Two Gems of the
Automotive World Headed to Brazil By: Niky Pauli /
Media Racing
March 6, 2004
He has won the Formula One World Championship two times, two
Indianapolis’ famous 500 miles and one Indy Car title. His career is brimming with
risks, adventures and realized dreams. His smile is his best business card and his name
speaks for itself: Emerson Fittipaldi.
Although retired from driving as of a few years ago, Fittipaldi remains constantly
involved in the business world. At the Lan Chile Cargo headquarters in Miami this week,
and with the support of the Bringer Corporation, he presented his most recent project
which, according to his own words, will serve as a historic legacy for future
generations.
Standing amongst the two cars which helped him win the famous 500 miles of Indianapolis
- the Penske PC-18 with the #20 and the Penske PC-22 with the #4 – Fittipaldi spoke with
the media and the fans, recounting old stories.
“The cars will go this week with Lan Chile – the largest cargo company serving Latin
America – to Porto Alegre in Brazil. There they will be on exhibit at the Lutheran
University of Brazil in the Museum of Technology where all of the archives of my life
are assembled: the trophies, the cars, the photos, the conquests, the uniforms, the
helmets. There, everything will be available to the public and that makes me very happy
because I believe it is very important to establish sports museums in Brazil. My
grandchildren will be able to visit them one day with their children and see the
conquests, the cars that belonged to their grandfather,” he said, obviously happy.
The Museum of Technology was constructed to be the largest of its kind in Latin America
and one of the biggest in the world in quantity and diversity. In a space measuring 9346
square meters, there are almost 260 vehicles, among which, some are a point of reference
in world automotive history.
“This is the first time that the two cars I used to win the Indy 500 will be together,”
explained Fittipaldi. The Museum’s exposition actually includes the famous Copersucar
Fittipaldi (the only F1 automobile built in Latin America), 148 of his trophies and 22
of his medals.
“Over there I have one very interesting car, which is a street car from 1939. A
Chevrolet Coupe which they call Carretera in Brazil, which was the first car I rode in
at Interlagos when I was just 11 years old.”
The two cars which Fittipaldi bid farewell to in Miami will be added to this collection.
“Fangio did something similar in Argentina and I think it is wonderful that a country
like Brazil can have these cars, which brings them closer to my history. There are so
many sporting achievements in Latin America! And we need to keep them in its history.
Not only the ones from my career, but those of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna and other
Brazilian champions as well.”
In reference to his cars his said: “Car #20 was very special. I spoke to it and it spoke
to me. Everything I wanted it to do, it did and everything it wanted me to do, I did.”
“Number 4 was also very important to me. It is the car that I won with for the second
time at Indianapolis; it is a car that ran strong at the start of the race, but was
difficult to drive. In the end, for the last 15-20 laps, at the most crucial moment, it
behaved very, very well and it was my second win at Indianapolis. Furthermore, that car
is historical because when I won the Indy 500, instead of drinking the traditional milk
that the winner would drink, I drank orange juice. That was a big thing, something that
they are still talking about today,” he emotionally explains.
“We wanted to show our clients the transporting process of two of the most famous cars,
and to share an agreeable moment with the famous driver, Emerson Fittipaldi,” said
Felipe Meyer, Regional Sales Director for Lan Chile Cargo in Florida for Latin America.
“These cars are not considered general cargo, but rather as special cargo because
special care is required and they are supervised from the time they enter our warehouses
until they are aboard the planes, and even when they arrive at their destination, they
receive the proper security. Each car will travel with a specially assigned attendant,”
added Meyer.
The Bringer Corporation, with over 20 years of experience in the market, is the company
in charge of packing the cars which will chart a course for Brazil. “Transporting these
cars is an opportunity which was presented to us and we are very proud of it. They are
cars with important careers and histories; they are the cars of the Brazilian driver who
began the entire history for his countrymen who later followed him,” said Eduardo De
Castro, President of the Bringer Corporation. He added: “These vehicles will travel on a
Boeing 767, separated entirely from any other cargo. It is not every day that we have
the opportunity to transport the winners of the Indy 500. We have transported many
vehicles, but very few in the world have had the chance to transport two winners of the
Indy 500. We are feeling very proud. This means a lot to us.”
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