Mauto, the first major museum to enter the Roarington world. Its President, Benedetto Camerana, explains why.

Benedetto Camerana about the MAUTO Museum

“MAUTO, located in Turin, is the Italian National Automobile Museum. Visiting it is a magnificent experience: you cross the entire 20th century, uncovering a collection of remarkable completeness presented in an exhibition hall where the cars are placed within their social, cultural, political, and popular context. A museum that is now 90 years old and is home to a magnificent and, in many respects, unique heritage” says Benedetto Camerana, a professional architect who dedicates a significant part of his time to serving as the President of this grand institution in Turin.

About the future of this unique exhibition site

The cultural background of Benedetto Camerana and his family’s significant role in the history of Italian automobiles provide him with an enlightened vision of what a Car Museum should represent today. “Our aspiration is to attract at least 400,000 real visitors per year, not counting the future ‘virtual visits’ made remotely through new technologies. MAUTO is the flagbearer of Italian automotive history, an exciting and fascinating story recognized across the globe. The advancements in augmented reality technologies already offer opportunities for enhanced sensory interaction, and this is expected to increase over time. It is our duty to look at the realities of a world where the automobile is changing: autonomous driving and car-as-a-service will coexist with the interest and pleasure derived from leisure, sports, or classic cars that fuel our passion and have played a defining role in our history. Our museum is preparing for this shift.”

The staff of Mauto and all the organizations and institutions involved in the 90 year celebrations

About the grounds that led to the partnership with Roarington

“A museum should be both educational and entertaining, serving as a platform for knowledge and amusement,” explains Camerana when discussing the decision to become part of the rapidly developing Roarington World. “Therefore, it must adopt an edutainment model that combines the grandeur of history with a glimpse into the future and its tools. We are preparing an exhibition on the cars of the future and energy sustainability, a virtual museum has the potential to significantly amplify its impact. The development of technologies will allow us to better convey messages of a future metaverse, initially through hearing and sight but also progressively by exploiting the artificialization of our senses. It is an evolving world in which we must be present from the very beginning to seize the abundant opportunities that lie ahead.”

About young Classic Car aficionados

“Simply by observing my own children is enough for me to know that young people today alternate fluidly between virtuality and reality in their interactions with their friends. Their devices also allow them to meet in the virtual world to do many activities. Places like Roarington can represent a step beyond current gaming for them because here they can meet and do things together. Moreover, they can make new connections with people who share the same interests and passions.”

About the potential of the partnership with Roarington

“Being both a physical museum and a virtual museum is, in my opinion, the ideal approach to reach those who are far from our reality. Those who discover MAUTO through Roarington, perhaps from a far-off location, will then want to visit it in person and, by doing so, they can deepen their knowledge and enhance their emotions. Not only that, after this experience, they will have the opportunity to continue visiting it virtually to discover any changes, new acquisitions, and new exhibitions.”

Benedetto Camerana President of Mauto in front of the Palombella of 1907

About the opportunities of digital in the world of Classic Cars

“It’s true that there is a risk of teenagers losing interest in automobiles. Automation and the standardization of automobiles are diminishing their appeal. This is compounded by the perception of having to respect the environment and the planet. That’s why I firmly believe that the proper use of different languages, those that can combine the real and the digital to provide experiences and emotions, is strategic for the entire automotive world. This applies to today’s market and the immediate future as much as it does to preserving the heritage of cars that shaped the course of history. A language and a reality that can effectively counterbalance the purely functional appeal of autonomous driving.”