, drawing inspiration from the automotive world. The Racing Symphony musical automaton is the worthy spiritual heir to the other mechanical inventions that dominated the race tracks back then, as they still do today.
Back to the 1930s
Between the two World Wars, carmaker Auto Union – whose four-circle logo was adopted by its descendant, Audi – was one of the first to successfully place the car’s engine in the centre of the vehicle. This marked a significant step forward, because a vehicle’s centre of gravity is a crucial factor in being able to take corners at high speed, without spinning off. This engine placement improved road-holding and grip. Of course, the new configuration also reduced the space available in the cockpit which, although it’s inconvenient in a regular car, is less important in a racing vehicle. After this breakthrough, mid-engine cars would come to dominate the Formula 1 and Formula 3 motor racing circuits.
Full speed ahead!
The idea behind the Racing Symphony was to draw as much inspiration as possible from the motor racing world. The design, based on a contemporary mid-engine sports car, was the starting point. The outline of the chassis was modelled in clay, which is what actually happens in racing car design. Then the aluminium shell was moulded in a specialised aluminium foundry, after which the metal was sanded by hand for a week to produce those perfectly sharp, sleek lines. The coachwork was, naturally, executed in coach enamel by a specialist based in Sainte-Croix, where the Reuge Manufacture has its headquarters.
The colours available are red for Italy, blue for France, green for Great Britain and yellow for Belgium – the countries that were competing back in the 30s. Metallic strips highlight the aerodynamic lines. Sixteen models are available in each colour, with the serial number engraved on a plaque.
If speed had a sound…
Reuge, a specialist in musical automata, gave this new Racing Symphony an engine in keeping its exterior, executed entirely in-house. Two independent symmetrical movements – each playing three melodies – are placed on either side of the car, as if they were the 16-cylinder engines of the Auto Union cars of the time. Two air regulators, which adjust the rotation speed of each cylinder depending on the melody, are located on the sides. The only fuel required is human energy, in the form of a modest outlay of kinetic energy to wind the key.
There’s no deafening roar, just a series of meticulously assembled notes – 72 per cylinder – which combine to produce a selection of melodies chosen for their association with speed: Back to the Future, James Bond, Mission Impossible, The Godfather, Edelweiss and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The music may be popular, but don’t be deceived: it takes the talents of Reuge’s highly skilled musical arranger, and the pooled know-how of the manufacture’s craftsmen and women to produce a work of such ingenious mastery.
So, what are you waiting for? Windows down, volume up… destination Sainte-Croix!
