An Italian Fragrance Journey
When Charabanc set out to create the first luxury car fragrance brand, its founding partners discussed at length the relationship between the car and the scent that they would develop which they felt should be symbiotic. The car had to be central to the idea, the design, the fragrances, the content and the name should all be oriented around the car. Developing a 'car cologne' or a 'car perfume' therefore didn’t feel quite right. It felt as if a new idea was needed.
One day, the founders were discussing scent memories from road trips they had been on when the lightbulb moment happened and the idea of ‘fragrance journeys’ came to mind. A trip through Monument Valley in a big old Mustang, the scent of its dark leathery seats mingling in the dry air with the hardy flora and botanicals that were strong enough to survive such arid conditions. Umbria, with its gentle hills and plains and flower-filled meadows, all powdery, soft and sweet.
Fragrances inspired by some of the most iconic road journeys would be the unique luxury car fragrance that Charabanc would provide. Fragrances which would have all of the layers and complexity of a fine fragrance.
The road trip from Venice to Lake Como was a fragrance journey like no other, providing distinctive and different olfactory delights as varied as the scenery on each leg. On the first stage - Venice to Trento - the scent of spruce filled the air - fresh, leafy, earthy and clean, intermingled with notes of larch and fir, accentuated by the hovering mountain mist.
The following day’s trip was from Trento to Corrubbio passing vineyard upon vineyard with their sunbaked juicy, fresh fruit pungency - a cavalcade of cherry, plum, cranberry and raspberry that the Corvino grape is so known and loved for.
The last drive passed Wild Iris and Lavender at the roadside on the road down from Capo di Ponte - key notes found in Charabanc’s own Italian scent “Along the Plains of Castelluccio” so a fragrance journey highlight, the London Tan Pomander that is paired with the Italian scent couldn’t have been more at home.
Lastly, with the descent towards Lake Como, the fragrance symphony delivered a thrilling finale where lime blossom, geranium, hyacinth and jasmine danced on the ozone breeze from the spring cool lake.
Also in JOURNEYS
Journey from Venice to Lake Como
In the company of some very rare cars, a yellow 1967 Lamborghini Miura and a white 1967 Toyota 2000 to name but two, we travelled from Venice to Trento, from Trento to Corrubbio, Corrubbio to Moltraiso, finishing at Lake Como for the exclusive Concorso D’Eleganza.
Journey from Pendine to Pendine
This fabulous XK140 drove us from the expansive sands of Pendine, over the majestic Black Mountains, through the Forest of Dean to the gentle Cotswold landcapes and onto our final destination, Pendine Historics at Bicester Heritage.
Journey from London to Brighton
Starting in Hyde Park on a cold and crisp morning, we took part in the famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, dressed for the era and the elements in this stunning 1903 Renault four-cylinder swing seat Tonneau. Final stop, the very Grand Hotel, Brighton.
