American or Foreign?
May 24th, 2009
There are differences of opinion everywhere you look when fans of classic automobiles come together. It is impossible to stop it from happening, but it is worth being a little bit circumspect when joining in these discussions – not least because they can on occasion lead to punches being thrown. Classic cars are serious business. But by taking on board a little of what is said about both kinds, and using what you know, it can be possible to build consensus of a sort. This is what we should be aiming for, after all – can’t we all just get along and agree that class is permanent, wherever it is from?
So, you may hear one man say that American cars are ugly, gas-guzzling things, and draw a sharp riposte from his conversation partner that Italian cars are unreliable, over-intricate wagons for vegetarians. This is where you come in with the third position, pointing out that American classic cars are incredible fun to drive, while Italian cars are a by-word for passion, class and automotive brilliance. Point out that there has always been an exchange of ideas between styles of engineering, and neither of them is wrong with their choice of car. But maybe refrain from entering the argument with a demand that they both bow to the superiority of Japanese engineering – that’s just throwing oil on the fire.
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