These leather satchels from Caracalla Bagaglio stir the soul. Big enough to carry your helmet and race suit and boots.. or as carry-on luggage for a weekend away, the Commemorative Motorsport collection are handsome and look purposeful. I’ve been seeing these advertised in Octane and elsewhere for quite some time now, but I haven’t been able to put my finger on why I like them so much until recently. Taken as a single piece, they are quite attractive. But in comparison to other racing attire and accessories, they really shine. The vast bulk of racewear is a gaudy mess of logos, bright colors, and other nonsense, with a checkered flag thrown in for good measure. The restraint practiced by Caracalla in designing these bags makes them all the more sophisticated and classic. And desirable. Well done.
It was a difficult task to pick a favorite to show today. The porschefile in me wants to showcase the 550 Spyder inspired #37 commemorating Porsche’s first class win at the 24 Hour of LeMans, but the sheer beauty of this Birdcage Maserati inspired #5 bag won me over. Reliability plagued the team that year at LeMans and the Argentina 1000, but Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney piloted the #5 Birdcage to a win at the Nürburgring 1000km in 1960, despite a broken oil line early in the race. The Maserati repeated the feat the following year. A truly marvelous car, truly marvelous drivers, and a lovely bag.
Take a look at the complete collection. Even better, Caracalla will custom build a bag for you in your race colors with your racing number. Now that’ll look sharp in the pits.