>From Bob Donahue, Still Stuck in the '50s
>>>I'm sure others on this list will disagree, but I myself hate new cars.
>>>I don't like their styling and I don't like the thousands of dollars
>>>of government mandated computers and plumbing under the hood.
>>>How do our British brethren (who can actually buy new MGs) feel?
Well I have to say that I absolutely completely very muchly agree with you.
As a 26 years old Midget driver, I'm sure I don't class as an old fogy, but
I'd go with an old car any day. The new MG to me just looks like a bubble
of plastic, very much like loads of other cars driving around the place, with
slight (completely insignificant in my opnion) differences in the way the
plastic bubble looks. It has no significant difference from loads of cars -
all look the same. That back end reminds me of loads of saloon cars I see
all over the place, like fords really (there I've said it).
Sure, it might accelerate quickly, but is that what MGs are about ? I always
thought MGs were about good handling, not speed, and fun low cost motoring.
I got a brochure for the MGF sent to me here at work - since when did an MG
owner need a silly ski rack to go on top at vaste expense.
Then we get to the electronics and "plumbing". Horrid, can't even tell that
the engine is an engine from the piccies - it looks like a square lump of
metal. Where's the oil filter ? Where are the points ? Electronics that
will die in a few years and be prohibitively expensive to replace (and can't
be used from other cars) will mean the end of the F before it gets to classic
status. British engineering should be about engineered solutions to improving
handling and engine performance, not about stuffing more and more computers
in there to run the suspension and steering and engine. Where have our
engineering traditions gone ?
Will I be struck down for such heresy ? All the MG folks over here keep ranting
on about how nice it is, well IT'S HORRIBLE. And to add insult to injury and
ugliness, it's not even a british car anymore, it's a german company, so why
should we even talk about it on a list dedicated to classic British sportscars ?
Given the money it costs (16 thousand if I remember what my uninspiring brochure
said) I'd buy an old MG, probably an MGA or T type.
Flame on guys ....
Andy
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Andy Castellano Smith. | email: a.d.smith@umds.ac.uk
Image Processing Group. | http://www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~as/
Cunliffe Labs, New Guy's House. | tel. : 0171 955 4208
Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT. | fax. : 0171 955 4913
1977 Chrome Bumper Midget "Mungo" for short.
DPO of 1975 Rubber Bumper Midget "Mary" for short.
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