Machine Mad - Al Best

Machines: An obsession.

According to my parents, my first word was “car”. By the age of two I was drawing cars and I never really stopped. I was obsessed.

Growing up, everything I did was part of this obsession for machines. In the car I would watch my dad changing gears and was fascinated at how he controlled the vehicle. I loved being in the car and my dad knew it. I was five when he let me sit on his lap and steer as we drove along. It was the biggest thrill imaginable. I could not wait to be a grown up and have a car of my own.

By the time I finished school I had already spent years designing cars and other machines, so I was invited to study Industrial Design at Adelaide University. I later switched to Graphic Design and majored in Illustration, without which I wouldn’t be here now producing Submachine Magazine.

My first machine was a 1977 Vespa 150 Super. I customised it and sold it to buy a 1964 Vespa GS. This process continued through countless Italian scooters. Of course, they would break down occasionally, so you learnt to fix them. I loved the satisfaction of bringing a machine back to life and I am sure this is why I prefer old cars and motorcycles, because they are much easier to work on than the new stuff. You don’t need to plug them into a computer to find a problem. You just need some basic tools and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

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What is the allure of the machine? If we’re talking about cars and motorcycles (we are, right?) then it’s a combination of things. Freedom is the big one when you’re 16. No more waiting at bus stops! Style is another factor. I never lusted after a Toyota Cressida. This is why design is so important. Community is also a massive drawcard. At 16 we were mods. Scooters, parkas, suits and haircuts. We belonged. We had our community. Today I see it everywhere. Low riders, JDM crew, bike clubs, car clubs, events and gatherings. What a wonderful source of community machines are. And they all understand each other because it’s all the same passion. That is why I came up with the tagline for Submachine Magazine: Art, Cars, Motorcycles and Optimism. When you have a sense of community, you have a sense of optimism.

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Why old machines? I prefer to drive an old car. I don’t want an ‘infotainment system’. I don’t need heated seats and I definitely don’t want a car that can drive itself! Give me a V8 with a carburettor and wind-up windows any day. The future is rushing towards us and I just want it to wait. Hold off. Get lost. I am still really enjoying the past.