August 1941. From Condé Nast Digital Archive.
A couple of weeks ago, the Italian socialite Roberto Parli managed to bolster his playboy credentials: he crashed the front wheels off a roughly $400,000 sports car and stumbled from the scene of the accident yelling, “I’m a millionaire. I’ll pay for everything, I don’t care,” reports say.
This reckless stunt—like many other high-profile accidents—follows a storied tradition of rich men destroying fine automobiles simply because it’s fun. Parli’s behavior is a modern example of an old-fashioned notion: any ordinary man can buy a fancy car, but only a true playboy can demolish one with dignity.
Naturally, a responsible person might find this cavalier approach to celebrating affluence offensive. The all-too-obvious consequence of risking the lives of innocent motorists, for instance, is probably a point that would turn off more sensible individuals. But practicality isn’t a trait wayward playboys are known for. And in each new generation of self-satisfied upper-class men, there are a select few destined to find themselves standing over a ruined sports car, relishing their own destructive power, and the car’s demise.
Parli’s alleged outburst after the accident illustrates his desperate need to demonstrate the authority of his wealth. For those present at the crash, no doubt, the words he supposedly uttered must have sounded even more foolish than they do now. Whether or not Parli planned to cover the damages is irrelevant. The overwhelming sense of superiority reflected in his reported response may spring from the false sense of security large sums of money tend to provide. When I called one wealthy car collector I know to discuss this incident, he told me that it isn’t uncommon for sports-car enthusiasts to wreck their favorite vehicles. Many of the cars he’s de-accessed from his collection, including a Shelby Cobra, he said, have been crashed within 60 days of the sale. “It’s always sad to see interesting cars driven by idiots,” he added.
Of all the ways someone can utilize their wealth, totaling a car seems to be a particularly gauche one. It’s a surprisingly common practice, and it does appear to have found a secure place in upper-class life, however uninspired. Fortunately, other colorful bons vivants have embraced less deleterious expressions of leisure. These people manage somehow to harness the power of money in a more jovial manner. Being a tad outlandish without the smash-up carries a certain charm.
It’s true that nothing connotes real wealth as aggressively as the offhanded rejection of things with real value—but distinctive rich people find ways to make the impression without the collateral damage.
by Jamie Johnson
The One Percent
Via: VanityFair
I use to wonder and I wandered. Now I do not wonder and so I don’t wander. I simply feel and in this matter, who really cares if they who smash their cars don’t care about them?!!!!!!!