The automobile has lost it's character... perception or reality?

hot_pastrami · 11-13-2003, 04:07 PM

This may be a dumb topic, but I just wonder how many other people feel the same way I do. It seems that most modern cars, with a few (usually expensive) exceptions, are completely dull, unimaginitive things. They're all slight variations on same plain, cookie-cutter designs with different badging.

This effect seemed to spawn in the late seventies, and though their look has obviously changed over time, most cars from any particular year since then seem to look alike. And not in a good way, but in a dull, lifeless, uninteresting way. It's as if in streamlining the automobile, they removed all of the interesting and beautiful parts in the name of aerodynamics.

Yes, many people might say "It's a car, who cares what it looks like?" Apparently not you... and that's fine. But I personally feel that the landscape loses something in having ugly cars parked upon it.

Think of photos you've seen from the forties, fifties, and sixties with cars in them... a café, a drive-in theater, a family vacation photo... the cars often contribute to the photograph, archoring it in its period and placing the subjects of the photo (if any) in a nice, "everyday life" context. But speaking personally, when I take photographs of people nowadays, I go to great efforts to prevent any cars from appearing in the background, they detract from the photo... they seem unappealing to the eye more often than not. Car commercials utterly fail to make me want to buy cars.

Is it just me? If not, do you think it's really because cars are more boring, or an artifact of the appeal of "retro?"

For the record, I've had a few cars which I found to be non-boring-looking, old and new:

1970 Dodge Challenger... "Vitamin C" orange, 383 cubic inches, manual everything, pistol-grip 4-speed shifter.... a beautiful car. Funner than hell. Too bad I couldn't afford to hold onto it for more than about a year.

1972 Dodge Charger... BIG car (the hood stretched to the horizon when you were sitting at the wheel), but it had character.

1996 Camaro Z28... I liked the Camaros after 1994, it seemed they were some of the first good-looking affordable cars to appear in a long while, and they performed well.

2000 Camaro SS... I loved my '96, but the black paint, functional hood scoop, and 6-speed manual of this SS were enough to get me to trade in. I may have to sell it soon, since marraige + house + sports car = very little spare money. Still undecided.

Ok, I'm done.

Elspode · 11-13-2003, 04:17 PM

http://www.bmw.com/generic/com/en/pr.../z4/index.html

http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/index.asp?bhcp=1

http://www.dodge.com/viper/?context=cars&type=viperImg

Or did you mean cars that mortal beings can afford?

hot_pastrami · 11-13-2003, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hot_pastrami
...It seems that most modern cars, with a few (usually expensive) exceptions, are completely dull, unimaginitive things.

Emphasis mine.... but then again, so was the original text. Crazy.

Griff · 11-13-2003, 04:58 PM

The whole fossil fuel send money to the enemies of mankind internal combustion thing is getting old. Fun and cars is over for me.

Undertoad · 11-13-2003, 05:03 PM

I gotta hand it to her, the s2b-ex can really pick a great car.

hot_pastrami · 11-13-2003, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
The whole fossil fuel send money to the enemies of mankind internal combustion thing is getting old. Fun and cars is over for me.

Car doesn't always equal fossil fuel... particularly not in looking ahead. Hydrogen fuel cells are a good idea with some huge hurdles (like, how to produce hydrogen without polluting as much as just sticking with fossil fuels), but one day they may be the answer.

We'll probably always have personal transportation vehicles in some capacity, so why not make them beautiful?

tonksy · 11-13-2003, 05:12 PM

i always liked the gremlin...who made that? wish they were still around

lumberjim · 11-13-2003, 05:24 PM

MOST cars have sucked lately, but i think the worm is turning. styling has eclipsed safety as the most important deciding factor in deciding which car to buy. As all cars are similar in safety, performance, and economy, the big difference is the styling. hence the advent of more specialized vehicle types.

ex:
pt cruiser - definately not the way i'd go, but people paid 3-5k over list for them when they came out

mini cooper - awesome looks, ridiculous cargo capacity, and selling like hotcakes

escalade- all about the bling bling

know what im sayin?

warch · 11-13-2003, 06:25 PM

My station insists I embrace "character" in dynamic rust patches , inconsistent yet dramatic rattling, and increasingly stiff hand-cranked windows. (And an engine that will not give up in the darkest winter.) Good little car.

elSicomoro · 11-13-2003, 09:19 PM

I think there are definitely some reasonably-priced sharp-looking cars out there (under $25K):

--Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire
--Oldsmobile Alero
--Toyota Corolla
--Chevrolet Monte Carlo
--Toyota Camry
--Nissan Altima

I mourn the death of the Camaro...I loved that car.

bmgb · 11-13-2003, 09:30 PM

Most new cars just look the same to me. I can't fathom getting one and having to make payments on it, plus pay higher insurance (even if I did have money).

I like the new Mini Coopers, but I still like the old ones better (the old ones are a bit of an obsession).

I like most of the cars I've had, especially my old '84 Nissan pickup, my '83 Saab 900 and '86 Saab 900. Now I drive an Isuzu Trooper - a '91, the newest car I've ever had. It's fun, but it was a really bad choice for fuel economy. Whenever I can afford to switch cars, I will probably get another old Saab.

Uryoces · 11-13-2003, 09:37 PM

I really liked the 1992 and up 300ZX's. Very sexy. I knew there was one last test that would determine whether or not I'd get one; I'm 6'4". I took my pile of cash to a car dealership and was eyeballing a nice, silver 1992 model with low miles. The dealer handed me the faceplate for the 10 disk CD changer *sweet!*, and I sat down in it and adjusted the seats back as far as they would go, and leaned them back. My head was about at the B pillar. This wasn't looking good. I closed the door and tried to work the pedals. Curse you, O size 14 feet! I wouldn't be able to operate the pedals in any safe manner.

So, my friend took it for a test drive, and I whimpered and pawed at the dash.

xoxoxoBruce · 11-13-2003, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Griff
The whole fossil fuel send money to the enemies of mankind internal combustion thing is getting old. Fun and cars is over for me.

for me.

xoxoxoBruce · 11-13-2003, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore
I think there are definitely some reasonably-priced sharp-looking cars out there (under $25K):

--Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire
--Oldsmobile Alero
--Toyota Corolla
--Chevrolet Monte Carlo
--Toyota Camry
--Nissan Altima

I mourn the death of the Camaro...I loved that car.

Paint them all black and try to guess which is which at 150 yards.

elSicomoro · 11-13-2003, 10:21 PM

I could...they all have distinctive looks to them, at least to me.

11-13-2003, 04:07 PM	#1
hot_pastrami I am meaty Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,119	The automobile has lost it's character... perception or reality? This may be a dumb topic, but I just wonder how many other people feel the same way I do. It seems that most modern cars, with a few (usually expensive) exceptions, are completely dull, unimaginitive things. They're all slight variations on same plain, cookie-cutter designs with different badging. This effect seemed to spawn in the late seventies, and though their look has obviously changed over time, most cars from any particular year since then seem to look alike. And not in a good way, but in a dull, lifeless, uninteresting way. It's as if in streamlining the automobile, they removed all of the interesting and beautiful parts in the name of aerodynamics. Yes, many people might say "It's a car, who cares what it looks like?" Apparently not you... and that's fine. But I personally feel that the landscape loses something in having ugly cars parked upon it. Think of photos you've seen from the forties, fifties, and sixties with cars in them... a café, a drive-in theater, a family vacation photo... the cars often contribute to the photograph, archoring it in its period and placing the subjects of the photo (if any) in a nice, "everyday life" context. But speaking personally, when I take photographs of people nowadays, I go to great efforts to prevent any cars from appearing in the background, they detract from the photo... they seem unappealing to the eye more often than not. Car commercials utterly fail to make me want to buy cars. Is it just me? If not, do you think it's really because cars are more boring, or an artifact of the appeal of "retro?" For the record, I've had a few cars which I found to be non-boring-looking, old and new: 1970 Dodge Challenger... "Vitamin C" orange, 383 cubic inches, manual everything, pistol-grip 4-speed shifter.... a beautiful car. Funner than hell. Too bad I couldn't afford to hold onto it for more than about a year. 1972 Dodge Charger... BIG car (the hood stretched to the horizon when you were sitting at the wheel), but it had character. 1996 Camaro Z28... I liked the Camaros after 1994, it seemed they were some of the first good-looking affordable cars to appear in a long while, and they performed well. 2000 Camaro SS... I loved my '96, but the black paint, functional hood scoop, and 6-speed manual of this SS were enough to get me to trade in. I may have to sell it soon, since marraige + house + sports car = very little spare money. Still undecided. Ok, I'm done. __________________ Hot Pastrami!

11-13-2003, 04:17 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Cars With Character http://www.bmw.com/generic/com/en/pr.../z4/index.html http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/index.asp?bhcp=1 http://www.dodge.com/viper/?context=cars&type=viperImg Or did you mean cars that mortal beings can afford? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

11-13-2003, 04:58 PM	#4
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	The whole fossil fuel send money to the enemies of mankind internal combustion thing is getting old. Fun and cars is over for me. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

11-13-2003, 05:12 PM	#7
tonksy 100:10100 Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: louisiana Posts: 96	i always liked the gremlin...who made that? wish they were still around __________________ ...with all of our running and all of our cunning, if we couldn't laugh we would all go insane...

11-13-2003, 05:24 PM	#8
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	MOST cars have sucked lately, but i think the worm is turning. styling has eclipsed safety as the most important deciding factor in deciding which car to buy. As all cars are similar in safety, performance, and economy, the big difference is the styling. hence the advent of more specialized vehicle types. ex: pt cruiser - definately not the way i'd go, but people paid 3-5k over list for them when they came out mini cooper - awesome looks, ridiculous cargo capacity, and selling like hotcakes escalade- all about the bling bling know what im sayin? __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-13-2003, 05:03 PM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I gotta hand it to her, the s2b-ex can really pick a great car.

11-13-2003, 06:25 PM	#9
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	My station insists I embrace "character" in dynamic rust patches , inconsistent yet dramatic rattling, and increasingly stiff hand-cranked windows. (And an engine that will not give up in the darkest winter.) Good little car.

11-13-2003, 09:19 PM	#10
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I think there are definitely some reasonably-priced sharp-looking cars out there (under $25K): --Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire --Oldsmobile Alero --Toyota Corolla --Chevrolet Monte Carlo --Toyota Camry --Nissan Altima I mourn the death of the Camaro...I loved that car.

11-13-2003, 09:30 PM	#11
bmgb Master of the Domain Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: MN Posts: 231	Most new cars just look the same to me. I can't fathom getting one and having to make payments on it, plus pay higher insurance (even if I did have money). I like the new Mini Coopers, but I still like the old ones better (the old ones are a bit of an obsession). I like most of the cars I've had, especially my old '84 Nissan pickup, my '83 Saab 900 and '86 Saab 900. Now I drive an Isuzu Trooper - a '91, the newest car I've ever had. It's fun, but it was a really bad choice for fuel economy. Whenever I can afford to switch cars, I will probably get another old Saab. __________________ That gun will replace your tongue. You will learn to speak through it. And your poetry will be written in blood. - Nobody

11-13-2003, 09:37 PM	#12
Uryoces 2nd Covenant, yo Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Pugetropolis Posts: 583	I really liked the 1992 and up 300ZX's. Very sexy. I knew there was one last test that would determine whether or not I'd get one; I'm 6'4". I took my pile of cash to a car dealership and was eyeballing a nice, silver 1992 model with low miles. The dealer handed me the faceplate for the 10 disk CD changer sweet!, and I sat down in it and adjusted the seats back as far as they would go, and leaned them back. My head was about at the B pillar. This wasn't looking good. I closed the door and tried to work the pedals. Curse you, O size 14 feet! I wouldn't be able to operate the pedals in any safe manner. So, my friend took it for a test drive, and I whimpered and pawed at the dash. __________________ The party's over ... the drink ... and the luck ... ran out.

11-13-2003, 10:21 PM	#15
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I could...they all have distinctive looks to them, at least to me.

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