$200 bucks free shipping.
Posted on 09/09/2012 9:23:53 AM PDT by count-your-change
It's that time of year. The auto dealers face a wave of 2013 vehicles and must clear out the 2012 models to make room and avoid the inventory tax where it exists. Pretty much the same as last year and if you're in the market for a car you might be able to strike a good deal for brand new one year old car.
But one thing you might have trouble finding is an American auto that is NOT just plain ugly. Ugly and uninspired, ugly and bland, ugly and really ugly seems to be the rule.
I offer in evidence the 2013 Chevrolet Spark. No, I won't post a picture, I'll have mercy on the people that love the classics.
Firstly the front end looks like most other econo thumpers in the $15,000 range, squinty eye, swept back head lights and an overly busy grill area framed in plastic. PLastic! I'm sure it would hold up to an impact with cotton candy fairly well but anything tougher will require a call to your insurance agent.
Open the door and experience the true ugliness of today's offerings: Their tiny entrances. All you have to do is turn backwards, bend double and hope your knees will bend enough to allow you to drag your feet in. Wonderful! Now try getting out.
Moving to the rear of the typical new car gives the impression that the designers just gave up and tried to get the thing finished so they could leave early at the end of the week. Just hit the computer key that says, "Add some lights and acres of plastic" and punch out for the weekend.
But one may object, "You get what what you pay for." You sure do!
Consider the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette. The same squinty eye, wrap around head lights and the rest of the cars exterior a study in blandness, a bar of soap worn down to roundness with a couple of tail lights to keep the drivers behind from falling asleep just looking at the car.
For this you can pay handsomely, up to a hundred grand if you're a wealthy masochist or believe the slinky women in the commercial will ignore your double chins and "portly" avoirdupois. In case they don't the car does go fast so you'll be able to leave that embarrassing situation quickly and feel the breeze in your Hair Club for Men.
Me? The last car that I truly enjoyed driving and found really comfortable was my 1975 Ford LTD. It was big, heavy, feared no car on the road and ate at least one Fiat. And it had character by the ton.
If I were inclined to spend fifteen to twenty grand on a car today I would find one of the older models that were like Cleopatra's barge on wheels and have it restored or at least made serviceable.
The ugliness, the blandness, the uninspired sameness of today's auto designs is, what I believe, drives the popularity of the restoration market. What else would drive a person to pay thousands of dollars for a rusty, thirty or forty year old car and spend tens of thousands of dollars restoring it to its new condition when it sold for under three thousand dollars?
I would go kick a new car's tires but I'm afraid one kick might total it.
Loved the Javelin.
However, the dashboards were a nightmare to work on.
Had to replace one in 1982 and spend two months just figuing out the wiring. It’s as if AMC never heard of a wirning harness.
Beautiful car though.
Haven’t seen one on the road in 20+ years.
Still that big plastic wrap around front lip is as fragile as a good reputation and just as difficult to repair (and costly to replace) I would guess.
$200 bucks free shipping.
I have nothing bad to say about Leno’s car collecting. Guys like him give restorers a market and it helps preserve the classics.
As an Englishman who’s lived in the US and is a complete petrolhead, it’s obvious to me what is wrong with American cars.
There’s nothing wrong with your ability to design or build cars, it’s just your manufacturers listen to customer clinics instead of engineers.
“It’s good that you understood it wasn’t you that the girls liked.”
Whatever it takes to get them in bed. Can’t say the same for you with guys ;)
That was my first car! It was a 1973 or 74 and was bright kelly green. No radio, no air conditioning (in Texas!), no carpet on the floor, roll up windows, stick shift. But I did have an 8-track tape player that my brother installed for me. I thought I was really something when I was able to afford a brand new 1979 Mercury Monarch - with air conditioning, radio (including FM!), carpet, automatic transmission, and automatic windows!
No, they sure don’t but we remember when it wasn’t so constant. The U.S. can still make good looking cars that fit humans if the manufacturers would grow spines.
We were all in high school once, and yes that is correct.
But hypocrisy aside as guys, we were thinking of sex 24/7.
“I think Toyota is living on their past reputation.”
The interior of the later Camry’s, unless possibly you get a “luxury” model, is vast sheets of ugly plastic. The styling is “bleh”.
They got fat, dumb, and lazy, just like Honda did 10-15 years ago. People eventually figured this out.
Their goal, like Honda’s, was to build a car that didn’t offend anyone.
Of course I am getting nearly 40miles to the gallon from my foreign import.... And it cost less than 20k. Sorry folks Government Motors guaranteed me I will never by another US car company car.
If Ford were a little less pricey I would have gone with the Fusion but to tell you the truth, I get tired or replacing front end stuff (tie rods etc) because the suspension is so Ford
The only car mentioned in the old testament: “And God in HIS FURY, drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden”
At first I was horrified to read your post indicating that I had the same car as Bill Clinton. But then I realized that it really shouldn’t be such a surprise. I was a huge liberal in college and even voted for George McGovern. At least I managed to grow up and face reality. As Churchill said, “If you aren’t a liberal when you are 20 you have no heart. If you aren’t a conservative by the time you are 30 you have no brain.”
‘59 was not the best year. Tail fins were in and one finger power steering was big deal.
The minister of local church had a new 59 Chevy provided for him but I think the congregation took revenge by buying a stripped down gray model. That was ugly.
That was actually a very good looking car.
Too bad the engine was made of old melted down Reynolds Wrap and the body was made of compressed rust.
My friend bought a vega and he said it started rusting in the showroom.
My idea of a good looking car would be a 3/4 ton van, Ford will do nicely, with a few windows in the cargo area. And skip the bucket seats that grab my behind. I’m not driving a race car.
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