Thoughts about the car market and hobby, past and present. I hope I have succeeded in making this blog easy to understand for all who read it, and hopefully even interesting.
In my household, we recently acquired another vehicle due to an increase in drivers. The vehicle selected was a 2004 Hyundai Elantra. I quickly started noticing these cars when I see them, whereas before, I kept forgetting they existed. Such is the case with cars that the press often overlooks and buyers pass over. What I've noticed is that relatively few of these cars are on the roads around here. Now, with over 100,000 sold in the US during 2004 alone, it's not really a rare car.But regionally, they are not in large supply.Which got me thinking, "when is a car considered rare"?
A second occurance boosted this curiosity. I spotted a a late-90s Mercury Cougar.Once quite common, these cars have reached the age where they are being junked in large numbers, but aren't yet considered rare.
Honestly, I'm not sure what to consider such cars. Our Elantra is not a limited-production car, but in rural areas and the midwest, they are not exactly common like Impalas and Fusions are.Some Asian cars are often seen in the coastal states but not places like Wisconsin. Is a car still rare if its rarity is only regional?
Likewise, when do older cars become rare? Sometimes it's hard to tell when the model is still produced. A 1984 Honda Accord and 2004 version are the same model, but different in many ways. Newer Accords are a dime a dozen in cities and suburbs, but in many areas, previous generations range from rare to non-existant. Nobody thinks of the final Buick Skylarks or Toyota Tercels as rare, but they are dying off and surely in some areas, they may exist in scant numbers.
For the record, classic cars do not apply to this question. They are in their own class. Of course 1970s Firebids are less common than Pontiacs from 2004, and chances are there arent 4 or 5 driving around the same town at any given time, but they would not be are by classic car standards.For sure, they have survived in greater numbers than Pontiac Venturas from the same decade.My thoughts apply mostly to cars no more than 15 years old.Cars either old enough to be taken off the road en masse but still new enough where many are still in service, or cars built in fairly good numbers but that often only found regional success.
There is a 3rd part, too. Obscure cars that never sold well but are still pretty recent. A good example is the Suzuki Forenza. Few bought them, but they are still new enough where attrition hasn't forced them all into retirement yet. Can owners consider them "rare", or just "obscure"?
As for our Hyundai, we didn't buy it as an investment. Its for basic commuting. Not seeing many around here sort of makes it more enjoyable to own, since we have don't have the same car every other person does.It's just an observation that I wonder about.Maybe the term "rare" changes definition from person to person. Maybe it's much harder to guage than many of us realize.Regardless, its a question worth pondering if we own cars that could potentially fit into that category.
After a 16-hour shift Saturday and spending all of Friday morning getting a dangerous wheel alignment flaw corrected just before work, I needed to get some cruising time in. So I headed out from about 12:45-1:50 PM Sunday to see some weekend Woodwarding before another slow work day. This time, there was no rain and the scene was very satisfying. I again parked at the same coffee shop I was situated at a few days ago, and tried photographing passing cars on an older camera phone.I ran into some problems with the transfer of the pictures so I will upload them later when I try again.
Motorcycles were pretty prominent this time, particularly among younger cruisers. While the cruising movement was intended to showcase old cars, there are a few newer cars that deserve attention as well and I believe they belong on the strip as well. Cruising is not restricted to old guys. We need younger folks to join in as well and they favor newer cars. My belief is that they-younger folks and recent cars- should be welcomed.This has long been an issue of debate. Many people think that only classics-cars more than 25 years old-should be out cruising.But, cruising is fun for everyone and unites people, so if newer cars are what's needed to bring out the younger crowd, I'm fine with that.
European cars are quite popular with the younger groups. Audi's and BMWs were common.I even observed a woman gunning the engine of a newer Maserati. A number of Porsche's made appearances, too.
Most of the classics were popular or high-production models. Camaro's, Mustangs and Chevelle's tend to dominate. During the cruise day itself and the last few days leading up to it, theres no telling what will be driving around. On Sunday, though, there were few surprises but enough variety to make me head off to the workplace feeling satisfied.
Well, actually, there was 1 surprise. A small moped was dwarfed by its very heavy-set rider, who could barely fit on it. He was blasting smooth jazz from the radio very loudly. I was 2 lanes away and could hear the music perfectly. I didn't realize that mopeds had such powerful radios. Then, the light turned green and the moped outran all the other vehcles, showing thats its deceptive power was not limited to the radio.The big inline 6 Jeep motor in the TCWC Gremlin could not keep up.
If I'm lucky, I'll have the photo's uploaded later tonight. Either way, it was a nice hour watching the cars and I definitely made the right decision by going.
Ten days to go until the big event, and things didn't seem to be as busy as they were at this time in years past.
First, I made a stop at the one gas station that cruisers can still hang out at.The place is usually crawling with classics.Only about 5 were there, possibly due to rain.Most of the people at the lot are regulars and can be seen there every day over the summer.Cars were not coming in quickly enough so I left after about 2 or 3 photo ops.
I then sat at the ice cream store for a few minutes. There were lots of late-model imports, perfect for a chapter of "carwatching", but the focus is on classics and few people paid attention to the new BMW convertibles speeding recklessly by.
Finally, I parked in the lot of a bank that was closed for the evening. It was brought to my attention that the local police kicked out the younger group that used to frequent the lot and banned them from using it again.I purchased a coffee from the nearby Caribou to show that I'm a paying customer. Two bouts of rain kept cruisers to a minimum and most that I did see were too far away and moving too fast to get decent cellphone pics.
Tonight I was only able to upload 4 pictures, but the opportunities were a bit limited anyway.
One of the few cars to show up at the time I checked out the normally full gas station.This Lincoln sat next to an orange Bricklin,followed by a dark blue street rod. Less exciting than usual in this lot.
As I was leaving the gas station, a 1955 Pontiac pulled in and gave me a badly-needed opportunity for a photography subject.
The Camaro was one of the few notable cars I was able to successfully photograph between rainshowers.
I'm not good at camera photos and this one turned out poorly centered. Either way, pickups are among the hottest collectibles so its important to get some pictures of those.
Had the weather cooperated, a larger batch of cars probably would have hit the road today.It will likely be a few days before I make it back out with the TCWC Gremlin, which gives everyone else more time to get ready.
August 17 is something of a holiday around here. It's the Woodward Dream Cruise.Many people love it, many people hate it, and if you don't know what it is, look it up.
Now, I'm not a legitimate member of the automotive media and I'm not sure this is a legitimate blog, but either way, you cannot have a Detroit-based auto blog without some WDC coverage.To prove that I'm not part of the legitimate media, I cruise around in the car most ridiculed by them: an AMC Gremlin.I guess that will serve as the official TCWC cruiser.
Between double-shifts, overtime and catching up on sleep, I'll be hitting the strip over the next week and a half with my archaic camera.I cannot directly upload to my computer so I'll have to send the pics to someone, have them emailed to me or sent via facebook, than resubmit them here.Please be patient.
Usually, the cars are out pretty early in the month. Chances are, fee cruisers will be out tonight due to rain. But if things clear up, i might try to get a few minutes in before sundown. We are the city that built most of these cruising cars and we take pride in it.You don't have to do much asking around to find an owner of a classic car. They will be out in droves, especially after Monday.
When to expect pictures and a journal? Beats me. Just check back and see if I've been able to update this page at all.
ONLY 49,000 MILES,4cyl engine,new tires,new brakes,AC blows ice cold,power locks,great on gas,runs and drives excellent call 586-709-0486-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ok, it took a minute to decide whether I'd use this as my blog entry or not. This car is pretty old even by the standards of the price range it's in.Its a 20 year old car and chances are, the Michigan salt has probably done some damage to the body.A few years from now it will qualify for "Historic Vehicle" plates.However, it's a very low-mileage car with a sturdy, boxy design.Chrysler has made some embarrassing junk since the 90s, but these seemed to be a brighter spot. The Spirits, Acclaims, Lebarons and Dynastys were ugly, dull, boring and cheap. But they seemed to be more dependable than most Chryslers. Many were bought by seniors, so, coupled with their stodgy looks, they were thought of as "old peoples cars". If the body doesn't rust apart, I'd bet this car can go another 100,000 miles.It's a classic example of "function over form". Uninspired, ugly, dull styling (inside and out), boring to drive, but at least it does what it needs to do. If what you need is cheap transportation that keeps you dry, you likely won't complain. Perfect for teen drivers,too.Simple can be good. I would consider this a fairly low risk purchase as far as $2600 cars go.
People of a certain age are often stuck in a time warp. they remember when a $1000 car was easy to find and would last for 2 years. Such bargains are scarce, if you can find them at all. $3000-4000 is the new $1000.Anything less is likely very used up, or needs work just to get it on the road. That is not completely bad. Cars are better now than they were in those days. A $1000 car 20 years ago was a 1970s or 80s model that was expected to last up to 75,000 miles. Interiors were cheap and self-destructed early in their lives.Electrical failures were common. Squeaks, rattles and shoddy workmanship were the norm. Todays cars are engineered better and use better materials. Even the cheapest cars will run 150,000-200,000 miles without surprising anyone. With improved technology and materials comes a cost.On entry-level wages, buying a first car may be harder to afford, but the car will likely be much better and safer than it was 20 years ago.
Now that I remember my password and can log back on, I will be looking at cars in the $3000-4000 prce range and we'll take a look at what the cheap cars of today are like. It can vary from 1 place to the next. In areas with lower costs of living, cars can likely be found cheaper. Also, in areas where cars last longer, they can be found at lower prices, often due to the overflow on the market, where supply may outnumber demand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998 Chevrolet Lumina -Low Miles 60K- Chevy Lumina - $3250 (Warren)
Year - 1998
Make - Chevrolet
Model - Lumina
Color - White
Miles - 60,026 Actual
Engine - 3.1 L V6
Runs & drives very well, taken care of / garage kept always. Many options
Call for more info, thank you.
Price - 3,250.00 plus tax,title & plate fee's
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bad news is, this is a pretty old car-older than a lot of buyers would consider. And it's a Michigan car, so the likelihood of rust damage underneath is high. But honestly, it's one of the better-sounding cars i've seen for this price. I'm used to seeing Malibu's with 150,000 miles. This kind of mileage is a bit of a surprise, and these cars tend to run a long time so another 100,000 miles is very possible. Boring? You bet. Old? Yes. But if the body is decent, this one COULD be a great buy. Of course, one needs to check the carfax first and make sure its got a clean title. Judging by the way the ad is written, it looks like this is at a car lot, so there's less risk of getting a car with a junk title, but still, be careful. Most dealers will sell a car like this for around $5000, and thats with much higher mileage. If this checks out ok, it could be the bargain of the year. These Luminas can take a lot of use.Watch for subframe rust under the doors, an affliction most have sufered in this region. as far as the engines are concerned, these cars are still trudging along even after the bodies have rotted. Dare I say it but I'd put these up against a similar-year Toyota Camry in terms of durability.
A few weeks ago, TCWC visited the large, prosperous suburb of Southfield and I compiled a log of luxury and enthusiast cars I observed. This week, we will do the same, but in a much different suburb.
Madison Heights is a working class community that is only about half the size of Southfield. Home to just under 30,000 people, Madison Heights is largely residential and consists mostly of small businesses.There are some industrial areas but they contain smaller factories, not large-scale plants.There are a number of small, independent businesses and specialty shops. Particularly notable is the large number of Asian stores. Many Chinese and Vietnamese-owned restaurants, grocers and hair salons can be found here.There are entire shopping plazas consisting entirely of Asian stores.These business owners often drive cars like Carmys and Accords, not Benzes and Bmws.Those cars are more likely to be driven by doctors,who tend to operate out of smaller, more modest buildings. There are Arabic-owned businesses as well, particularly gas stations, party stores and cell phone stores.These owners also often drive the real nice brands.The largest stores are places like Meijer and Costco.
The median income is reportedly 42,000.Whites make up 89% of the population, with Asians making up about 5%. blacks make up almost 2% of the population.There are also at least 2 Mosques in the city, indicating a growing Islamic population.
There are quite a few motorcycles to be seen, and a lot of classic car collectors.
I sat at a favorite coffee shop for about an hour in the late afternoon overlooking a main thoroughfare, driven by people often living and working outside of the city.People watched me suspiciously as I sat at a window and made notes on a piece of paper. Understandably, few people take notes on the cars they see.But, I didn't let them bother me. This is a hobby and I'm sharing it here with anyone who might be interested.
You will see a few differences between the Southfield results and those in Madison Heights. The smaller time frame probably contributed to this.Anyhow, on to the numbers.
Once Again, Cadillac takes the lead, with 25 Cadillacs observed. Mercedes-Benz came in second, with 16.Bmw was 3rd, and Chryslers flashy 300 was 4th, with 13 and 12 counts respectively.Lincoln came in at number 5, with only 5 sightings. Lincolns were pretty much absent until about the last 15-20 minutes, when they just started suddenly showing up.In Southfield, they were pretty much consistent.
strangely, only 1 Audi was documented. In nearby cities like troy and Birmingham, this brand is quite respected and popular. This is the second city in which Audis are not very abundant.
I spotted 1 Porsche, an 80's 911 with the top down (it was hot outside) and 2 Jaguars.Also seen were 2 Corvettes and only 2 Acuras.There were 7 sightings for both Volvo and Lexus, 3 for Land Rover/Range Rover, and 3 Infinity.
The classics were kind of interesting. Since it was a nice day, several people brought their classics out.There was a later-model Firebird with tinted windows and custom wheels, a white late-80s Dodge Daytona,one of those Cobra replicas, a limited-edition "final edition" Thunderbird, a black 1960s Thunderbird convrrtible, and a clean, original-looking red 1973 Monte Carlo.
There isn't much to conclude from this except that Cadillacs and Mercedes-Benzes are the luxury car favorites in Oakland County.
A few weeks ago, I wrote my less than entertaining post about my birth year, 1979, and how awful it was in terms of the automotive market (Fashion was equally bad,though, so I think it was just an all-around lousy year). Little did I now that a week or so later, I would stumble upon an entry on a site called "Matts Blog" that I could have used to even further my case. While I really like Matt's Blog, which is essentially a list of best-selling cars in as many countries as data is available for, I feel there is one thing it can use:Commentary. Writing editorials is my favorite part of blogging.I encourage everyone to check out his site, but in the meantime, I will give him credit as my source for this piece. Due to space and time constraints, I will narrow this down to the top 5 only.So, here is the list of 1979s top 5 cars in terms of sales.
1. Chevrolet Impala/Caprice-Before they were famously used as Police cars, Caprice's and Impala's were full-sized family cars used by civilians. Keep in mind, sales figures are for both models grouped together, not 1 individual model.Together, a little less than 450,000 were sold. After a noticeable absence, the Impala name returned. Purists are disappointed that the name now appears on a dull, generic sedan, but truth be told, in 1979, the Impala WAS the plain, ordinary car in Chevy's lineup,while the Caprice was slightly more luxurious.Today's Impala is one of the best-selling American cars around and really is the modern equivalent of itself, even if the name disappeared for awhile.Certaintly, the #1 sales ranking explains why I used to see so darn many Caprice's well into the '90s. Impala's seemed to have a shorter life span and the impractically large wagons are particularly scarce now.
2. Oldsmobile Cutlass-The mid-seventies Cutlass held the coveted #1 spot for awhile. For 1978, it was downsized and some of it's appeal and elegance was gone.Americans didn't seem to mind, though, and bought about 404,000 of them in the second year of their restyle, keeping it in the top 3.In 1981, it was downsized again, this time becoming one of the all-time favorite customization opportunities for lowriders, dubs/"donks", and pro-street racers.The 1978-80 was the bridge between large, semi-luxury car and midsized dub-rider. The styling is not as nice as either, but this is the late-70s so the standards were pretty low.
3. Chevrolet Chevette- This one surprised me a bit. I honestly didn't know Chevrolet sold as many Chevettes as they did. Almost 376,000 were sold in 1979. This was GM's world car, as the platform was used by Opel, Vauxhall and Isuzu overseas and a similar version, also called "Chevette", was sold in Brazil. 1979 models are the easiest to identify because it was the first year for the square headlights and last year for the old taillights, before switching to wraparounds. They met the increasing demand for small, fuel-efficient cars that weren't made in Japan. Since Chevettes were small, cheap, basic cars, nobody bothered to hold on to them and most were recycled years ago. Most remaining examples have been converted into race cars.The few the haven't aren't considered classics and are among the cheapest cars one can find.Even in areas where rust isn't an issue, there aren't many left.Sad, really. We could use one these days, since Chevy has outsourced their subcompact manufacturing to Korea.Honestly, I always thought Chevettes were cute and still hold out a glimmer of hope that someday the name will be revived on an equally cute,modern variation.But I won't hold my breath.
4. Chevrolet Malibu- GM absolutely ruled the market in 1979, with the entire top 4 belonging to their cars.The Malibu was a mid-sized contender, positioned below the Monte Carlo and Caprice on the social ladder. Some of the styling touches were bolder than those found on the understated Caprice and Impala, though it was more plain than the ritzy-looking Monte Carlo. Over 344,000 Malibu's were sold in 1979, though not many can be found now. Quite a few were reborn as pro-street or drag-strip race cars.Others were wrecked by the film industry....it sure seems like an awful lot were wrecked on movies and tv shows during the 1980s.I prefer the 1978-80 Malibu over the 1981-83 with the boxier rear-end.The Malibu was dropped after 1983 but returned in the 90s on a mid-sized,mid-grade car that is located at about the same position in chevys lineup as it was in 1979.The Impala is larger and Monte Carlo is sportier. Chevrolet continues to update the Malibu, keeping it relevant.Maybe Chevrolet realized their 1970s marketing strategy was sound and reverted back to it.
5. Ford Fairmont- The only non-Gm car in the top 5 and possibly the dullest, Ford brought out the Fairmont for the 1978 model year to instant success.Like Chevy's Impala/Caprice and Malibu, a wagon version was also offered, making the Fairmont a complete,family-friendly line.There was also a Futura model with an attempt at a fastback style, but it still wasn't all that sporty.Although a few have found new use as souped-up race cars, Fairmont's generally offer no collectible value and nobody has any interest in them. There is no indication they will be valuable or collectible anytime soon.Today's equivalent would likely be the Fusion, except no wagons are offered on the Fusion and the latest Fusion is far better looking than the uninspired Fairmont. On the bright side, they offer good value for someone wanting a 1970s "retro" cruiser at a low price, and with 338,000 sold in '79 alone, finding one shouldn't be too hard. In fact, I know the whereabouts of one, though its not for sale as far as I know.
Carwatching is not really a new hobby, it's just not a recognized one. It should be. People watch birds, stars, whales, even airplanes and trains. Why not cars? What people drive differs from one city to the next. Demographics play a role in vehicle popularity, and some can be very noticeable.
A few years back, I was in a small, properous town in southeastern Michigan, located in a very heavily GM-centric region.While at Starbucks, I decided to do a "count", if you will, of luxury cars. Luxury cars (and I include sports cars in that category) are a potentially lucrative market that every company dwells on.They are the cars we dream of owning, the cars we feel make people take us more seriously....cars that evoke a professional image...cars that tell people we have good taste. So I realized how successfully I can entertain myself by making lists of all the luxury cars, and leaving a check mark by their name every time one passes. It actually can be very revealing about demographics and marketing. I'd estimate that 70% of the luxury cars I saw in that town were Cadillacs. I chalked that up to the towns geographic placement and the GM influence there.
Today, I spent time in Southfield, a hotbed of luxury cars.In addition to the luxury brands, I included 2 flagship models from standard brands that earned inclusion. Of course, the corvette was one. The other was the Chrysler 300, a car used as a limosine or executive courtesy car internationally (Ive actually seen photos of them in Russia). I counted cars for about 20-30 minutes at different times--twice in the morning and once in the early afternoon.
I refer to Southfield as "The New Detroit". The majority of residents used to live in Detroit and moved to Southfield to experience suburbia. Most of the Detroit-market tv stations transmit out of studios in Southfield. Big, tall office buildings and sprawling commercial complexes are one of the city's most famous attributes. Census data puts the population at about 71,000, 70% of whom are African-American.A small but tightly-knit Orthodox Jewish community is found on the far east side of the city.According to Wikipedia, 38.73% of adults here have at least a bachelors degree.There are more people involved in computer or math work than in 95% of the places in America (again, per Wikipedia). The poverty rate is only 7.4%. Yes, this is the kind of city where car buyers are very attentive to things like styling and image. They want a car that is professional and, as many have moved here from less desireable areas of Detroit, something that represents upward mobility. Southfield has a very serious market for luxury goods and knowing what people living and working here buy is very important from a marketing standpoint.
Cadillac won again, but the gap was very thin. In the smaller town I was in a few years ago, most luxury cars were Cadillacs and the gap between Cadillacs and Non-Cadillacs was enormous.That was not the case here. Expect this to happen in most US locales. Cadillacs and Lincols are OUR luxury cars (Americas).Used models can be quite affordable,distribution is more widespread, and as a local company, parts are likely less expensive (nothing to import). Foreign luxury cars are almost non-existant in smaller towns and rural areas, making Cadillacs and Lincolns the only luxury cars to be seen. I fully expect to see more Cadillacs than anything else in most places. What's interesting is finding out how dominant they are.Sixty one Cadillac sighting were documented today.
Lincoln came in second place. I was surprised. All I hear about is how poorly Lincoln is doing and that Ford needs to pump more life into the brand and make it more inspiring to keep it alive (Or IF they should even bother keeping it alive).Yet, Lincolns just kept coming out of the woodwork. This particular area is loaded with Ford employees, retirees and their family members, so its likely that company discounts helped purchase these cars and the overall number is probably much higher than in most other US regions. Regardless, with a count of 49, Lincolns came in second and give this brand some hope.
Chryslers flagship, the 300, made 35 appearances during this traffic study. I only saw 5 BMWs. That means Chrysers top luxury offering,a single model, outnumbered the entire BMW lineup by a large margin.Chrysler needs to hear this, as things haven't been going all that well for them lately. That one model can be this competitive in such a market is welcome news, but again, Chryslers headquarters and assembly plants are nearby so these results likely aren't typical.Either way, it shows some promise.
Mercedes-Benz was way down in 4th place. With all the law offices and medical buildings in the city, some may think Mercedes vehicles would be tops.Only 22 were observed, but outside of the state they could indeed score higher on car counts in wealthy areas.
Rounding out the top 5 was Lexus, with 19 documented sightings.I incorrectly predicted more BMWs would be on the road than Lexus', so this one was a little bit of a surprise.
Allow me to be politically incorrect and cite the racial makeup of the city. Almost 3/4 of the population is black. I can't think of another reason that I only observed 5 Audi's. Audi is a popular, well-respected brand in Oakland County but seems to fare poorly with African-American buyers. The top 5 luxury cars listed here have done extremely well with this demographic and 2, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, have tremendous appeal across most racial and cultural lines.Audi is well-liked among whites and Asians, but needs to do some catching up with the important African-American market.
Infinity, Porsche,Jaguar,Saab,Volvo, Land Rover, and Acura all barely registered, with fewer than 10 sightings each. Essentially, these were included strictly for comparative purposes. As low as their numbers were, they were probably still higher than average if compared with other parts of the state...or the country,for that matter. Eight Volvos, 3 Land Rovers,8 Acuras,3 Saabs, and Infinity, Porsche and Jaguar all got checked 4 times. I even saw 1 Maserati, a brand too rare to have initially included (The same reason Bentley and Rolls-Royce were excluded--and I drove behind a Bentley coming home)..
Classics? Not many. Just a 90s Impala SS, red VW Karmann-Ghia, a 90s Pontiac Firebird convertible, and a Mazda Miata with a racing stripe.Usually, classics are the vehicles most car-watchers focus on and in many circles, they are considered a cool, fun investment and even something to brag about. In Southfield, though, new seems to be better in most peoples minds.
CONCLUSION: In Michigan, American luxury still dominates in the wealthy suburbs. Mercedes-Benz can put up a good fight but their cars still cannot quite outnumber our local products.Lexus impeccable reputation is working out well for them and the former British brands hardly even matter.
Check back in the future for another installment of carwatching and see how things compare in other,different cities.
My father had it made. He was born in the late-'40s, grew up during the 50's, and was a teen in the 60s.Back then, cars had class. Chrome. Tailfins. Exaggerated styling. Luxury cars actually looked luxurious.The attention paid to detail was superb.Even cheaper compact cars had sharp edges, dramatic rooflines, imaginative chromework, and truckloads of character. Take a look at an early-60s Plymouth Valiant or Mercury Comet if you don't believe me.All the cars my father saw when he was young would be considered "cool" nowadays, and that is reflected in baby boomers' enthusiasm of and appreciation for the cars of their youth. They'll see a car from the 1950s or 60s and stop for a moment to admire it.
Things started changing in the late-60s or early-70s. Cars got dull. Gas became scarce and expensive while emissons controls got tougher. Bumpers got larger to meet increasing safety standards. People who grew up in later decades were not surrounded by cool, fast, sexy cars. Most people born in the 1970s will not look at a 1975 Ford LTD or 1977 Chrysler Cordoba and talk about how cool they were.People my fathers age can look at the 1950s counterparts of those cars and say "Those were quite the machine in their day".
Which brings me to 1979. It was the year I was born.And arguably one of the WORST years for cars.Never mind the poor quality control.Just look at the cars themselves.Some of the most beloved cars were a ghost of their former selves .In 1974, Ford took the popular Mustang and put it on a Pinto platform, renaming it "Mustang II". Gone was the sporty pony car, replaced by a cheap-looking, watered-down compact.Yes, they redesigned it for 1979. Unfortunately, it wasn't a huge improvement. The 1979 Mustang still wasn't very sporty, looking more like an undersized luxury car (excluding the limited-edition Indy Pace car version).Pontiac redesigned the Firebird with an uglier front end and long, 1-piece taillight along the rear. And while I personally like the 70's-style Corvette, it is one of the least popular vettes ever, and one of the worst-performing due to its excessive emissions-control equipment.Even into the late-70s, Cadillacs were flashy and actually looked like luxury cars. By 1979, only the redesigned Eldorado looked the part.The rest of the lineup started getting plain and dull. Lincolns did retain those luxury-car characteristics but they were not appealing to many buyers. Too many people felt they were "grampa" cars.The Oldsmobile 88/98 full-sized models were ultra-boring and too boxy, unlike the earlier, more stylish versions. The Cutlass lost some of it's coolness when it was downsized. AMC was mostly selling their weakest entries, the Concord and Spirit, with the spacy Pacer barely selling and the semi-muscular Spirit AMX available only in limited numbers.Chrysler gave us the Aspen and Volare, 2 of the dullest cars of the 70s. Cordobas were ridiculous looking and never seemed a serious contender for the luxury market. Fords LTD was a conservative-looking car that created no excitement among anyone, and the Grand Marquis soon became associated with senior-citizens, and devoid of any character.It was the last year for US-sales of VWs iconic Bug/Beetle and Datsuns Z car was trying too hard to be a high-tech sports-luxury car,while the earlier 240 and 260 were less stylish but better street-racers.The only bright spot was the introduction of Mazda's RX7, which would continue to improve over the years.
1979 really was the beginning of the 1980s, when luxury cars were ugly and looked cheap, sporty cars were slow and underpowered, and nondescript compacts began to dominate.
I graduated from high-school in 1998. At that point, the SUV craze had gotten into full-swing. I never liked SUVs. They are all, by nature,boxy, so they cannot differ much from one another or be very distinctive (unlike cars, which can be boxy, round, or pointy).People were driving Jeep cherokees, Ford Explorers, Dodge Neons, and Chevy Cavaliers. Good cars for what they were intended,but not exciting, shapely or stylish.
A lot of younger folks like the 60s and early-70s cars, and I can understand that.They mostly saw boring cars growing up and can appreciate the cars made during the times when designers showed imagination and viewed autobiles as an opportunity to be artistic and creative. During the year I was born, they were too cautious and lost that sense of adventure. Quality suffered and performance was stifled. Honestly, I'm not sure offhand what my favorite car was for the 1979 model year,as so few interest me.Thats reason enough to consider my year of birth one of the worst for cars.
Nowadays, we have the Cadillac CTS-V. The Corvette was reborn into a serious sports car. Dodge gave us the Viper.Before the divisions were eliminated, Pontiac and Saturn gave us beautiful last-ditch efforts with the Solstice and Sky. Honda offered the S2000.Ford learned their lesson and made the Mustang a hot rod again. Even the Camaro returned as tire-burnin' muscle car. Yes, 1979 and the early-80s were all a bad dream.But the car companies started making up for it in the 2000s, giving us some memorable, notable cars.There is hope.Too bad,though,that I wasnt born in a different year.
1978 Volkswagen Dasher -72,XXX Miles - $650 (Vancouver, WA)
Up for sale, is my 1978 Volkswagen Dasher. This is a four-door station wagon, with an automatic transmission.
The tires are all good. The brown paint has faded some. It could use a good cleaning.
It is currently not running, and it has been sitting for a year. I had a mechanic take a look at it in the past, and he said it seems like a fuel pump issue. I just don't have the time or money to continue with the project.
I am asking $900 or best offer.
Please feel free to call, text, or e-mail me with any questions.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington state. Of course.Where else would you find the most forgotten VW, rotting in someones yard?Not everything Volkswagen made turned to gold, as evidenced by the failure that was the Dasher in the US.While these did pretty well in other countries (under a different name), it never caught on here. Even diehard VW buffs have no interest in them.They were never common and even though still roam the streets in places like Brazil,they have vanished here.Which isn't unusual, considering how uncommon they seemed to be to begin with. At least this one has an automatic trans.But that doesnt matter, since it won't run anyway.This is not an investment that will yield a high return, and would be a tough sell when fixed.Interesting find, but I don't know. You can't go wrong with a Bug or bus, but you might not ever be able to go right with a Dasher.However, if you happen to own the last Dasher still running in North America, here's your chance to get some parts. You'll just have to decide if its worth $900.
Houston,Tx: This Cadillac is in the running for the "most atrocious customization" award.Whats WORSE? The cheesy spare tire on the back? The exaggerated spoke wheels? Or the useless chrome stripes along the back? Don't bother responding to that question, because there is no correct answer.All 3 are horrible. Added together, it's a rolling eyesore.This is the rare occasion in which I've found a customized car that I actually HOPE gets scrapped..... and soon!
A few posts back, I included a street view shot of a Ford Cortina, and stated that I would continue looking through England in hopes of finding a Vauxhall Chevette. Well, speak and I shall find.
On the left we have one,in Grantham.This looks like the high-performance version (HS),which explains why someone bothered to hold on to it. The nose has clear Opel origins and the basic shape is similar to that of its North American Chevrolet cousin of the same name.It most closely resembles the Brazilian Chevrolet Chevette,though.
UK Chevettes are more exciting finds than Cortinas because they are even rarer. As of the last quarter of 2012, only 755 were known to remain, and I don't have data for the HS edition.I was skeptical I'd find one on Google at all, but I did.Where to next?
Some news from the street view front. The kingdom of Lesotho in Africa can now be seen on Google. Quite honestly, its a bit depressing.Crude, tin shanties line sparsely driven roads in some truly impoverished conditions.Most of the vehicles I've seen so far have been cheaper pickups, 1980s and early 90s Toyota taxicabs, and very old, incomplete compacts, often on cinderblocks. There are only five or six thousand registered vehicles in this small country, but the actual number is probably quite a bit higher when you add up the cars that have sat abandoned for many years, stripped and overgrown.
In the midst of such poverty and despair, I found an actual classic,slowly dying in a virtually car-free neighborhood. A 1970s Cadillac,which no one can afford gas for.How such a car got there is anyones guess, and maybe the mystery is half the excitement of discovering it.
Due to the excessive thirst for fuel these cars were famous for, and total lack of availability for parts in this area,It's probable that this Cadillac will never return to the road, so long as it remains in tiny Lesotho.
Searching Google for interesting car sightings can be interesting because you won't know what you'll find, and some places have a lot more unexpected cars than others.Viewing streets in Texas is a littlle bit more promising than someplace in, say, New England or Minnesota.
Texas is second only to California for vehicle registrations. That means there is only 1 state with more cars than Texas. Add to that the fact the Texas does not use road salt and you can expect a better variety. Fewer risks of rust and warmer weather means older, rarer cars are more common and in use.
So I was looking at the neighborhoods in Copperas Cove and, in a typical suburban neighborhood with ordinary cars, this shows up. Its an Isuzu Impulse, a car that was never very common even when it was new. This one has tinted windows and black wheels for a more menacing appearance. We have to wonder what the owners future plans are for this car. Seeing as there's a Honda Civic tuner special in the driveway, I'm sure he has something in store for the Isuzu.
For what its worth, the mountainous terrain on the outskirts of Copperas Cove looks absolutely amazing.
1977 FORD PINTO SPORT CRUISER WAGON - $2500 (MERCED)
I have a super clean 1977 Ford Pinto Sport Cruiser Wagon for sale. It
has had a lot of work done to it. The motor is a 302ci with a c4 trans.
Both have under 10k mi. on them. I has an 8in rear that I belive is
limited slip. New tires
were put on last week with under 100mi. on them (I had to replace the
tires because this thing is a tire burner folks). At this time I only
have the one photo. I will send more upon request. Any questions feel
free to call.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I confess. I like Pintos.Yes, they are one of the most ridiculed cars in history. And most hated. But the opportunities are unlimited. When new, they were available in a wide array of trim packages, options and color patterns. Available body styles were Wagon and 2 door hatchback.
One package was the "Cruising Wagon" with a porthole window on the side. These usually had overdone disco paint jobs.Very few looked alike. Clearly, it was attempt to cash in on the "sport van" craze of the era using a compact wagon instead of a van.Considering that Ford got its start by offering Model T's in "any color as long as its black", the variety of appearances and colors you could get on a Pinto from the factory was a far cry from the company's old days. No company today offers such artistic possibilities. It isn't financially sustainable.As much as the automotive media hates 70s car,and Pintos in particular,these cars offered a sense of free-spirited individuality that were a bright spot of the 70s.
Of course, there was the belief that Pinto's blew up when hit from behind, a theory that was possibly debunked but definitely affected the cars reputation even to this day.
Eventually people realized that Pinto's made great race cars.....and demolition derby contestants. Those that weren't crashed in mass quantities for sport or didn't rust in just a few short years (which Pintos were famous for) were often tubbed for the track, and that has kept a surprising number of them in existence today.Less common are quirky original "special editions" like this one.Nowadays, we look at it and think it's ridiculous, but in the 70's this was trendy.People interested in joining the collector car hobby likely aren't going to consider a Pinto, but for the price's these cars run,you'll get a very unique,attention-getting oldie for much less than more common Corvettes and pony cars.And that's another reason I like Pinto's. Great bang for the buck if your getting into the old car hobby, either as a cruiser or racer.Forget image, a Pinto can get you onto the local cruising strip or amateur raceway at the lowest possible cost.
An "interesting" looking car for the right buyer at a price almost unheard of for a collectible.Someone needs to preserve this reminder of a time when cheap cars were as fun as the owners made them to be, and cheap cars alone created a fun lifestyle despite the challenges of the times.
Ford used to know what it felt like being near the top of the sedan heap.From the mid-80s into the 2000's, the Taurus was one of America's best selling cars. Though just mediocre and not as modern or refined as the Japanese competition, the Taurus offered the right size and options for it's price. Despite solid sales, it was dropped in favor of nicer, more modern cars (500 anyone?). The name has returned on a slightly more upscale sedan, and in its old spot is the Fusion. It was enough to return Ford to the top-10 "best-selling" list and a competent American competitor to the perennially top-selling Toyota Camry, if not the great looking Honda Accord.While well-received, styling just wasn't as pretty as that of similar foreign cars and was just as boring.
Not so anymore.
One of my complaints about the Fusion, until now, was the front-end styling. It looked odd and rather unattractive. Ford has cleaned it up with a less imposing grille and long,wide headlights.A much smaller, and vastly better-looking, Ford oval has been properly placed so as not to cheapen the appearance or detract from the more upscale styling.
In back, the tall, odd taillights have been made smaller and wider. As a result, the 2 least attractive elements of the design have been remedied.The low,sleek roofline doesn't actually look bad because the European-styled headlight and taillight designs are very compatible with the cars overall shape.
Inside, there is a sloped dashboard that might take some getting used to for some drivers, but is an effective combination of luxury and sportiness. Gauges have been properly designed to reflect the car's style and position in the lineup. Unlike of the cheap, basic Taurus of old, the new Fusion seems to have more in common with mid-grade sport-sedans like the Chrysler 300 or departed Pontiac Grand Prix.This is the realm in which the new Taurus is supposed to be,so Ford may have oversaturated it's lineup with comparable cars that sort of overlap each other.
Honda may still be the king of this category with the Accord. Toyota sells bundles of Camry's but those are dull.Chevrolet had a great product with the Impala but its also been bland and ugly over the last few years.Ford has taken their bland car and transformed it into a Jaguar clone.As a guy who always thought Fords were boring and Chevy's were cooler, I have to come clean and say that Ford outdid Chevy here and are offering their nicest design ever.They could have badged this as a Lincoln and nobody would have complained.Prices start at around $22,000 but can go well beyond the $30,000 mark. The Fusion looks every bit a $22-30,000 car, but will people be willing to pay the higher prices for a car known as a generic family sedan? And how will it impact Taurus sales (and vice versa)? All good questions to ponder.From a sheer styling perspective, though, Chevy and Toyota need to be afraid. Ford has hit a home run and outdone themselves.
You know you've hit the big time when famous people mention your blog. It is with great pride that this little blog has caught on and gotten some attention. Following is a collection of quotes about these writings:
"If I would have known that such blogs would exist, I would have invested my time into something else. However, I'm sure Colin would have disgraced that industry too with a similar journal". -Henry Ford
"Colin is as knowledgeable about cars as I am ignorant about baseball".--Cal Ripken,Jr
"Know about cars, I do not. Colin's blog, all I read is."--Yoda
"Actually, I'll say it. Folks, Barack Obama is a better president than Colin is an automotive blogger."--Rush Limbaugh
"After reading this blog, I realized something. Did you know that Colin has been wrong about cars more often than Lindsay Lohan has wrecked them?"-- Jay Leno
"This guy isn't even qualified to write an automotive column for "Amish Life" magazine."--Adam Carolla
"We are afraid to put an ad out out there seeking automotive journalists. We fear Colin will keep sending in more applications than our trash can will hold."--Car And Driver
"Colin hath not learned-Thou shalt not write about that whench thou doth not knoweth."--William Shakespeare
"Colin is an ever bigger blockhead than Charlie Brown."--Lucy, of "Peanuts"
"Gee, and I thought I didn't know anything...this person is worse"-- (The aforementioned) Charlie Brown
"I pity the fool wo wastes time reading this jibber-jabber."--Mr.T
"There's more malarky on Colin's blog than I heard in Paul Ryan's debate speech."--Vice Pres.Joe Biden
I want to thank everyone for their comments and helping to get the word out!
Most American's were probably unaware that the Fiat 500 even existed until they saw Pixar's "Cars" film. A 500 named "Luigi" was one of the prominent characters in the movie. The original 500 was a typical European microcar intended for cheap city driving.It was in production until the mid-70s.
Fiat had a minor US presence until the 80s, when the final model offered was pulled.To this day, Fiat has a reputation for poor quality and lack of reliability. In it's native Europe, Fiat has done much better. Enough to be able to buy a controlling stake in beleaguered Chrysler, which has allowed them to try to re-enter the US market.
The sole offering currently being sold here is the new 500, a modernized version of the cartoonish 1960s-era design. For sure, it's quite a faithful re-creation of the original. The new 500 looks remarkably similar and fans of the original will feel that the new version is a respectful, worthwhile use of the name.What is interesting is how similar the car looks to it's ancestor while still being modern and fresh.
The 500 fills a bit of niche market.It is not without its stereotypes. Its cute, for sure, and too often cutesy little cars are immediately viewed as "girls cars" or feminine. I do not get that vibe from the 500. It seems asexual. But, it seems almost a bit too "hipster-esque". The car looks more like a personal or fashion statement than a serious commuter.If I had to guess, I'd say it's core demographic is urban, either young and single or a young childless couple,and probably live a very active lifestyle. This is exactly the car you'd expect to see pulling up to a vegan cafe in Oregon for a poetry slam, driven by someone dressed in black thrift-shop clothes.Sorry, but sometimes stereotypes have an effect on sales.Older men in the suburbs will look at it and think its too weird or too cute.To him, it's something his college-aged son would drive....not to mention that the Fiat name still has a bad rap among those of a more advanced age.In other words, it's a bit out of the mainstream and likely appeals mostly to those WANTING to be different,regardless of its past reputation.The car may in fact be a little too outgoing for many buyers.
Inside, it's a mixed bag. There's some nice wood trim that makes the 500 look more expensive than it actually is. Above the steering wheel is a large, circular gauge that looks a bit out of place and mars an otherwise likable dashboard.At first, I didn't think I liked the steering wheel design, but I am changing my mind and it's growing on me.The round headrests are atrocious and ruin the entire thing. Did they intentionally try to make them so ugly?
Ah, but guess what? Prices start around 16 grand. Any complaints about styling go out the window. Choices are very limited in this price range so there really isn't much room to complain about visual flaws. Sixteen-to-twenty thousand dollar cars are not about design excellence,so put that into consideration. Fuel mileage is reported to be in the 30s, which should be a much greater factor for such inexpensive cars. Combine those 2 statistics and there are definitely some compelling reasons to consider buying one.
Again, I must emphasize that the 500 is more of a novelty car for an urban niche market than a basic commuter with wide appeal.Also, there's that pesky image problem regarding reliability. Have Fiat's gotten better during their long absence from the US market? We will probably find out soon enough. Honestly, I do think its an interesting car and potentially a great value. Also, I'm glad to see Fiat trying again to sell their European cars here.Really, I just wish Fiat also introduced a more subdued car for those of us who aren't trying to convey a certain kind of image or credibility.Many people will like this car, but fewer will really truly appreciate it for its real quirkiness. Fiat did a great job of bringing a classic up to date, but they need to expand their lineup just a little bit. A company or division cannot thrive on 1 product alone, never mind a specialty model.Nevertheless, the 500 is a competent and likable way for Fiat to get back in the game. Shame about those ugly headrests, though.
Like most machines, cars do not have a very long life-expectancy. It used to be that after 75,000 miles, cars were considered fully used-up and ready for the scrapyard. Now its about 150,000-200,000 miles. Things like rust and failing the emissions tests render cars useless even before the engine goes.Most of the time, we don't really notice outdated cars becoming rare and most people don't really care.Being a highly sentimental person, I tend to go against the grain.Not only have I always liked the nerdy, boring cars, but I also get overcome with feelings of sadness when I see pictures of certain ordinary cars and realize that I will see very few of them ever again.Maybe it's just some form of difficulty in letting go of the past. My reasons for liking certain cars are often undetermined, as are the reasons for the varying degrees of emotion I feel about their increasing scarcity. I probably could make this into a multi-part series but I'd run out of things to say other than "I just like them and wish more were around."
The following are cars from my childhood that are in short supply, that I wish I still saw more often. Keep in mind that the real cool rides, with potential collector status in the future, have been preserved more often and still pop up from time to time on nice days.These are not those cars. Seen here are unloved, unexceptional cars that I readily admit to liking.
-Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ: Captive imports made by Mitsubishi and sold here,misleadingly, as Dodge/Plymouth cars. They were crude, cheap cars and the most interesting thing about them was their wide array of names. Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ in N.America, Mitsubishi Mirage or Colt Mirage in most markets, and in the UK, Colt was the actual brand (the model "name" was 1200). I used to see these quite often and something in my wild childhood mind told me that it was one of the cars I should consider buying when I became a teen. Of course, by the mid-90s, that wasn't an option.They had already vanished.Really, they weren't much to look at and not a fun car (excluding the unique "Turbo" Colts), but they had cool graphic patterns and paint jobs that made them seem more appealing than they were.I have a real soft spot in my heart for these since I loved them as a little kid. I was in the Philippines for a few days in 2010 and saw 2 of these in one town. One was a beautiful,restored, red 4-door version with tinted windows and mag wheels.So, I do know where I can still find one (there's a possibility that a few still remain in Australia as well). Unfortunately, that place is about as far from home as I can get. Here, every last one is gone and the days of seeing them on a regular basis have left us sometime when I was still in middle school.I descriptively call these "Gremlin Colts" because they kind of look like modernized AMCs.
-Dodge Challenger/Plymouth Sapporo: Another Mitsubishi-built captive import sold elsewhere under different names. Unlike the Colt, these were not common sights and were more naturally sporty design-wise.I tended to forget they even existed until once every 2 years one would pop out of the woodwork.They weren't even all that old when I noticed how uncommon they seemed to be.The main difference between the Dodge and Plymouth versions was the taillight design, and I saw too few to learn how to tell one from another.I think one reason I miss these so much is that I never saw enough when they were newer and I probably feel like I missed out on an unusual sight that I never got familiar enough with. In 2011 I happened upon one at the Woodward Dream Cruise, an unmodified Challenger in mint condition. The owner said he bought it new and kept it garaged all winter to prevent rust. I said " You have the only one left in Michigan", to which he responded "I have the only one left ANYWHERE". Soon afterwards, Hagerty insurance made a list of "Threatened, endangered and extinct" cars. The Challenger was deemed extinct. That owner may have been pretty close in his assessment of having the only one left. Our opportunities to see them more frequently never came, and we're all worse off for it. RIP Challenger/Sapporo. We hardly knew thee.
-Chevrolet Cavalier Hatchback: During the changing times of the early-80s, GM responded to increased demand for front-wheel-drive compacts. The Cavalier was part of the popular "J" car platform that met those needs.Available in coupe, sedan, wagon, convertible and hatchback form, there was a Cavalier for pretty much everyone.When Chevrolet introduced the Z24 sport package for the coupe, convertible and hatchback, it transformed the Cavalier from cheap grocery-getter to cool wheels, and the package was a great fit for the swoopy hatchback. Unfortunately, they were not of the highest quality and lacked longevity. The Cavalier was redesigned and greatly improved for 1988 and the Z24 became even cooler. Sadly, the hatchback was dropped at that point.Most of the first-gen Cavaliers have long been disposed of, but a few Z24s were probably saved.The unusual-styling and total 80s-ness (I know, thats not a word) of the hatchbacks would make them an interesting oddity today, if there are still any to see.
-Hyundai Pony: My family rarely took trips to Canada when I was a little kid, but when we did, I'd see these everywhere. It was one of the only cars I'd see in Mapleleaf-land that was not sold in the US.That made this undeniably ugly car very intriguing and, actually, one of the only things that revealed I was in a different country. Well, that and signs in 2 languages displaying km/h, and leaves on all the flags. The Pony was Canada's best-selling car at one time. Since the late-90s, I've probably been into Canada 5 times.I have not seen a single Pony. According to Craigslist searches, most remaining Pony's in Canada appear to be in British Columbia.It just doesn't seem like a trip to Canada without seeing a Pony. I'm going to have to change my mindset a bit,since I probably won't see one there again unless I vacation in Vancouver.
-Mazda GLC: We all love an underdog story. By the late-70s, everyone was competing against each other in the compact segment. Obscure Mazda brought in their 323 and renamed it GLC for the American market.Most brands were more established than Mazda so the VW Rabbit, Dodge Omni, Chevy Chevette, Honda Civic,etc all fared better. Eventually, they dropped the GLC name and used the more international "323" moniker.The GLC has escaped most peoples memories, leaving little indication that they ever existed. Eventually the 323 led to the Mazda 3, which is probably one of the hippest compacts with the younger crowd today....considered cooler than the competition that once outsold it. That's how a good underdog story ends.
In the car enthusiast world, the United kingdom is one of the better countries. There is a sizable community and media (including the popular "Top Gear") and overall the variety of cars isn't bad. Obviously, European cars are the most popular, especially Ford's European division. However, Asian cars can also be found, in addition to some US-based Chrysler/Jeep models and GM cars.
Unfortunately, cars in the UK have always rusted pretty quickly. Older cars don't appear too frequently on street views and finding one is something of a jackpot. The website Howmanyleft.co.uk reveals how poor the survival rate has been for most cars.
I was Google-surfing through Addlestone yesterday and found a Ford Cortina. I had been specifically hoping to find one on Google but kept striking out.The Cortina was a British Ford, and the best-selling car in Britain during the entire 1970's. They were a staple of British roads and almost symbolic of England itself. Not many have made it into this decade, though, and that makes me sad. There are several reasons the rarity of these cars is depressing.
The first is that Britains auto industry has diminished badly. It is a ghost of it's former self, offering almost no cars. Through the 80's, there were British cars for all budgets and tastes. The Cortina was one. You could buy a Cortina in Sedan, Wagon or Convertible form. It was so popular that South Africa, Taiwan, and Australia all had a Cortina line available.Even in South Korea, a Hyundai-badged cortina was built and sold (I have not found any indication that even a single Hyundai version still survives).The United States did not get Cortinas after the early-70s, but seemingly everyone else did.It was a British success story, yet nowadays Britain offers very few choices even for it's own market, forcing buyers to choose German or French cars instead.Some sources say that 1982 was the last year of production, but they were also sold in South Africa through the 1984 model-year.
Another reason is that England itself has changed. Demographically and socially, it is no longer the England of the 1950s that evokes adoration from foreigners even today.The country Anglophiles admire is no longer the same place.The Cortina represented the England of the past, and as they rust away and are scrapped, so are the memories of the country so many people dream about visiting. The Britain of tea-drinking, pub-crawling and scone-eating has gone the way of of the Cortina, and the country is more generic now and less distinguised.That seems to be a common thread in many localities today.
Reason 3 is that the Cortina was so popular that it was almost part of the British landscape and when it gets as rare as it is now, it just reveals how much time has slipped by and that familiar things soon become just a memory.As I mentioned a few posts ago, I feel the same way about Chevy Vegas here in the US.
This is a 1979-82 "mk V" Cortina, the final incarnation. Howmanyleft.co.uk is not the most precise or accurate source, as it only lists cars by first year of registration as opposed to actual model year, but for cars registered between 1979 and 1983 (remember, sources often give '82 as the last year), about 1400 are still left in their native land, and less than half are registered. Close to 900 have been issued a SORN (stationary Off-Road Notice), so only about 530 are driven and not in storage.
At least I finally spotted an iconic Cortina on Google like I had been hoping for. I will probably keep surfing street views of Britain because I'm still hoping to spot a Vauxhall Chevette.
It seems that the term "media bias" gets thrown around a lot these days. Some folks say that NPR and most network television news programs are left-wing propaganda tools. Others say Fox News and most AM talk radio shows are propaganda devices for the right-wing.Fewer people are interested in hearing about cars,so some may not notice it, but bias seems rampant in the automotive media as well.
This is nothing new. For years, I've heard people in the American auto industry, as well as fans of American cars, complain that the major magazines (including Consumer Reports, which is not a car magazine but regularly features cars) have a bias against American cars and always find ways to give them the lowest ratings.I'm not fully convinced of this.Corvettes, Mustangs, and increasingly, new Cadillacs get very positive attention from auto writers.To me, it seems like magazines such as Motor Trend, Road and Track and Car and Driver have a pro-German bias more than anything.Every time I pick up one of these magazines, there is some kind of article on BMWs or Mercedes-Benzes. And BMW always wins awards and comparison tests.
Don't get me wrong, both are great cars. The 80's-era Mercedes-Benzes may be the best cars ever built. I am convinced that when the world explodes, 2 or 3 boxy diesel-powered Benzes will be floating around in space. Keith Richards will be behind the wheel. And BMW has always made exciting, cutting-edge cars. But both automakers just get way too much coverage.It seems like everytime a new performance-oriented car hits the market, the magazines run a caption on the cover saying something like "BMW-killer?" or "Can It Beat The M3?". Everytime they have a multi-car "shoot-out", testing several similar cars against each other, we already expect the BMW to win. Thats just how the media is.
Whenever Mercedes comes out with a new car or even makes a slight update to an existing model, the magazines will write about it with a glowing review.Then, a long-term update.
Mercedes-Benz has become the car of celebrities these days.Movie and tv stars, pop starlets,heavy metal musicians, socialites, you name it. They all seem to drive Mercedes-Benzes.Very few are actually interested in cars. They are becoming mainstream vehicles for the non-enthusiasts, and that increased number of them on the road, especially among non-car folks, turns away the core audiences of these magazines.Even high-performance MBs these days are more likely to be driven by people uninterested in cars.Today's car nut is likely to avoid Benzes because they are the status symbol of the uninitiated.This has not stopped enthusiast magazines from devoting a few pages of every issue to both Mercedes and BMW products.I don't mind seeing Ferrari or Lamborghini articles. These belong in there,since those are enthusiast-oriented marques. But the cars getting the most write-ups are those driven by ER doctors to and from the hospital and country club.
The car magazines may lose relevance soon if they don't add more variety and less predictability and bias.And show us more "Car-Guy" cars instead of "soap-opera star" cars.
Old cars are really popular in America. Many of us hold them in high regard.There are those who cannot understand the fascination people have with old, outdated machinery.They cannot fathom why people waste their time admiring old things when today's technology is so much better.Allow me to shed some light on this subject.
To American's, cars are part of everyday life, yet at the same time, deeply personal. We grow up in communities where all households have cars. Most of us expect to have one before we graduate from high school.With cars playing such a common role in American life,we want our cars to reflect ourselves.Cars often are an expensive afterthought in many parts of the world. People buy them for a specific purpose and have no emotional connection to them. Not us. For a lot of us, our cars are part of our identity.Compare this with many other countries.Cars are like expensive computers. They serve a purpose, cost a lot, and are just inanimate objects that make life easier.The car is so central to our lives here that we have built a culture around it.
America is a country who's citizens often respect the past. People born in the 1990's go to thrift shops to buy hippie clothes, then crank up Beatles songs while smoking a doobie. They try to recreate a decade that went away long before they were born.In a country where radio stations and dance clubs play "retro" music, is it any wonder some people still like old cars? This is not a bad thing. I'm a proponent of remembering the past and honoring it when appropriate.In a lot of countries, people are very forward-thinking and always focusing on innovation and setting new trends. In Japan, televisions, phones, computers, etc are discarded after 2 or 3 years because they are "obsolete" and ultimately that amounts to poverty. Also, emissions and safety regulations are so draconian it is extraordinarily expensive to keep a car long enough for it to become a classic.In Taiwan, most people would be embarrassed to drive outdated cars.South Korea is another forward-thinking country with few or no classic cars, and general disinterest.People from these countries also use more public transit and disposable motor scooters than Americans.They don't expect to own a car immediately upon getting their license and many have learned to adapt without one.There is no emotion attached to the cars and an understable lack of interest in the oldies.
The reasons people love old cars likely has to do with sentimentality more than anything. For example, in the 1970's, a lot of people wanted to have a Corvette or muscle car but ended up driving a Ford sedan handed down to them from their father. Now, they can finally realize their dream.After working hard and saving for years, they finally buy the old car they have lusted over for so long.
Old cars also remind us of something.Unlike the old disco songs of the 70's, cars have a much shorter life span.I still hear songs from my childhood all the time. But I don't see the cars from my childhood.One of my favorite cars is the Chevy Vega, a terrible car if there ever was one.In my youngest years, we lived in a house backing up to a main road. It ended at a subdivision, which you had to zig-zag through to get to the next main thoroughfare.If I looked out through the doorwall, to the neighborhood at the end of that road, I would see a house that had 2 Vegas.An additional Vega belonged to one of the neighbors who lived right near the entrance to our subdivision.we moved in 1985, and a guy living nearby had 2 Cosworth Vegas decaying in his driveway.I have always associated those cars with my childhood.Music is timeless. Cars aren't. My favorite cars are still the 70's cars because those are the cars I remember. I'm now learning to love mediocre cars from the 80's for the same reason.We had a few Pontiac 6000's in my high school parking lot. Those are in short supply now.It's almost like someone going back to their old neighborhood and finding that half of the houses are gone, replaced either by vacant lots or new houses.Then, they see an old house and it looks largely the same as it did 40 or so years ago. About a year and a half ago, I saw a man driving a rusting white Vega on a snowy day and it made me very happy.It was sort of the missing link to vanishing childhood sights.Nowadays, I start to feel the same when a battered, rusted Pontiac 6000 passes by. Many of us like cars that represent a certain time in our life. Others, like the young hippies today, want to live in a time they missed out on.As long as people still like old southern rock music, muscle cars will remain the dream car of many adolescents.And as long as we have something to associate the old cars with, we will love them.Yes, new cars are better. But we already have an attachment to the old cars that we are still building with the newer ones.
One of the few cars to show up at the time I checked out the normally full gas station.This Lincoln sat next to an orange Bricklin,followed by a dark blue street rod. Less exciting than usual in this lot.
As I was leaving the gas station, a 1955 Pontiac pulled in and gave me a badly-needed opportunity for a photography subject.
The Camaro was one of the few notable cars I was able to successfully photograph between rainshowers.
I'm not good at camera photos and this one turned out poorly centered. Either way, pickups are among the hottest collectibles so its important to get some pictures of those.
1. Chevrolet Impala/Caprice-Before they were famously used as Police cars, Caprice's and Impala's were full-sized family cars used by civilians. Keep in mind, sales figures are for both models grouped together, not 1 individual model.Together, a little less than 450,000 were sold. After a noticeable absence, the Impala name returned. Purists are disappointed that the name now appears on a dull, generic sedan, but truth be told, in 1979, the Impala WAS the plain, ordinary car in Chevy's lineup,while the Caprice was slightly more luxurious.Today's Impala is one of the best-selling American cars around and really is the modern equivalent of itself, even if the name disappeared for awhile.Certaintly, the #1 sales ranking explains why I used to see so darn many Caprice's well into the '90s. Impala's seemed to have a shorter life span and the impractically large wagons are particularly scarce now.
2. Oldsmobile Cutlass-The mid-seventies Cutlass held the coveted #1 spot for awhile. For 1978, it was downsized and some of it's appeal and elegance was gone.Americans didn't seem to mind, though, and bought about 404,000 of them in the second year of their restyle, keeping it in the top 3.In 1981, it was downsized again, this time becoming one of the all-time favorite customization opportunities for lowriders, dubs/"donks", and pro-street racers.The 1978-80 was the bridge between large, semi-luxury car and midsized dub-rider. The styling is not as nice as either, but this is the late-70s so the standards were pretty low.
3. Chevrolet Chevette- This one surprised me a bit. I honestly didn't know Chevrolet sold as many Chevettes as they did. Almost 376,000 were sold in 1979. This was GM's world car, as the platform was used by Opel, Vauxhall and Isuzu overseas and a similar version, also called "Chevette", was sold in Brazil. 1979 models are the easiest to identify because it was the first year for the square headlights and last year for the old taillights, before switching to wraparounds. They met the increasing demand for small, fuel-efficient cars that weren't made in Japan. Since Chevettes were small, cheap, basic cars, nobody bothered to hold on to them and most were recycled years ago. Most remaining examples have been converted into race cars.The few the haven't aren't considered classics and are among the cheapest cars one can find.Even in areas where rust isn't an issue, there aren't many left.Sad, really. We could use one these days, since Chevy has outsourced their subcompact manufacturing to Korea.Honestly, I always thought Chevettes were cute and still hold out a glimmer of hope that someday the name will be revived on an equally cute,modern variation.But I won't hold my breath.
4. Chevrolet Malibu- GM absolutely ruled the market in 1979, with the entire top 4 belonging to their cars.The Malibu was a mid-sized contender, positioned below the Monte Carlo and Caprice on the social ladder. Some of the styling touches were bolder than those found on the understated Caprice and Impala, though it was more plain than the ritzy-looking Monte Carlo. Over 344,000 Malibu's were sold in 1979, though not many can be found now. Quite a few were reborn as pro-street or drag-strip race cars.Others were wrecked by the film industry....it sure seems like an awful lot were wrecked on movies and tv shows during the 1980s.I prefer the 1978-80 Malibu over the 1981-83 with the boxier rear-end.The Malibu was dropped after 1983 but returned in the 90s on a mid-sized,mid-grade car that is located at about the same position in chevys lineup as it was in 1979.The Impala is larger and Monte Carlo is sportier. Chevrolet continues to update the Malibu, keeping it relevant.Maybe Chevrolet realized their 1970s marketing strategy was sound and reverted back to it.
5. Ford Fairmont- The only non-Gm car in the top 5 and possibly the dullest, Ford brought out the Fairmont for the 1978 model year to instant success.Like Chevy's Impala/Caprice and Malibu, a wagon version was also offered, making the Fairmont a complete,family-friendly line.There was also a Futura model with an attempt at a fastback style, but it still wasn't all that sporty.Although a few have found new use as souped-up race cars, Fairmont's generally offer no collectible value and nobody has any interest in them. There is no indication they will be valuable or collectible anytime soon.Today's equivalent would likely be the Fusion, except no wagons are offered on the Fusion and the latest Fusion is far better looking than the uninspired Fairmont. On the bright side, they offer good value for someone wanting a 1970s "retro" cruiser at a low price, and with 338,000 sold in '79 alone, finding one shouldn't be too hard. In fact, I know the whereabouts of one, though its not for sale as far as I know.
-Dodge Colt/Plymouth Champ: Captive imports made by Mitsubishi and sold here,misleadingly, as Dodge/Plymouth cars. They were crude, cheap cars and the most interesting thing about them was their wide array of names. Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ in N.America, Mitsubishi Mirage or Colt Mirage in most markets, and in the UK, Colt was the actual brand (the model "name" was 1200). I used to see these quite often and something in my wild childhood mind told me that it was one of the cars I should consider buying when I became a teen. Of course, by the mid-90s, that wasn't an option.They had already vanished.Really, they weren't much to look at and not a fun car (excluding the unique "Turbo" Colts), but they had cool graphic patterns and paint jobs that made them seem more appealing than they were.I have a real soft spot in my heart for these since I loved them as a little kid. I was in the Philippines for a few days in 2010 and saw 2 of these in one town. One was a beautiful,restored, red 4-door version with tinted windows and mag wheels.So, I do know where I can still find one (there's a possibility that a few still remain in Australia as well). Unfortunately, that place is about as far from home as I can get. Here, every last one is gone and the days of seeing them on a regular basis have left us sometime when I was still in middle school.I descriptively call these "Gremlin Colts" because they kind of look like modernized AMCs.
-Dodge Challenger/Plymouth Sapporo: Another Mitsubishi-built captive import sold elsewhere under different names. Unlike the Colt, these were not common sights and were more naturally sporty design-wise.I tended to forget they even existed until once every 2 years one would pop out of the woodwork.They weren't even all that old when I noticed how uncommon they seemed to be.The main difference between the Dodge and Plymouth versions was the taillight design, and I saw too few to learn how to tell one from another.I think one reason I miss these so much is that I never saw enough when they were newer and I probably feel like I missed out on an unusual sight that I never got familiar enough with. In 2011 I happened upon one at the Woodward Dream Cruise, an unmodified Challenger in mint condition. The owner said he bought it new and kept it garaged all winter to prevent rust. I said " You have the only one left in Michigan", to which he responded "I have the only one left ANYWHERE". Soon afterwards, Hagerty insurance made a list of "Threatened, endangered and extinct" cars. The Challenger was deemed extinct. That owner may have been pretty close in his assessment of having the only one left. Our opportunities to see them more frequently never came, and we're all worse off for it. RIP Challenger/Sapporo. We hardly knew thee.
-Chevrolet Cavalier Hatchback: During the changing times of the early-80s, GM responded to increased demand for front-wheel-drive compacts. The Cavalier was part of the popular "J" car platform that met those needs.Available in coupe, sedan, wagon, convertible and hatchback form, there was a Cavalier for pretty much everyone.When Chevrolet introduced the Z24 sport package for the coupe, convertible and hatchback, it transformed the Cavalier from cheap grocery-getter to cool wheels, and the package was a great fit for the swoopy hatchback. Unfortunately, they were not of the highest quality and lacked longevity. The Cavalier was redesigned and greatly improved for 1988 and the Z24 became even cooler. Sadly, the hatchback was dropped at that point.Most of the first-gen Cavaliers have long been disposed of, but a few Z24s were probably saved.The unusual-styling and total 80s-ness (I know, thats not a word) of the hatchbacks would make them an interesting oddity today, if there are still any to see.
-Hyundai Pony: My family rarely took trips to Canada when I was a little kid, but when we did, I'd see these everywhere. It was one of the only cars I'd see in Mapleleaf-land that was not sold in the US.That made this undeniably ugly car very intriguing and, actually, one of the only things that revealed I was in a different country. Well, that and signs in 2 languages displaying km/h, and leaves on all the flags. The Pony was Canada's best-selling car at one time. Since the late-90s, I've probably been into Canada 5 times.I have not seen a single Pony. According to Craigslist searches, most remaining Pony's in Canada appear to be in British Columbia.It just doesn't seem like a trip to Canada without seeing a Pony. I'm going to have to change my mindset a bit,since I probably won't see one there again unless I vacation in Vancouver.
-Mazda GLC: We all love an underdog story. By the late-70s, everyone was competing against each other in the compact segment. Obscure Mazda brought in their 323 and renamed it GLC for the American market.Most brands were more established than Mazda so the VW Rabbit, Dodge Omni, Chevy Chevette, Honda Civic,etc all fared better. Eventually, they dropped the GLC name and used the more international "323" moniker.The GLC has escaped most peoples memories, leaving little indication that they ever existed. Eventually the 323 led to the Mazda 3, which is probably one of the hippest compacts with the younger crowd today....considered cooler than the competition that once outsold it. That's how a good underdog story ends.
