Very interesting, this discussion.
It's all well to bandy about which car has character and which doesn't.
But let's let the market talk. A *lot* of the people whom I know, who
now own Miatas *used* to own an MGB... ...and got rid of it because they
wanted transportation, not a hobby. Or their lifestyle changed, and now
they want their roadster back, but don't want to have to reconstruct it.
For them, it has the right "character." It feels right when they're in
it. For the inflated-dollar value of a low-end LBC, they get something
which is closer in performance and 'feel' to the high-end cars of the
last era. Lest you think they're entirely undiscriminating, think about
how many Miatas you've seen vs. how few of the new "Capri," which was
supposed to compete with it!
Okay. They're the 'rabble,' who didn't know a good thing when they had
it. But they were the target market for MG, Triumph, and Sunbeam. The
true enthusiast--- ---those who still drive old LBCs aren't, and never
were, enough of a population to sustain a marque. That's why we see so
many butchered LBCs. They've been in the hands of people who use them
and toss them aside. Consumers.
On the other hand, the Miata seems to be the car they wanted in the first
place, because after a year or two of ownership, they all seem to be as
happy with it as the day they brought it home.
I went and drove one. I know what they mean. For every criticism of the
car, there could be two of most of the LBCs if they were new today. So
here we have it; a car you can buy, have fun with, and don't have to
worry about its reliability or replacing it if it gets lost or stolen.
At least it's ushering a whole new generation into the pleasure of
driving well-balanced little open roadsters.
Greg
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