At work – objective cartography, at home – creative auto engineering

The car is the biggest and most beautiful toy of adult humanity,

Edgar Morin, French philosopher

January 29 is World Automobile Day. The event reminds us of the first car, built by the German engineer Karl Benz in 1885, called Motorwagen.

In the context of this holiday, I intend to highlight an invention on wheels by Major Mihail Patrinjel, head of the cartography service, Military Topographic Base. He built a unique car in our country, assembling car parts from various other cars: „The first impulse was in 2002-2003 when, as a student, I went to school by bicycle, and in the winter – on foot. Respectively, I had time for creative ideas at a distance of 8 km. It would be good, I thought, to be able to create a transport suitable for all seasons „.

This „would be good” began to turn into practice about 8 years later. The process was a long one, with interruptions, the object of passion undergoing various changes: from the scooter bike to the big car with a hundred horsepower. Buggy BIOX, which name formed from his daughters’ name Bianca and Oxana, includes about 5 -7 car brands: „This car jewel passed the baptism in various conditions: I went with it on difficult roads, I jumped with it, I made acrobatics, including by rotations on the spot, and now I can say that the dream is fully realized. „

The next step would be to register the car. Still, it is a difficult procedure, confesses the major: „We do not have an institution that provides the registration of unique cars services and even if it has everything that contains a mass-produced car and would pass the test safely, it is not clear what must take steps to obtain permission to drive with it on national roads.”

Even so, the officer is willing to solve this challenge to enjoy his creation on the highway. Until then, Buggy BIOX is for admiration of the locals from Cocieri. Moreover, Major Patrinjel’s passion becomes contagious for others as well: „Friends have said that they are tempted to do something too. I understand them … In my case, for example, it’s a kind of addiction – I don’t feel good if I don’t go in the garage at least one day a week. Most of the time I have the house responsibilities, and from Monday to Friday, I’m totally dedicated to the army.”

Asked if he would accept a position specializing in the automotive field, he came up with a firm answer: „No. I don’t want to turn passion into obligation. It kills the desire to create. For me, my creative workshop is a recreation, a place to regenerate energy for a new week.”

The officer expanded his creation, and last summer he rided a 4-seater catamaran. He’s thinking to produce a golf machine (the golf course is not included in the plan) and a 4X4 car. Application of the ideas depend on the financial possibilities: „The costs for this project were estimated over 2000 euros, plus the investments for instruments. Without my parents and friends help I would not have managed it, and I thank them a lot. I still bet on them.”

By the way, Major Mihail Patrinjel insert all the bought, dreamed and created cars in a large format annual calendars and admire them at the office, thus saying in his mind that It is worth living for and through dreams.

Among other dreams materialized previously are 11 origami objects, also in the field of transport.

January 2020