Remember hood ornaments? Remember when you could I.D. a car by the hood ornament or tail lights? Remember when cars were entirely re-designed each year? Whatever happened to all that???
I can remember sitting on our front porch calling out the names of the cars as they passed by. That's a Ford, that's a Pontiac . . . oh that's the new Caddy! My girlfriend would say . . . Oh that's amazing John . . . how do you know all that?? Easy, I just don't know anything else! I mean, what's important anyway?
That, of course, worked until the Germans came along with the Volkswagen Beetle! Oh they were doing the Beetle long before it became popular in the US. I think the Beetle first showed up in California in the late 50's or early 60's. Anyway, I do know that if today you saw a 1949 Beetle, you could still see the resemblance between that and the newly released 2015 Beetle. How Dull!!!
See how many of the hood ornaments, taillights you recognize in the following clip. There's a lot of exhaust in this clip so take a deep breath before you start the video.
I can remember sitting on our front porch calling out the names of the cars as they passed by. That's a Ford, that's a Pontiac . . . oh that's the new Caddy! My girlfriend would say . . . Oh that's amazing John . . . how do you know all that?? Easy, I just don't know anything else! I mean, what's important anyway?
That, of course, worked until the Germans came along with the Volkswagen Beetle! Oh they were doing the Beetle long before it became popular in the US. I think the Beetle first showed up in California in the late 50's or early 60's. Anyway, I do know that if today you saw a 1949 Beetle, you could still see the resemblance between that and the newly released 2015 Beetle. How Dull!!!
See how many of the hood ornaments, taillights you recognize in the following clip. There's a lot of exhaust in this clip so take a deep breath before you start the video.
Ok! So one of the reasons there are no hood ornaments anymore is because guys like us . . . well maybe not exactly like us . . . but certainly guys our age, decided that, all that "fluff" was not necessary, and took it off their cars. We called that "customizing".
As soon as the big car company's "caught on" they stopped putting those neat hood ornaments on our cars. They called that "Profit".
Our idea of a car was a place to sit down, behind the biggest damn engine we could run without getting burned. The perfect example turned out to be the "Little Deuce Coupe"
As soon as the big car company's "caught on" they stopped putting those neat hood ornaments on our cars. They called that "Profit".
Our idea of a car was a place to sit down, behind the biggest damn engine we could run without getting burned. The perfect example turned out to be the "Little Deuce Coupe"
What's really going on here? Why were cars being redesigned every year!
Was it about the excitement surrounding the flashy new designs? Was it about everyone knowing you are in a "Brand New Car"? Might it have been the "New Car Envy" factor?
Well any car manufacturer will tell you it was all about profit!
They knew that by redesigning their cars each year they could increase sales. IT WORKED!
How abut customizing? What was that all about??? Well, interestingly, I think that was all about fun!
In this little gal's life it was all about Fun! Fun! Fun! That is until her daddy took her T-bird away! A loss for her, but "opportunity" for us. We could always pick her up in our "Little Deuce Coupe" (with no hood ornament) Of Course!!
Was it about the excitement surrounding the flashy new designs? Was it about everyone knowing you are in a "Brand New Car"? Might it have been the "New Car Envy" factor?
Well any car manufacturer will tell you it was all about profit!
They knew that by redesigning their cars each year they could increase sales. IT WORKED!
How abut customizing? What was that all about??? Well, interestingly, I think that was all about fun!
In this little gal's life it was all about Fun! Fun! Fun! That is until her daddy took her T-bird away! A loss for her, but "opportunity" for us. We could always pick her up in our "Little Deuce Coupe" (with no hood ornament) Of Course!!
Till Next Week
Harv
Harv