Lucius Geta
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Lucius Geta | |
|---|---|
 Geta in 1955 | |
| Born | Lucius Antoninus Gæta August 21, 1901 |
| Died | June 17, 1993 (aged 84) Sacrament, Empire of Exponent |
| Nationality |  Exponential |
| Occupation | founder of Phaeton |
Lucius Antoninus Gæta (21 August 1901 – 17 June 1993), better known as Lucius Geta, was an automobile designer and founder of the Stabulum Phaeton racing team and subsequently the Phaeton brand. Born to an aristocratic Hesperidesian family, he helped furnish an image of dashing panache and chivalry for the fledgling automobile industry in the Empire of Exponent, frequently depicting automobile drivers - and especially race car drivers - as knights of the road. To this end, he directed that his vehicles follow a similar design pattern, exuding a sense of aristocratic elegance and strength.
Early life
Lucius Antoninus Gæta was born in Redemption on 21 August 1901, the third son of Marius Agrippinus Gæta, an Exponential aristocrat whose family served as knights for the Exponential imperial monarchy for generations. His lineage was a particular object of interest for Lucius, as he would be fascinated by his ancestors' exploits during the Hesperidesian Crusades. Geta's obsession with cars and racing began at the age of 8, when the family attended a motor race in Messambria. From then on, he wanted to become a racing driver.
Geta began racing in 1924 for FME, later joining Angelbridge in 1926. He won three races at his peak in 1928, but slowly began to devote less and less time to racing upon the birth of his eldest daughter. However, he wished to continue participating in motorsport. Using his connections, he assembled a group of mechanics and racing drivers together and founded Stabulum Phaeton in 1932. The team proved to be successful thanks to a combination of superstar drivers and the dominant Angelbridge T4. However, the 2nd Great Astyrian War put a temporary end to racing, and so the team was in financial trouble.
Founding of Phaeton
After the war, Geta met with his friends and noticed that many of them were looking for a luxury car to own. He decided to build his own cars, and so founded Phaeton S.A. in 1949. The brand quickly became popular among the Empire of Exponent's elite, and generated a steady source of income from which Geta could finance his racing ventures.
With the return of motorsport after the 2nd Great Astyrian War, Geta was looking to enter Stabulum Phaeton - now an independent operation - into races throughout the Empire, with the goal of beating Angelbridge. He entered Phaeton into the Copa Paradisa in 1950 with the Equus, winning the race against Angelbridge. This marked the first time that Phaeton won a race with a car of its own construction.
More victories followed, with Phaeton's first wins at < place >, < place >, and < place >. It joined the Astyrian Grand Prix Drivers' Championship in 1951 (which later evolved into Astyrian Formula One in 1960), becoming the only constructor to continuously participate in the series since its introduction. It won the first race of the championship in Sherbourne.
Later life
Personal life
Geta was married to Theodora Mildmark (c. 1906-1967) in 1928. Together they had a daughter, Sestia (born in 1929), and two sons: Valentinus (born in 1932) and Ludovicus (born in 1936). In 1949 he had a third son, Aurelius, borne from an affair with his mistress, Ambrosia Amberwillow. Ludovicus' son, Albanus, currently serves as vice chairman of Phaeton and owns 22% of the company's shares.
He rarely attended any grands prix outside of the Empire of Exponent. But he would often be seen at races throughout Exponent where Phaetons were raced, most notably at the Angelbridge Circuit and at the Caranthaea Circuit.