Since early 2001, I have dreamt of a car. A car whose praises would be sung until the dawn of a new era. A car the likes of none have seen before, and will always be remembered and cherished. In American history, in European history, and in Asian history, such cars have risen to the challenge. The Mustang, a somewhat middle-class sportier muscle car – but has survived generations of competition. Since 1964, the world has known of its continued patronage. I have modified many Mustangs since founding Drash Motorworks in 2006. But none other than my idol, Mister Carol Shelby himself, is far more well-known in the industry. Simply speaking the name “Shelby” in the late sixties had little impact – few knew of the Shelby Roadster, and even fewer of the Shelby GT500 Mustang. As time marches on, however, we slipped into a new era of cars. In the later years and more modernly, the name Shelby became a household item. In a seeming fortnight Carol Shelby went from that man that makes cars to the very icon of American Muscle.
Of course, Carol Shelby isn’t the only one. He’s just the most well-known and a perfect example.
Drash Motorworks, Ltd is a company devoted to bringing power to the customer. Power of choice, of freedom, of the road.
“I want to sit my customer behind a wheel, and let him feel what I’m selling him.” I said.
“Which means that you’re competing with… Who?” The interviewer questioned. She shuffled around, queuing the cameraman to focus towards me.
“Well, obviously this isn’t Bavarian Motor Works, or Mercedes-Benz, but I’d like people to look at those cars and say, “Wow, that’s a nice engine. I wish I could have that.” Then look at my cars and say, “I can have that!” Because that’s something that I personally have always wanted, and choose to create.” I put a point in emphasis, receiving a noted reaction.
“So you’re selling a motor in a can?” The talk show host asked, as the audience erupted in laughter.
“Well, actually yes. Affectionately, I am. Obviously, that isn’t all there is to it. Not everyone interested in my cars will be the next big thing in racing.” I shot an exposed smirk to the man, “Sometimes, the prestige of having that car, and the other cars the person owns has a lot to do with it.”
The interviewing lady to my right interjected, “What do the other cars have to do with it?”
“Take for instance a man who has retired. He’s restored an old 55 Chevy or maybe a Gran Torino. That means that he’s used to, and likes, those old, heavy, powerful cars. Now, obviously you can’t just drive one of those cars down the road every day. So, he looks at my cars and says, “That car is a lot like my restored car.” And even if it doesn’t have quite the horsepower, the features and specs could be similar, and he will be more comfortable in my car than another.”
“So you’re focusing on the population that knows exactly what they want.” The host said, pointedly. I nod in response.
“And what they want is a car that has a very nice performance record, without other gadgetry getting in the way.”
“What do you mean by gadgetry? Like knobs and dials?” The interviewer inquired.
I took a moment, summing up my thoughts. I then replied, “Things like ABS and power steering. Launch control, things like that.” The interviewer seemed somewhat shocked by my statement.
The host leaned across the desk, “So you’re telling me I might be buying a car that can do 0-60 faster than I can fart and it won’t help me steer?”
“In short, yes.”
The host sat down very slowly, realizing the gravity of the statement I just made.
“But that’s not all there is to it. Power steering is the type of thing a customer would expect to be standard, but on my cars, it’s just an option. If a man like myself came onto my lot, he would be looking for a car with good performance that he can afford. That means he won’t be paying $1000 for a GPS system he won’t use, $3000 for Electronic Launch and Stability that is just invasive, and certainly won’t be paying $500 for power windows, no matter how convenient that is. He just wants a car that will go fast without breaking the bank. I am there to supply that car to him for the price he’s looking for.”
The host thinks about the concept for a brief moment, then returns: “So are all of those kinds of things optional, or just gone for good?”
“I’ll certainly see to a customer’s needs if they ask for it, but a car sitting on the lot likely won’t have anything. My focus is to reintroduce the road to the driver, and they make the conscious decision of whether or not they can handle it.”
The host looks to the side of the stage suddenly, and checks his watch. “Well, that’s all the time we have. Thank you, very much, Estel for joining us on our show. Good night everyone, up next is the News at nine!”
A small town talk show airing mostly just in my small town. A tiny step forward, but at least I haven’t taken a step back. As I returned to my own studio, I opened the door to the first project I ever started. My engineers were hard at work laying out measurements and cutting metal, the prototype came together swimmingly.
This isn’t the kind of car for a talk show. This is the kind of car that drives down the street with its own theme song. The Volo – the only mass produced car I’d ever make with a price tag over $30,000.
Perhaps not my last work of art, but certainly the first.
Say hello to the 2014 Drash Volo i.
The Volo is currently planned to have three trims: i, v, and x to coincide with the other Drash lineup. The Volo’s entire focus will be Sportiness and Prestige. While the engines are still in development, all three trims are planned to be V8s. The x trim will receive a small face lift. I will be posting final numbers for this vehicle as they come available.
