Dreamcast18
11-11-2005, 10:42 AM
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/driving/story.html?id=70345239-99e8-404d-adfc-2943c38a57db
Car buyers still drawn to that blast from the past
Tony Whitney
Vancouver Sun
Friday, November 11, 2005
Six or seven years ago -- along with just about everybody else writing about automobiles -- I was taking regular looks at what was then called the "retro revolution" and why automakers were drawing more intensively than ever before on design inspiration from the past.
Like my fellow auto writers, I thought that perhaps the whole business was nothing more than a passing fad, but the ensuing years have proved that "retro" seems to have earned a permanent place in the automotive dictionary.
One of the most visible manifestations of retro styling for some years now has been the Volkswagen New Beetle, a brilliant reincarnation of the much-loved "people's car'' that captured the hearts of a generation.
Running a close second earlier on was Plymouth's striking Prowler -- a sportster that looks for all the world as though it was cooked up by an innovative bunch of '50s teenagers to show off at the local diner. Both Beetle and Prowler are technically sophisticated, but the look is purest retro.
Dodge's aggressive-looking Viper GTS was another strong gesture towards retro and its styling was an unashamed crib of the snarling Cobra Coupes which thrilled the crowds at Le Mans in the 1960s. Again, the GTS boasts every high-tech feature and offers performance that would certainly give those old Cobras a run for their money.
Chrysler has been especially active with retro concept cars and back in 1995 showed its most audacious recreation ever, a near replica of one of the most admired classics of all time -- the Bugatti Atlantic. No apologies were made and none were needed. The Chrysler Atlantic had all the grace and elegance of the original and even Ralph Lauren, who owns real ones, must have admired it.
Japanese automakers have always had a weakness for the nostalgic and whimsical and it might be said that they really jump-started the retro revolution. Some years ago now, Nissan came up with a fascinating little car that took its inspiration from Britain's famous Minis. The Be.1 was a huge success and eager buyers flocked to the showrooms, only to be disappointed because the car was built in very limited numbers.
Several Japanese auto manufacturers have built limited-edition vehicles with strong retro influences, but sad to say, none of them (including the Be.1) have ever made it to our shores. Nissan alone has produced a whole roster of delightfully whimsical pieces of automotive nostalgia including the Figaro, a recreation of a '50s Italian coupe; the Pao, which seems based on the old Renault 4; and the S Cargo -- a snail-profile (get it?) mini delivery van.
BMW has made no secret of the fact that its potent and voluptuously beautiful Z8 roadster was an attempt to recapture some of the excitement of the great 507 model of 1955. Certainly, the Z8 owed nothing to the ''wedge and crease'' school of automotive styling.
Another sports car with retro influences is Audi's exciting TT -- a model that some wags have described as "a Beetle on steroids.'' The TT, available in coupe and convertible form, certainly has a Beetle-like profile, but it's otherwise all muscle with its huge wheels and bulging fenders and owes design influences to no other sports car.
More recently, Chevrolet launched its wonderful HHR -- a practical and nostalgia-packed creation inspired by the 1949 Suburban model. Those old Suburbans are rare birds nowadays -- probably because they were so practical, most owners ran them into the ground over decades and ended up scrapping them. The HHR takes a cue or two from the hugely successful Chrysler PT Cruiser -- still as much admired as the day it made its production debut several years ago.
Ford's contribution has been the reborn Thunderbird and one of the most glorious of all 1960s-era sportsters -- the GT. The GT, inspired by the Le Mans winning GT40 coupe, has to be one of the most desirable exotic sports cars of them all and it is now being sold in Canada after a U.S.-only debut.
Why does the car-buying public have such a thirst for the "good old days'' of automobiles? One answer is that during the last 20 years or so, most cars have become as dependable as refrigerators -- and some have about as much eye-appeal. People seem to be crying out for something fresh and exciting. I don't think we've seen anything like the end of this trend just yet.
- - -
Tony Whitney is an award-winning auto journalist and host of the popular TV show Driver's Seat. He writes here on behalf of the The New Car Dealers Association of BC. He can be reached via e-mail at awhitney@telus.net
Car buyers still drawn to that blast from the past
Tony Whitney
Vancouver Sun
Friday, November 11, 2005
Six or seven years ago -- along with just about everybody else writing about automobiles -- I was taking regular looks at what was then called the "retro revolution" and why automakers were drawing more intensively than ever before on design inspiration from the past.
Like my fellow auto writers, I thought that perhaps the whole business was nothing more than a passing fad, but the ensuing years have proved that "retro" seems to have earned a permanent place in the automotive dictionary.
One of the most visible manifestations of retro styling for some years now has been the Volkswagen New Beetle, a brilliant reincarnation of the much-loved "people's car'' that captured the hearts of a generation.
Running a close second earlier on was Plymouth's striking Prowler -- a sportster that looks for all the world as though it was cooked up by an innovative bunch of '50s teenagers to show off at the local diner. Both Beetle and Prowler are technically sophisticated, but the look is purest retro.
Dodge's aggressive-looking Viper GTS was another strong gesture towards retro and its styling was an unashamed crib of the snarling Cobra Coupes which thrilled the crowds at Le Mans in the 1960s. Again, the GTS boasts every high-tech feature and offers performance that would certainly give those old Cobras a run for their money.
Chrysler has been especially active with retro concept cars and back in 1995 showed its most audacious recreation ever, a near replica of one of the most admired classics of all time -- the Bugatti Atlantic. No apologies were made and none were needed. The Chrysler Atlantic had all the grace and elegance of the original and even Ralph Lauren, who owns real ones, must have admired it.
Japanese automakers have always had a weakness for the nostalgic and whimsical and it might be said that they really jump-started the retro revolution. Some years ago now, Nissan came up with a fascinating little car that took its inspiration from Britain's famous Minis. The Be.1 was a huge success and eager buyers flocked to the showrooms, only to be disappointed because the car was built in very limited numbers.
Several Japanese auto manufacturers have built limited-edition vehicles with strong retro influences, but sad to say, none of them (including the Be.1) have ever made it to our shores. Nissan alone has produced a whole roster of delightfully whimsical pieces of automotive nostalgia including the Figaro, a recreation of a '50s Italian coupe; the Pao, which seems based on the old Renault 4; and the S Cargo -- a snail-profile (get it?) mini delivery van.
BMW has made no secret of the fact that its potent and voluptuously beautiful Z8 roadster was an attempt to recapture some of the excitement of the great 507 model of 1955. Certainly, the Z8 owed nothing to the ''wedge and crease'' school of automotive styling.
Another sports car with retro influences is Audi's exciting TT -- a model that some wags have described as "a Beetle on steroids.'' The TT, available in coupe and convertible form, certainly has a Beetle-like profile, but it's otherwise all muscle with its huge wheels and bulging fenders and owes design influences to no other sports car.
More recently, Chevrolet launched its wonderful HHR -- a practical and nostalgia-packed creation inspired by the 1949 Suburban model. Those old Suburbans are rare birds nowadays -- probably because they were so practical, most owners ran them into the ground over decades and ended up scrapping them. The HHR takes a cue or two from the hugely successful Chrysler PT Cruiser -- still as much admired as the day it made its production debut several years ago.
Ford's contribution has been the reborn Thunderbird and one of the most glorious of all 1960s-era sportsters -- the GT. The GT, inspired by the Le Mans winning GT40 coupe, has to be one of the most desirable exotic sports cars of them all and it is now being sold in Canada after a U.S.-only debut.
Why does the car-buying public have such a thirst for the "good old days'' of automobiles? One answer is that during the last 20 years or so, most cars have become as dependable as refrigerators -- and some have about as much eye-appeal. People seem to be crying out for something fresh and exciting. I don't think we've seen anything like the end of this trend just yet.
- - -
Tony Whitney is an award-winning auto journalist and host of the popular TV show Driver's Seat. He writes here on behalf of the The New Car Dealers Association of BC. He can be reached via e-mail at awhitney@telus.net