More than 60 cars made from recyclable materials were welcomed last Sunday in Villarrica for this year’s edition of the grand soapbox race, Autos Locos (Crazy Cars) Paraguay. Competitors from across the country designed, built, and raced their own cars, with one condition for the enthusiastic mechanics: their cars had to have standard brakes and wheels, but no engines.
Soapbox racing is a fun, gravity-powered race where competitors build and ride their homemade cars. In Autos Locos Paraguay in Villarica (department of Guairá) every car that made it all the way down a sloped road, speeding over small ramps designed to provide a slight lift while posing a potential crash hazard, was celebrated as a winner.
The creativity of the designs extended beyond aerodynamics, speed, and style to include team collaboration in costumes. Family and friends dressed up to support their drivers’ concepts.
The Autos Locos Parade
Autos Locos Paraguay has previously been held in various cities, including Paraguarí, Encarnación, Ciudad del Este, and Caaguazú; this year, Villarrica hosted the event for the first time. Before the race, a parade-like ceremony took place, during which contestants took to the road to introduce their teams.
On Sunday, many creative teams entered the race, like a team named Ataudmóvil (a combination of the Spanish words for coffin and mobile), dressed as horror movie villains: Pennywise from the movie IT, Art the Clown from Terrifier, Beetlejuice, and the classic Grim Reaper.
80s nostalgia
If you weren’t sure “who to call,” one team was dressed in brown overalls with handmade proton blasters: Ghostbusters! Adding to the 80s nostalgia, there was a car inspired by the time machine from Back to the Future (1985), with the sole difference being that it used bicycle wheels.
Additionally, a car inspired by Prosegur trucks had its rear view at the front. Many cars were designed backwards, enhancing “the Villarrica experience”. There’s a local joke that everything in Villarrica is backwards, though its origin is unclear. The logo for Autos Locos Villarrica embraced this, with its letters deliberately spelled backwards.
“Aerolínea 27”
Honourable mentions also must go to the parodies of famous bus lines in Paraguay. One was “Aerolínea 27”, named by Paraguayans for its very swift transport of passengers from Capiatá to central Asunción; during the race, this car released colourful smoke bombs to symbolise the excessive exhaust fumes emitted by old buses in Paraguay.
This wasn’t the only bus-inspired car. Another notable entry was Ciudad del Este’s 100% electric bus, designed with enough space to perform a few spins to entertain the crowd upon reaching the finish line.
An intriguing contrast unfolded on the race streets as two long-time rivals met once again: Batman himself was present with an impressive Batmobile design, accompanied by his family, pitted against the “Máquina del Mal” (Machine of Evil), designed and raced by none other than the Joker himself!
The Autos Locos experience
Alongside the impressive racing teams, the attendees and their contributions to the event’s preparation deserve recognition for the amazing atmosphere they created. The event gathered so many people, that it was hard to even find a place to fit in!
Safety stewards ensured the public stayed behind designated lines for safety measures, while locals opened their balconies for Gs 10,000, offering a prime view of the event. They also provided a variety of food, from hot dogs and hamburgers to classic Paraguayan cream-filled bollos – similar to a filled bun doughnut – and moved through the crowd with refreshments, all at affordable prices.
The ticket price was also affordable at Gs 25,000, and bringing your own water or tereré was allowed. With great food, music, racing and amazing looking cars, the Autos Locos experience is not to be missed next time. For more information and upcoming events, check Autos Locos Paraguay on Instagram.
