One Man Vision 2021 Automobili Amos Futurista

Eugenio Amos is perhaps the modern reincarnation of the utmost sincerity and transparency of a man’s passion. In some ways he embodies the contrarian spirit that makes things way cooler than they actually are. If you want to define in his own words the world of enthusiast’s cars today “people today buy the hype” and this is absolutely true: we value more the “aura” of a new object rather than the actual substance it actually has. Eugenio is very critical of this aspect of today’s market:”you can be successful in promoting something today and this something doesn’t need to be beautiful. With the Futurista we wanted to transmit our values first and foremost”.

We live in a world that is dominated by the “marketing first” strategy, where products are not so important after all. Passion nowadays is synonymous with Brand enslavement: to have something you wish you have to stick to rules that are mostly idiotic. To buy something is one thing, but to acquire it equals to sharing the philosophy behind it. An object, at times, is an ambassador of the effort of somebody that has poured time into it, nourishing an idea based on his passion. 

It’s outstanding to build something that is able to create a bridge between past and present. What Automobili Amos did was to create a bridge between past and present and re-create the emotions that stirred the imagination and passion for cars of an entire generation and make it known worldwide. If you lived in Italy back in the 90ies, chances are that you would have loved one car, the Lancia Delta HF Integrale EVO. The queen of rallying, the car that still to this day has won more rallies than any other.

Built by Podium Engineering in the Valle d’Aosta region, the Delta Futurista is the work of many, guided under the vision of Eugenio Amos. First and foremost, the project wanted to pay respect to the original idea, without destroying the original concept. Instead, they wanted to build a car that Lancia could have built today: to paraphrase this with Eugenio’s words “it’s a Delta which is not a Delta”. Perception is what differentiates things and makes them more successful or not, depending on generation to generation. What the Futurista does is to create a bridge between the past and the future. Those who were kids back in the 90ies or just couldn’t afford the Delta love this car because it symbolizes that legends really never die. At the same time, new generations of enthusiasts who had no idea what the Delta represented can truly experience a renaissance of this legendary Lancia in the most exclusive and exciting way possible.Icons are so because they can define and redefine a genre and live forever in the imagination of people. That’s why the concept behind Automobili Amos is very actual and gives to people an object made out of desire and ambition rather than just plain hype and marketing strategies.

Of course, the Futurista is Eugenio’s one-man-vision, but he’s very outspoken about the fact that teamwork is essential: “you know, I am good at choosing the right people for the right job… I cannot do everything by myself!”. Part of his team of craftsmen is Carlo Borromeo, a shareholder of Automobili Amos and the chief designer of the team who designed the Futurista. Speaking of true retro-futurism, the design of this modern-day icon pivoted around minimalistic design interventions that had a great impact on the finished car. It’s definitely a Lancia Delta… but it’s truly something completely new. Another valuable member of Eugenio’s team is Luca Ciancetti from Podium. Him and his team are responsible for the engineering, the actual build of the first prototype and of the production of all the examples. Definitely a reliable partner, given the fact that Eugenio’s dream car has been developed as an evolution of the original Delta with unique technical details and features. 

That’s why in Eugenio’s vision, today’s limited edition cars are not as exclusive and exciting as they should be: “a super-rare car produced in 1500 examples, where I have to beg the manufacturer to have one is not the way to go”. The Futurista is quite an exclusive car. Only 20 have been produced and as the production is coming to an end (currently car #16 is under construction), Eugenio still has some ideas regarding his creation. In his own words, the future of the Futurista is something more extreme: “I’d like to build a more competition-focused version, something with less frills and more substance”. In his dream there could be a more powerful Futurista with a sequential gearbox, active differential, hydraulic parking brake and with a handling characteristic that would allow it to turn around its axis. It’s no mystery that he plans to do a “Safari” inspired variant, a jacked-up car suitable for driving in hostile situations, like the legendary Martini-sponsored Deltas of the Safari Rally in Africa. Also, this is the last restomod Eugenio and his team will do “next we have the ambition of building an everyday supercar… which shouldn’t be something uncomfortable, with two seats and limited usability, say a cross between an Audi RS6 and a Tesla Model X!”.You must admit that there’s a bit of Romano Artioli in Eugenio Amos. The passion one has for something creates an unbreakable will to make something memorable. The real ambition of the Futurista is to be the fil rouge between past and present, a time machine which looks forward instead of backwards, where nostalgia is the fuel for making good things happen.  No one can bring back the Delta Integrale and the Lancia Rally team. We can indulge ourselves in looking back at one of the greatest moments of motorsport, but there’s a safe and reassuring feeling that we can look forward with the confidence of somebody who just knows that there is someone who can turn passion into fantastic cars.