The times they are a changin’—but not really.
Some guys find Mercedes Gullwings buried under boxes in a barn; our neighbor finds 40-year-old copies of The Detroit News behind old kitchen cabinets. As my father used to say to me, with what I now regard as a suspicious frequency, “No one promised life was going to be fair.â€
It was so musty, I smelled it before he brought it into my office. But wait, part of that edition from December 1, 1968, was a 20 page special section on the 1969 Detroit Auto Show (that was before it got all uppity and called itself the North American International Auto Show). I expected, leafing through it, to feel as if I was rummaging through a time capsule, quaint and silly. And some of it is. The cover illustration of a man wearing a bowtie and a hat stolen from a Dixieland band leader, is, indeed, silly.
The other 19 pages were something quite different. They are distressingly like how a special section for the 2007 show might appear. It is apparently the conceit of every generation to believe that their immediate forbears, while having accomplished great feats, were somehow less sophisticated—less, advanced—in their approach. It is curse of every generation that their kids will someday think of them in the same way.
Here are the highlights:
The Mustang Mach I, Camaro and Charger do battle, Part I. Both the current Mustang and the 2009 Camaro are based on these very cars. And the Challenger is based on a 1970 model. However, the Javelin is unlikely to come back.
In 1969, they didn’t even bother measuring the square footage given to import brands. Who go the most space? Oldsmobile. Toyota and Mercedes combined, didn’t have as much floor space as Dodge RVs.
General Motors brings over Opels to sell through American-brand dealers. Where have we heard that one before?
This “Funny Business” wasn’t funny in 1968. It’s even less funny in 2007. Unintentionally prophetic? Yes. Funny? No.
For 2007, the question is: Yes, but where is Ford going?
This story notes that foreign-built cars “are more popular now than ever before.†In 2007, foreign-brand cars are more popular than ever before. So see, nothing’s changed. There’s really nothing to worry about. The Detroit News misspelling Toyota in 2007 would be like The Detroit News misspelling General Motors now.
Steel bars in doors? “Anti-skid†brakes that “pump†the pedal for you? Come on, why don’t you just say you’re going to build a nuclear-powered car! -- Daniel Pund
estreka says:
10:24 PM, 01/ 7/07
Expect an increase in talk about Buicks, eh? Yep, we're talking about when it'll go away or change.
It's too bad the Javelin wont return. It was such a sharp looking car. I wonder what the designers in Detroit would make with AMC as a basis.
gmguy111 says:
10:17 AM, 01/ 9/07
yeah AMC had some decent designs but since Chrysler bought them out I would not expect a AMC ressurection anytime soon