Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 07:19:02 +0100 From: Martin Rich <M.G.Richnospam.ac.uk> Subject: Re: As read in the NY Times....
On Tue, 25 May 2004 16:08:26 -0400, "Fred W." <Fred.Willsnospampam myrealbox.com> wrote: > >All of this lamenting of the SAABs of yore sounds very similar to the >caterwailing that is going on in alt.autos.bmw newsgroup over the new 5, 6 >and 7 series models. The funny thing is that I agree with both camps. The >newer 9-3's and 9-5's are no match for the Classic SAABs C900's or even >9000's any more than the new BMW's are for their past models. > >It appears the trend is to continue to morph and dumb down all of the >european car marquees until they are indistinguishable from the "world cars" >being spewed out by the American and Asian car companies. > I agree that the new Saab 9-3 looks anonymous, but certainly don't see a trend towards *all* European cars looking like 'world cars'. The new big BMWs do deviate from the classic BMW look, but they are certainly distinctive and to me at least have a strong presence on the road. Talking of BMWs, the new (pastiche) Mini looks distinctive and BMW seem to be selling as many of them as they can make. Other European cars that are very distinctive shapes include just about any recent Alfa Romeo, new-shape Renault Megane and Scenic, new Nissan Micra and Primera, Audi A2 and TT, Fiat Multipla, Ford Ka, and of course the 'Smart' Car. And that's just a short list put together without much thought... I suspect that every stage of evolution in car styling has been accompanied by laments of 'all these new cars look the same'. As it happens, yesterday I saw a Triumph Herald on the road. There were still quite a few of these on the roads when I was a schoolboy and first old enough to tell one car from another, so I recognised it immediately. If I'd been a few years younger, I doubt whether I'd have known it from any other small car of the 1960s, as the styling is in fact very typical of that era. Martin
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