NY Auto show(long, a few rants)

[Brett Dikeman]

At 10:42 PM -0500 3/31/02, JanDebL at aol.com wrote:
>Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that most car makers can't
>build (or haven't) built a decent car for so long) that they are
>reverting to something that looks like a car that people used to
>want?

The retro thing is designed to appeal to the sense of nostalgia in
the growing segment of the population aged around retirement, IMHO.

Audi is doing the retro thing too, to some extent...the TT.  They've
tried playing the "it's just like the UrQ and Sport Qs!" with that
commercial of Michelle doing the Pikes Peak run...and in
Europe/Germany, where they had the -original- TT, they've been
playing that angle.

Personally, I really like a few of 'em; much preferable to the rather
hideous "concepts" that had been coming out.  The Thunderbird, for
example...a total revival of a car that had otherwise completely lost
its roots, and it's pretty well grounded.  Also, look at who it is
marketed towards...older folks in retirement.  Same thing with the
Marauder, I suspect(although I'd be willing to bet another segment of
the Marauder's market is probably police/fire.)

What I -really- don't like is the trend of minor changes every model
year.  Some are worth it and correct hideous mistakes; others are
clearly aimed at generating new sales and appealing to vanity(not to
mention, selling more parts.)  Let's face it, one of the big reasons
we like our cars and find the repairs have bearable is that so many
parts can be shared among many, many years of cars.  Broken taillight
on the 200q20v?  No prob, any taillight from 84 onwards will fit.
Try that today.

Problem is that everyone goes out and buys a new car when the economy
is good...and then they're set for a while.  Automakers are screwed
because they resaturate the market...so they do their best to make
sure that either they're non-durable or they're unfashionable in a
few years.  Look at the Toyotas and Hondas.  Lots and lots of changes
every model year; hell, the Toyota Camry has been restyled in pretty
big ways the last few years.

Brett
--
----
"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/