The DAAL crafted machines Project
Did you know that approximately 27 million cars reach the end of their life every year? And while 80 percent of the materials in these vehicles can be recycled, about 20 percent of them cannot.
That’s exactly why DAAL Crafted Machines brand have been created.
We are a new Franco-Italian company to rethink what we do with old vehicles, and in doing so, expanding their lifespan. But DAAL isn’t just about fixing up old cars. It’s about building a brand that’s devoted to both sustainability, but also local technical and aesthetic know-how when it comes to vehicles.
Our first project was modernizing an old Austin Mini MK1, where DAAL Crafted Machines team installed an electric powertrain, an energy-efficient two-wheel cycle inside, sensors for onboard safety services such as collision detection and parking assist, and a dashboard with modern technology.
Focusing on high-end craftsmanship, as DAAL, we restored the interior with handmade leather and wood, while adding optimized lighting that reduces energy usage. Some parts that were replaced were purchased on spare parts marketplaces, but others were created specifically for this project, using 3D printing to rapidly design and prototype and molding.
Lastly, DAAL experts adapted an external luggage system to help urban and extra-urban drivers incorporate the vehicle more easily into their lifestyle.
The result isn’t just a refurbished classic car. It’s a whole new vehicle that can adapt quickly and easily to the owner’s lifestyle.
This project is the start to what we hope will be a long-term trend of updating and modernizing vehicles, giving them new life and purpose. Mobile spaces should be as much a reflection of us as our homes are, and that they need to embody our need to live more sustainably.
And thanks to the technologies that are at our disposal, we can achieve that without sacrificing comfort, safety, or design. If anything, modernized vehicles like the DAAL’s MK1 are more comfortable, safer, and better designed than their original iteration.
DAAL wants to promote a mode of travel that’s inviting and natural and a true reflection of the traveler.
That’s why their philosophy is community-built for a post-industrial era, summoning the spirit of the Hyena. Why a hyena?
Partially because hyenas move against the grain of the speculative wolf and the dominating lion. The brand is about fierceness, but also about resourcefulness, playfulness, and gaining sustenance out of things that have been tossed aside.
Ultimately, it’s not just about saving vehicles from the scrap heap and recycling bins; it’s about designing more responsible—and responsive—vehicles, where travel is both enriched and able to evolve with the user’s changing needs.
This is an exciting and essential step as we rethink mobility in an age of increasingly limited resources.