Well, now...after all the bad mouthing Ive read on this list about Jap
automobiles I feel
I must butt in and offer another view point on the subject. As for what
is beautiful and what is ugly Im reminded of an old saying that sez
beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. You all have heard that one, Im
sure. Also I would like to add that the rational mind tends to see and
hear only what it wants and will believe just what it wants to believe.
That pretty much sez it for the typical car owner, I think.
My Dad had a thing about early Plymouth flat-head 6 engines. Any thing
outside of a Chrysler product was just plain junk ... and he knew a lot
about engines and stuff, something I wish I had inherited from him. He
was for many years a manufacturers rep and engineer for the long since
extinct American LaFrance Fire Truck Company.
Well, anyway, I give a lot of credit to the Consumers Reports magazine
for dedication to product research. Ive been a faithful subscriber
since 1970 and have all the copies except for one year. From these I
can go back further than year 70 in checking up on most any American and
many foreign makes. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking ... CR is
a lot of crap! I agree that the magazine isnt always right but
arguably it is a damn good guide to follow if you dont know much about
anything. Generally its information is very reliable.
According to CR the best rated reliable automobiles are Toyota and
Honda. Those are Japanese cars I do believe. Latest crime statistics
shows that these two cars are at the top of the list for cars most
likely to be stolen. Must be something to it, huh? Why would anybody
steal a crappy car? Beats me. According to CR most Japanese autos on
an average goes to the shop the least of all other automobiles including
Mercedes, BMW and especially American cars. Dont believe me? Get a
copy of CR and check it out ... any copy. I wont argue design for
that is like I said before .... beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,
although, from a graphic designers point of view I think many have a
misconception as to what is and what aint.
For reliability, fun and design my favorite of all cars including the
Healey is the first series RX7. It does everything I ever expected from
my BJ8 which I drove for 13 years as my primary transportation. The RX7
design is clean, attractive and unpretentious. I bought my first RX7, a
used 1980, right after I totaled my Healey. Well, not exactly
completely totaled, that was the insurance companys idea. The Healey
could have easily been restored but since I was tired of the car anyway
the accident was a good excuse to be rid of it. I sure have regretted
that move ever since .... one of my worse mistakes.
I put 265 miles on my first RX7 love affair before totaling it in my own
front yard. Yes! In my very own front yard. Having left the hand brake
off in haste to reach a ringing phone it rolled out of the garage and
traveled about 250 feet straight down our steep drive into an oak tree.
That was the end of it for me. Too much damage to reasonably repair and
sold it to a guy for 100 bucks. It broke my heart. He sawed the thing
in half and with another back-end, like humpty dumpty who had a great
fall, carefully put it back together again. The last I heard the car
was as healthy as before and still accumulating mileage for its new
owner.
The RX7 I now sport about with is another first series, an 85 GSL SE
powered with a 13B rotary engine. I like it even better than the 80.
Needless to say it is immaculately cared for just like my 60 Bugeye and
now that the car has aged enough to be recognized as something from out
of the past it is beginning to turn heads.
Recently at a Checkers restaurant after having finished my hamburger I
was just about to drive off when a curious little old lady leaned out of
her car window and surprised me with this comment .... thats a fine
looking Jaguar you have there, sir.
Now you can imagine just how that made me really proud.
Roy Rogers
60 Bugeye
85 RX7
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/// (If they are dupes, this trailer may also catch them.)
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