By Tamara Warren
Lush green, idyllic European roads are lined with cafes, castles and quaint locales. Here is authentic European charm, outside of large metropolises where exotic cars find their calling on large expanses of highway. Here along winding stretches of road, exquisite, handcrafted cars that operate at lightening speed are in their element. This is where Maximilian Riedel, C.E.O of Riedel Crystal, spends much of his free time.
“The question is what sort of vehicles have I not take on these roads?” 31-year old Riedel proudly exclaims. The 11th generation glassmaker is an avid enthusiastic car collector. Ferraris are prominent in his stable. (He has four including a vintage Daytona and a new Scuderia). He keeps a canary yellow Lamborghini Murcielago and Mercedes-Benz S65 in his New York City garage. The pristine cars are not for show. Every year the Austrian native who lives in New York, carves out time in his schedule for long drives through the European countryside.
While the clichéd image of European road racing is the iconic Autobahn, Riedel believes this perception is outdated. “Even though people say Germany on the Autobahn is the place to be because you can go as fast as you want to that’s not true,” Riedel explains. “Those days are over for the last 5 to 10 years. There are speed limitations. The police are really hot on teaching the people who still live the dream of the 1990s.”
Riedel designs his travels to be conducive to the overall experience as the ambassador of the crystal wine glasses made by his family business. Top on the list are roads of the French countryside where he is planning his next trip through Strasbourg and the Loire Valley onto Burgundy in one of his Ferraris. “If you want to drive a car, if it is a nice car, if it is a fast car, if it is an old car, there is only one place to do so because the roads are absolutely the finest in the world and this is the northern part of France,” he says. “For sure one of the nicest routes is from Kufstein to Bordeaux, which is 800 miles.” Riedel stops at scenic outlooks and dines in fine restaurants located along the route. “You can do it quick, you can do it in one day, you can do it in five days.”
Timing is everything – most Europeans take holidays in July and August, but Riedel thinks June is best, when the weather has turned warm and inviting, but the roads are still relatively empty. Also top on the list of routes is to begin in northern Italy and head south to Monte Carlo and onto Marseille. “At the same time if you like Italy and you like the small Autostrada then the Almafi coasts is one of the special trips,” he adds.
This passion for travel is an extension of boyhood nostalgia. “I started when I was 12. My parents bought a vintage 1989 Porsche. They forced my sister and I to drive with them with BMX helmets. I’m not a fan of convertibles because of this.” The Riedel family has an extensive car collection near their headquarters in Kustein, Austria. Maximilian has driven the family cars. At other times, he’s shipped his cars from the U.S. “Last year I took on that road the Scuderia Ferrari. This year I’m thinking of taking the F40, because I haven’t taken a long trip in the F40. In August, my Daytona is done so I could consider driving this as well.”
For U.S. travelers, he recommends shipping cars to Europe. “If you are American and you want to go drive in Europe you can do so with about $1000. You can put your car in a container and it takes about six weeks. Don’t rent your car, bring your own. It’s affordable, it’s less expensive than renting a car, and it’s really easy.”
These trips are for more than nostalgia for Riedel, they provide the research and influence for the next collection of Riedel crystal. “I get very much inspired by my trips. I build the trip around good food and restaurants. You can read about them, but you have to see them. You’re out in nature. You smell, you see and you taste.” Another journey that he adds are regular visits to racetracks for training and recreation with his fast car.
Of course an essential part of Riedel’s luggage are his wineglasses, of which he has won awards for designs, particularly the O Glass. He has a customized Louis Vuitton case for travel. “ I carry my glasses with me wherever I go.”
Maximilian Riedel and his vintage Ducati
When Riedel’s not traveling, he’s still on wheels at home – he has a vintage Ducati 996 motorcycle installed into his apartment. “I sit on it to relax and be creative. The gas and the oil have been taken out, so the bike is not going to go bad.” While Riedel doesn’t ride motorcycles, his passion for motorcycles is sentimental. Riedel’s grandfather was a professional motorcyclist in the ’50s. “For me bikes are more of a piece of art.” The art of motion that pervades Riedel’s lifestyle is crystal clear.
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