Circa 2001-
Dad and I were sitting on the balcony in Destin, Florida enjoying the view of the Gulf of Mexico.
We were separated from the beautiful turqouise-colored water by the "Scenic Gulf Highway"... the old U.S. Hwy 98 used mostly now by folks staying in condos along the beach.
Dad said, "Start watching. All the vehicles are either Minivans, Pickup trucks, or SUV's."
And he was right. Now and then in that neighborhood a Lamborghini or Ferrari would pass. But the VAST majority of traffic was one of the three types of vehicles Dad had mentioned.
And the only differences in the appearance of the S.U.V's manufactured by different factories was the color and the size. They all shared the shape of a cardboard box on wheels.
I would challenge ANYONE to be able to tell a Ford from a Chevy, a Nissan from a Toyota or Honda.
We've grown to be like soldiers in uniform, and marvel when we see a classic car like those pictured- beautiful, and distinctive from a mile away.
I miss my youth.
7 comments:
Imagine the frustration of the designers boxed in by safety regulations, aerodynamics, and marketing. In my youth GM sponsored the Fisher Auto Body Competition for young people. While I never had the skill to try, a cousin in Wyoming won a few accolades.
Of course you're right, WSF. Safety and aerodynamics are KING in our world today.
I think I've shared this link before, and I wonder how this company is getting away with this thing:
https://nrave.com/2012/06/chevy-789-by-n2a/
Good question.
Today's cars are also a lot safer to slam into the rear end of a parked cement mixer.
I think I'd take the styling instead.
I'm looking at a motorcycle called the Janus. Beautiful throwback.
I've watched the "Janus" too, Ed, and hope they succeed.
Neat looking, and good for "plinking around town".
If you buy, I'll be really interested in your experience.
https://www.bikercalendar.events/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Janus-Motorcycles-fbcover.jpg
Sigh... Growing up you could 'see' and 'hear' the differences in the manufacturers cars. Now? Not so much. We had a little local car show today, over 60 cars came out, with the newest car a mid-90s Impala low rider (VERY well done)...
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