Is author Dan Neil really that out of touch or was his intent to anger people by being controversial? It's littered with liberal bias in parts, and complaints about limitations due to emissions regulations in others. How can you complain about one car being a gas guzzler and the next being under-powered? One car is bad because it was designed for market demand, and the next is bad because it wasn’t right for the market. Some of the reviews are spot on, whereas some of the cars listed are well loved classics. I’m not sure what to think about such a mixed up article, other than to wonder if Mr. Neil suffers from MPD.
Model T - Blamed for the birth of the automotive industry and personal vehicles. Ah yes, terrible idea the Model T was. We wouldn’t have all this global warming if it weren’t for the automotive industry. Oh wait…
Ford Edsel - "Fuel thirsty"
Amphicar - Certainly had problems, but it was the first mainstream vehicle of its kind. The author even admits a large number of the 4,000 built are still on the road. It's been over 40 years since the last one was built and people still love them. A worst car of all time? Think not.
De Lorean DMC-12 - Common, a classic icon! Back to the Future wouldn't have been the same without it. This is a “must have” for many car collectors.
Ford Explorer – Best-selling passenger vehicle in America 14 years running. Blamed for starting the country on a “spiral of vehicular obesity”. Recommends mini-vans over SUVs (no true car guy would ever say that) as they have the cargo and passenger capacity at better fuel-efficiency. Ford hit the nail on the head and built exactly what people were looking for. It should be listed as one of the best cars of all time for the tremendous sales success.
Ford Excursion – Designed for customers needing major towing capacity, the author complains its being driven by “Suzy Homemaker to the mall” instead. Who drives it and for what purpose they drive it makes it a bad vehicle?
Hummer H2 – “Openly scornful of the common good.” Common good? Good grief!
Is author Dan Neil really that out of touch or was his intent to anger people by being controversial? It's littered with liberal bias in parts, and complaints about limitations due to emissions regulations in others. How can you complain about one car being a gas guzzler and the next being under-powered? One car is bad because it was designed for market demand, and the next is bad because it wasn’t right for the market. Some of the reviews are spot on, whereas some of the cars listed are well loved classics. I’m not sure what to think about such a mixed up article, other than to wonder if Mr. Neil suffers from MPD.
ReplyDeleteModel T - Blamed for the birth of the automotive industry and personal vehicles. Ah yes, terrible idea the Model T was. We wouldn’t have all this global warming if it weren’t for the automotive industry. Oh wait…
Ford Edsel - "Fuel thirsty"
Amphicar - Certainly had problems, but it was the first mainstream vehicle of its kind. The author even admits a large number of the 4,000 built are still on the road. It's been over 40 years since the last one was built and people still love them. A worst car of all time? Think not.
De Lorean DMC-12 - Common, a classic icon! Back to the Future wouldn't have been the same without it. This is a “must have” for many car collectors.
Ford Explorer – Best-selling passenger vehicle in America 14 years running. Blamed for starting the country on a “spiral of vehicular obesity”. Recommends mini-vans over SUVs (no true car guy would ever say that) as they have the cargo and passenger capacity at better fuel-efficiency. Ford hit the nail on the head and built exactly what people were looking for. It should be listed as one of the best cars of all time for the tremendous sales success.
Ford Excursion – Designed for customers needing major towing capacity, the author complains its being driven by “Suzy Homemaker to the mall” instead. Who drives it and for what purpose they drive it makes it a bad vehicle?
Hummer H2 – “Openly scornful of the common good.” Common good? Good grief!
sounds like an opinion article, where the opinion is just sort of random.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about what you call "worse" in terms of "worst car." the poorest car could also be the most popular (although incredibly unlikely).
I don't think it's about liberal or conservative. It's about a writer having a deadline and needing to fill space with words.
How about just calling the Gremlin and the Aztek two UGLY cars?
ReplyDelete