Mitja Borkert grew up as a child of East Germany, driven by a vivid imagination and an often inaccessible outside world. In his latest official video, "Lamborghini and Hot Wheels: design unites big and small," he recounts growing up near a Russian air base, watching MiG planes fly overhead and drawing motorcycles, helicopters, planes, and the rare cars seen on the road, like the Trabant. In that environment, he began redesigning cars he didn’t like, improving them, and even making wooden models in the family garage. Despite limited access to Western cars, the passion grew.
One pivotal moment was a childhood trip in a Citroën 2CV, when another 2CV full of students approached and triggered a spontaneous connection between the two vehicles. “Cars can create reactions in people,” he said at the time. By the age of five or six, he understood that the automobile was not merely a transportation tool, but a vehicle for emotions. When the Berlin Wall fell, his world opened up. He finally discovered Western cars, Formula 1 racing, and above all Ayrton Senna in his red-and-white single-seater. This period was seminal in his career as a designer.