I'm watching TV last night and a car commercial comes on that got me thinking, a little too much obviously. The car is driving around a ledge of a building above the crowded city streets below. A disclaimer comes across the bottom of the screen rather quickly telling us that this is simulated. Duh, if they hadn't put that in there I would have thought I could rush right out and purchase this great invention.
At the risk of showing my age, I'm amused as well as aggravated by most car commercials today. Back in my day a car was the means of transportation. The old Chevy commercial sang by Dinah Shore told us to "See the USA in your Chevrolet, America's the greatest land of all" and the top was down on the Chevy convertible, people were happily driving along enjoying the drive and scenery. There was no traffic either.
A car was usually just a basic mode of transportation and the only luxury item that didn't pertain to the need of travel was an AM radio with a knob to change the channels and a little plastic bar behind the glass front that showed you where you were on the dial selection. Cars cost a lot less and they lasted a lot longer. You chose a car based on a price you could afford and the reliability.
My first car cost me $200.00 and lasted a couple of years. It was a 1962 Plymouth Valiant. This is a picture I found on Google and my car looked exactly like this minus the great shine.
It couldn't climb buildings, speed me through traffic, park itself, tell me when it needed service or save me money on gas. Gas was only 25 cents a gallon, so no loss there, heck you could usually find a quarter under the seats if you ran out of gas. You didn't need a navigation system, you knew where you were going and how to get there. They had maps back in those days and you knew how to read them. (Maps were free at all gas stations.) No moon or sun roofs, you were supposed to keep your eyes on the road, not the sky. The seats didn't have climate control, heck the car itself didn't either. The heater for warmth in the winter or open the windows for air in the summer, that's it.
We've come a long way in car manufacturing, but I'm not so sure it is for the best. The car commercials drive me nuts since they advertise everything but what the car actually is and what you need or want from a car isn't shown. I just need to get from point A to point B safely and as economically as possible. I'm not trying to attract attention, speed along at the sound of light, or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Show me a car like that within my price range and you've made a sale.
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Comments: 34
I would just about defy anyone to find anything built today that is built to last.
I think I had a few toys as a small child that were hand-me-downs from my parents/etc.
Most of the baby toys we had for our children, I wouldn't trust to pass on, those that survived.
And cars... Yeah, like those are built to last much beyond the day you make the last payment.
What I want from my car:
To start always. I'd like to keep it for a year or two or longer if possible.
Sure it's a 1997 Ford T-Bird, but it only has 42,100 miles on it. This is the actual mileage. I don't drive very far to and from work, and eveything else is pretty close to me.
And well yes, it's not as pretty as a brand new car, but it is paid off! And you know I like the feeling of not having a car payment. ;-)
We had our own Hyundai, same, almost exact model, color, etc's as Dad had, even the same year but we didn't need two cars so sold the one we'd bought. Only one of us can drive at a time and the other is with them :)
Reliability is key for me too.
Hondas seem to last forever also. I had a friend who had one for 15 years. Kept it serviced and never had a major problem.