For a small town, we sure get some big action! Last night, the Gumball 3000 coast-to-coast road rally pulled into Santa Fe for a quick pit stop. Begun as a road race in 1999, this entourage has morphed into an aspirational whirlwind, valued at $200 million, whose mission is to “build a global lifestyle brand of the future.” This means art, automobiles, music and film! According to Maximilian Cooper, the founder and CEO, “Gumball is about challenging tradition and taking a non-conventional approach to exploring and developing cultural and creative boundaries.” Now that’s a unique business plan, with the blog to prove it and a star-studded roster of gumballers to guarantee lots of press!
Gumball 3000!
Certainly Santa Fe fits the bill for a non-conventional place, and all sorts of people, locals and visitors alike, came down to the Plaza to see these most unconventional high-end cars roll in. The excitement level was high, but the pace of arrival was sadly not as speedy as the cars themselves. Even though it was a work night for locals, the die-hard car fans hung in there, waiting to see vehicles that most of us can only dream about, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, driven by a dreamboat. And of course, the oldies are still the goodies!
One Sweet Ride for a Special Somebody
Although there was a souped-up Chevy or two, these road racers mostly traveled in extreme comfort as well as style.
Mr. Chevy, Meet Herr Benz
Cameras were flashing all over the place, and that completely chromed-up Ferrari passed in a blur – literally!
Yes, it WAS that fast!
While you never know what you’ll see on the Santa Fe Plaza, a purple Lamborghini is still a big surprise!
Italian…in Purple!
For a sleepy Tuesday night, it was quite an adrenaline rush to see and hear these babies roar into town and then back out again the next morning. And though Santa Fe might have felt pretty sleepy for the drivers, especially after the Indy 500, we’ll wait to find out who comes back to see us on a more leisurely road trip! Good luck to the eventual winner, thanks for coming, have fun, and watch that gas pedal out on the open road!
