I am of that age that I can remember seeing the first Star Wars movie. I know, I know, it is actually the 4th story in the series, but back in 1977 none of that mattered. What did matter was Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and that adorable Princess that refused to wear a bra. It was a big deal. We didn't stand in line to get in or any of that silliness. We saw a matinee (most likely with popcorn coupons) weeks after the premiere because that's how my dad rolled. Anyway, I loved the movie. No surprise there. But I didn't LOVE the movie. I didn't collect all 243 Kellog's Star Wars cereal boxes. Eventually, a few birthday and Christmas gifts were indeed Star Wars related, but I didn't get all the toys. I had friends that had everything they could force their parents to buy for them. Star Wars figures, vehicles, posters, toothpaste, candy, underwear... I found that all a little unsettling. Sure, it made life a little easier when birthdays rolled around. It's hard to get a gift when you don't know anything about a person. But for my best friend Sam's birthday? One random Star Wars trinket coming right up. I didn't understand why he loved Star Wars, but it made gift giving, conversation, even a friendly relationship relatively simple to maintain.
I'm not making fun of Sam here. He was a very good friend. The point I am trying to make is that sometimes there is no reason for the popularity of some things. Star Wars was somewhat spectacular in 1977, but it wasn't all THAT. In the automotive world, there are countless examples of mediocre cars garnering a massive following, while some truly spectacular machines are largely ignored. The Mustang, for instance, has generally been a horrible car. It was a cheap sedan-based coupe with wheezing engines designed to separate dollars from rednecks. But don't say that to most Mustang owners. Even the base 4 cylinder 1980's Mustang was cool, at least to the people that had them. And that is exactly what Ford was going for. Ignoring for a moment the chassis dynamics of a river barge, pinto engine, and Rubbermaid interior: it had a chrome running horse on the grille, just like Steve McQueen's green car in Bullett. Of course, neither car actually had a horse on the grille, but I digress.
Another prime example would be the Porsche 944. It was slow and expensive, but it was cool. So cool that in some circles they are revered to this day. Your Grandmother's ancient Ford Tempo V6 (with an automatic) would easily outrun the 944 in a drag race. "The best chassis in the 80's" is what I've heard. How would you know, the damn thing never built up enough speed to test the simple strut / trailing arm suspension. There was simply no way the 944, even with a hairdryer strapped to the motor, was anything but a fashion accessory. Meanwhile, the brilliant early 90's Sentra SE-R was loved by nobody. Sure, the press sang its praises constantly, but there were no waiting lists at Nissan showrooms, despite generally embarrassing most "sports" cars of the day. It looked too much like your librarian's car for anybody to notice how wonderful it was.
What I'm getting at is that from time to time I may be asked about my opinions on cars. In fact, that is the whole basis for this nonsense wasting your time right now. When asked, my answer is commonly misunderstood. An example of a real conversation I recently had:
Not a car guy: "What is the best car in the world?"
The CamFollower: The Series 1 Jaguar XK-E coupe.
Not a car guy: "Hmmm?"
The CamFollower: It's old.
Not a car guy: "But that thing is small, fragile, slow, unreliable, smells funny, leaks oil, and has wire wheels."
The CamFollower: OK, then. Honda Odyssey.
Not a car guy: "A Honda Odyssey is the best car in the world? But that's a minivan!"
The CamFollower: Yes, but it is roomy, economical, safe, fast, and reliable.
Not a car guy: "But it's a minivan."
The CamFollower: Then I'm afraid you don't understand your question.
Actually, I am quite jealous of people like Sam. He did not question why he liked Star Wars, he just did. He didn't question many things, come to think of it. Certainly not the big things like life, the universe, and everything. Still, he was certain about the things he liked and disliked. It must be blissful to face life with certainties. I, on the other hand, question everything. An existential crisis is my normal state of being. Or maybe it's hyperbole, I'm not sure. I don't have even have any idea what the best car in the world is. Probably the Porsche 944.
No comments:
Post a Comment