I'm already sensing the group's feelings on this subject, but I'd like to
offer my own point of view. At 26, I'll make a wild guess here and assume I'm
towards the younger end of the age spectrum here on the spridget list.
Listers, no need to take offense, none intended.
Regrettably, my generation has few great cars to look up to as we grew up; at
least the automotive landscape was nothing as it was with people who were
growing up in the 50's and 60's. By the time I was old enough to know I liked
cars, the Beetle was out of production, the Mustang II was in full swing, the
T-Bird was a land yacht, and the Corvette was emaciated. I guess it's hard to
imagine I was only five years old when my Midget left Abingdon.
Personally, I welcome these "retro" new cars. Sure, some may hate the new
Beetle, but who can argue that it's a hell of a lot more interesting than
buying a Corolla? In the age of the Taurus and Lumina, I'll take anything.
Even the Chrysler PT Cruiser (modeled after a '30's style truck) is
unappealing to me, but I'll admit it looks more fun than a Windstar.
These cars may let some people who owned the real thing years back experience
them again in a way that may be more practical than actually buying that '53
Bug, or a '55 T-Bird. Better still, my generation can experience the thrill
and aura that comes with the car's history. Is the Chrysler 300M as
prestigious as the other letter cars? No, but I think it's great they're
making the car, and it's not dishonorable to the other letter cars. Who am I
to begrudge whoever buys a 2000 Thunderbird?
The bottom line here is that these are still interesting cars, moreso than
we've seen for a long time. And if these cars make people happy, makes them
take the long way home, etc, then what harm is being done. Yeah, maybe I
coulda bought a Miata, but I wanted the real thing. That was my choice. Some
would say I am crazy for having done so, while others would say you're nuts
for spending $6k on a used Miata-you could have bought an incredible MG for
the same money. See what I mean?
Tom
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