On June 5, Miami will host one of the world’s most lavish automotive gatherings. More than a hundred supercars will assemble to begin a week-long, high-octane, 3,000-mile route spanning two continents. The event is open to anyone with the right car — and the willingness to pay a steep entry fee of about £40,000 (roughly $67,000). Interested?
At the start of the automobile age, owning a car was an unmistakable sign of great wealth. A motorcar was more than transportation: it was a novelty, a plaything and an overt status symbol.
That began to change with Henry Ford. When the Model T emerged from the world’s first moving production line in 1908, cars became attainable for a much broader public. The roads no longer belonged exclusively to the affluent, and driving lost much of its exclusivity and glamour.
Wealth, however, always finds new ways to show itself. When mere ownership stopped being enough, the identity and pedigree of the vehicle became the badge of distinction. Brands like Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti and Cadillac retained — and still retain — instant prestige.
Gather a selection of elite vehicles and you can recreate some of that bygone glamour by staging a rally. That idea is the starting point behind the Gumball 3000. In 1999 British designer Maximillion Cooper invited friends on a rally from London to Italy and back, launching an event that would attract a mix of celebrities and car enthusiasts alike.
The celebrity roster has always been eclectic — and sometimes bemusing — (David Hasselhoff remains a recurring presence), but the event’s entrance requirements are strict. To line up on the Miami starting grid you need a car that sits comfortably alongside Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugatti Veyrons, plus the occasional jaw-dropping outlier. Last year’s route even featured a $1.6 million, custom-built replica of the Batmobile from The Dark Knight films.
In 2013 the Gumball stayed in Europe, beginning in Copenhagen and finishing in Monte Carlo. The 2014 route crosses the Atlantic. After departing Florida, the convoy will head north up the Eastern Seaboard to New York via Atlanta. From New York the cars will be flown to Edinburgh, and participants will then drive to London, Paris, Barcelona and finally the famously hedonistic island of Ibiza.
The Gumball 3000’s unabashed celebration of wealth and celebrity won’t appeal to everyone. For those who find the spectacle excessive, there is an entertaining counterpoint. In July 2014 a rival event sets off from Reims, France, and finishes in Venice, Italy. The Crumball Rally, first run in 2006, deliberately parodies the Gumball’s exclusivity. Its rules favour the humbler, cheaper vehicle: cars must be road legal and bought for less than £200 (around $333). Participants dress their vehicles and themselves in fancy dress and embark on a three-day adventure that embraces chaos, camaraderie and a healthy dose of irony.
Ford’s legacy lives on in these contrasting events. The Gumball seeks to convince observers that certain automotive pleasures are the preserve of the wealthy; the Crumball demonstrates that spirited motoring is for everyone. Ultimately, all you really need is a set of wheels, a sense of camaraderie and a willingness to hit the road with an irreverent sense of adventure.