Re: I fell in love at a gas station..
Eric from Kamloops, here here!!! Eric hit the nail on the head. Character is about offering more in some specific area that makes that experience memorable. It's not just about giving equal performance, style and luxury -- it's about delivering large enough doses of one, two or all.
The Elise ain't luxurious -- it's downright unlivable! But it has character. And if you can walk away from a drive in a BMW 745i and say it doesn't ooze character, then I suggest we get you to the ER for an EKG.
Everyone seems to think that somehow the cars from the glory days (what ever era that means to you) are somehow easier to differentiate than modern cars. "That's when you could tell a Pontiac from an Olds" or "That's when not all cars looked alike."
I drive, write about and analyze old cars for a living...and trust me...cars look no more alike today than they did 10, 20, 30,50, or 80 years ago. Cars look like their contemporaries. A successful shape has always been quickly copied. In 1958, almost all American cars sprouted quad headlights. At the same time in England, the smiling car look was on just about every sports car's front apron.
Pick up the Encyclopedia of American Cars by Consumer Guide and compare a 1955 Packard to a 1955 Caddy. Or a 1947 Lincoln Continental to a 1947 Caddy. How about a 1933 Lincoln to a 1933 Ford? Maybe a 1964 Buick Special to a '64 Pontiac GTO? How about a Datsun 2000 to a MG Midget. A XK120 to a TR2?
Sure, if you are very familiar with these cars, you say "it's easy to tell the difference." The same is true with modern cars. And as for taking styling risks, it simply doesn't pay ...just ask Chris Bangle!
Eric from Kamloops, here here!!! Eric hit the nail on the head. Character is about offering more in some specific area that makes that experience memorable. It's not just about giving equal performance, style and luxury -- it's about delivering large enough doses of one, two or all.
The Elise ain't luxurious -- it's downright unlivable! But it has character. And if you can walk away from a drive in a BMW 745i and say it doesn't ooze character, then I suggest we get you to the ER for an EKG.
Everyone seems to think that somehow the cars from the glory days (what ever era that means to you) are somehow easier to differentiate than modern cars. "That's when you could tell a Pontiac from an Olds" or "That's when not all cars looked alike."
I drive, write about and analyze old cars for a living...and trust me...cars look no more alike today than they did 10, 20, 30,50, or 80 years ago. Cars look like their contemporaries. A successful shape has always been quickly copied. In 1958, almost all American cars sprouted quad headlights. At the same time in England, the smiling car look was on just about every sports car's front apron.
Pick up the Encyclopedia of American Cars by Consumer Guide and compare a 1955 Packard to a 1955 Caddy. Or a 1947 Lincoln Continental to a 1947 Caddy. How about a 1933 Lincoln to a 1933 Ford? Maybe a 1964 Buick Special to a '64 Pontiac GTO? How about a Datsun 2000 to a MG Midget. A XK120 to a TR2?
Sure, if you are very familiar with these cars, you say "it's easy to tell the difference." The same is true with modern cars. And as for taking styling risks, it simply doesn't pay ...just ask Chris Bangle!