High-end cigarette "Peace" goes on sale/Italian driver G. Morbidelli is born/Nissan's first Pike car, the Be-1, debuts! 【What day is it today? January 13]

■Tobacco Day Commemorating Peace Release

January 13th is Peace Memorial Day/Tobacco Day. The name comes from the fact that on this day in 1946 (Showa 21) after the war, the first piece of high-class cigarettes with a wish for peace was released. There used to be a time when a man smoking a cigarette was a symbol of a cool man, but now that smoking cessation and non-smoking are commonplace, smokers are narrow-minded.

By the way, those born on January 13th include actress Ran Ito, professional golfer Nasa Hataoka, writer Takashi Atoda, film director Shinji Somai, and racing driver Gianni Morbidelli.

Today, I would like to introduce you to Gianni Morbidelli.

Gianni Morbidelli was born on January 13, 1968 in Pesaro, Italy, the son of the once successful road racer and motorcycle manufacturer Morbidelli. He started in karting at the age of 12 and made his mark in Formula 3 before becoming a test driver for Ferrari in 1989. Although he made his F1 debut in 1890 and changed teams, his best result was a 3rd place finish at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. Although he didn't have good results in F1, he is remembered for being a scion of a prestigious company and because Alain Prost was dismissed for criticizing Ferrari's machine as a truck, so he suddenly became Prost's substitute. It remains.

So what happened today in the car world?

On January 13, 1987, the Be-1 debuted as Nissan's first pike car. A Pike is a pointed spear, which in turn refers to a car specifically designed for a purposeful concept. The Be-1 concept car, which was exhibited at the 1985 Tokyo Motor Show, received a great response and was quickly commercialized.

The Be-1 was based on the platform of the original March, but was characterized by a rounded form with the theme of "nostalgic modern" that was completely different from the angular March. The interior features a knitted seat, a round air-conditioner grille, and a white meter, all of which add to its cuteness. In addition, four body colors were available: bright tomato red, pumpkin yellow, onion white, and hand rain blue, which won the hearts of many young people.

The Be-1 became so popular that the limited sales of 10,000 units ended in less than two months. After that, even in the used car market, it was traded at a value exceeding 2 million yen (1.3 million to 1.45 million yen at the time of release).

At the time, it was the bubble period. Alongside the luxury cars that sold like hot cakes, there were cars full of playfulness like this one.

Every day is an anniversary. Today may be an anniversary of some sort.

(Mr. Soran)