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I also believe the culture around cars and driving is changing and have changed so much over the years. I Hardley ever meet a real car enthusiast anymore, or people who love cars and love talking about them. My boys didn't take the love of cars after me, they can care less and will just drive whatever. And out of all the guys that I used to work with, only two of them I could hold a conversation with about cars.
I Hardley ever meet a real car enthusiast anymore, or people who love cars and love talking about them. My boys didn't take the love of cars after me, they can care less and will just drive whatever. And out of all the guys that I used to work with, only two of them I could hold a conversation with about cars.
hang out at a place like carlisle for one of the shows. the SMALLEST brand (Mopar) is the largest show in the USA.
Its down from they heyday yes, but you will still stand among tens of thousands.
As we keep saying, when my gen is gone - its over.
Government Regulations is a part of it for sure, especially when it is regulated by two agencies and future regulations on the horizon. I also believe the culture around cars and driving is changing and have changed so much over the years. I Hardley ever meet a real car enthusiast anymore, or people who love cars and love talking about them. My boys didn't take the love of cars after me, they can care less and will just drive whatever. And out of all the guys that I used to work with, only two of them I could hold a conversation with about cars.
As a life-long "car guy", now 71 years of age (where did the time go???), I agree with you. Lack of consumer enthusiasm, driven by the negative results of incessant Government involvement, have either made cars dull or in the case of the really interesting ones, too expensive for the average, potential customer.
And also keep in mind, a lot of the "fun" of owning a car, 30-40 years ago, was popping the hood, on the weekend, and swapping parts, to make it quicker. Can't do that any longer, all you can do is wash and wax it.....and THAT'S only until some wacky, fringe group in the future, decides that car wax is an environmentally unfriendly chemical.
At one time GM offered a sporty version of almost every car from the entry J-body to the full-size sedans. In the 70s, 80s, 90s, & early 2000 their compact car offered a sporty performance version. The midsize offering was also available in a sporty up engine version. The full size sedan/coupe also had a sporty version. The Camaro/Firebird of the 80s, 90s, & early 2000 had a rear hatchback offering very good function while providing both good visibility and fast looks. The 70s Camaro/Firebird were beautifully but garbage in performance and build quality. When GM replaced the Cobalt with the Cruze, performance was gone. While Buick and Oldsmobile were considered old people brands, in the past they offered serious performance vehicles for those in the know.
Last edited by victimofGM; 07-08-2023 at 09:20 AM..
GM has been led by "play it safe" designers and decision makers for over 30 years.
Just a thought.........maybe the "bailout money" that they received, years back, had "strings" attached to it. For what it's worth, I remember hearing a rumor that Oldsmobile and Pontiac were killed off because the Government people didn't think they were unique enough and profitable enough, so closing them down was part of the conditions for the loan.
As a life-long "car guy", now 71 years of age (where did the time go???), I agree with you. Lack of consumer enthusiasm, driven by the negative results of incessant Government involvement, have either made cars dull or in the case of the really interesting ones, too expensive for the average, potential customer.
And also keep in mind, a lot of the "fun" of owning a car, 30-40 years ago, was popping the hood, on the weekend, and swapping parts, to make it quicker. Can't do that any longer, all you can do is wash and wax it.....and THAT'S only until some wacky, fringe group in the future, decides that car wax is an environmentally unfriendly chemical.
Absolutely agree with this, and so many don't even pop their hoods until they take in for service. I remember back in the day, when you would just pop your hood to admire the engine, or to show it off to your buddies.
They had their flirtations with fun. Jetfire, 4-4-2, Hurst Olds come quickly to mind.
Don't forget the Buick Grand National, an underrated car in its day but popular today. I also like the Firebirds and thought them a bit more stylish than Camaro, but those too is gone.
Primarily because of high sticker prices, and high insurance rates for a "performance" car. While many 20 year olds would love to own a Corvette, I know I did, they were out of my budget until I was in my late 40s. And since I retired in my mid-50s, my budget says that my now 20 year old Corvette will be just fine for my needs, for many years into the future.....
In their prime - say, 1949 when they introduced their OHV Rocket V8 through to the late 60s, I’d give them a shot at being America’s BMW, upscale sporty oriented cars, with some biggies thrown in because you had to as an American brand.
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