La Festa Primavera is an annual springtime celebration of classic cars that takes place in the Kinki region of Japan. Much like La Festa Autunno, its autumn counterpart in the Kansai region, the three central mottoes that have been established over the last 15 years since the first rally in 1997 - “Respect for the old,” “Forever young at heart,” and “Promoting friendship among participants”- ring true for La Festa Primavera and are considered the cornerstones of the event. Our hearts are still with those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. We vow to continue our fund raising activities in the spirit of “Ganbarou Nippon!” (Let’s do our best, Japan!) to collect donations for our friends in the affected areas of East Japan who have always supported La Festa Autunno and to further extend our circle of friendship. La Festa Primavera’s oldest participant is over 80 years old and our average participant is pushing 60. They drive over 1,000 kilometers in four days toward the finish line as they stamp on the heavy clutch thousands of times, thrust the stubborn gears and inspect their water temperature, oil pressure and fuel gauges, voltmeters, tachometer and tripmeters through their reading glasses. There isn’t a single so-called “elderly” to be seen at the finish line—only youthful faces glistening in engine oil, still going strong. Furthermore, our oldest participating vehicle is over 90 years old and even the newest is 45 years old. Each of them has unique, distinctive traits and a beauty that no modern car can rival. Every vehicle has been almost entirely handcrafted by highly experienced and dexterous machinists. But these beauties are difficult to handle; they stop abruptly or become moody and disobedient on a whim. It certainly is no easy task to complete the entire race. But it is for this reason that we honor and celebrate these classic cars that do make it through the finish line. We believe that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as we move steadfastly and continuously forward. La Festa Primavera 2012 Organizing Committe |