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Date:         Sat, 29 May 2004 15:20:10 -0500
Reply-To:     Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: spoats cars, definition thereoff ..
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

> > AHIP! REAL sports cars don't have roll up windows or built in hard tops. > > <snip> > > > Well, if spartan is what it takes, then my '58 Frogeye (Bugeye) Sprite > certainly qualifies as a sports car.

definitely.

but you guys are all forgetting that definitions evolve over the years.

in the beginning, when God created sports cars, it was basically Low-Speed-High-Velocity type cars. dusenberg, allard, stutz bearcat and stuff like that. expensive but 'fast'. but 'fast' had a different meaning. back then, 100mph was terrifying ... cause the roads were ... well ... crap. :) hell, 40mph was terrifying back then.

but 40mph on a horse was also terrifying ... if you could whip ol' Dobbin into such a frenzy. ;) and 20mph on a donkey was torture, pure and simple.

then things changed ... people wanted cheap thrills. so cheaper cars came out with only one design idea: the thrill of speed. not Speed, but the THRILL of speed. this meant fast and quick steering and cornering, and good brakes (like someone mentioned), and swoopy lines (well, it does have to LOOK good to the buyer and his perceived public ... i mean, not very many folks will shell out coins for an Ugly Spoats Cah). MG, Triump, Austin, Healy, and so forth. you FELT like you were going fast, even though by today's standards you might not. i can recall a 1959 MG-A with wooden floors and a transmission hump that was ALWAYS 'warm' and a drop-top that was exhilerating to drive on a curvy paved road. it was dull and boring to drive on a long straight road. cause its top speed was MAYBE 70-80 mph. yup. but boy, on them curves, you could do like 50mph around almost any curve, and it was FUN!!

and THAT is what made a sports car a sports car back then. FUN. well, that and the unique position it put you in your local community. if there were others, then you suffered loss of position. til you formed a Club and all of you got together and drove around at the same time. now, THAT really started the tongues wagging! :)

but now?

well ... not even sure there is such a thing as a Sports Car. too much stuff in 'em. too comfortable. hell, you could take a 2004 honda civic and outrun a 1964 Porsche 356C ... and that porsche cost a year's salary back when it was new. but 40 years makes a lot of difference in technology, roads, fuel, safety, and even driver education ... kids today can much more easily handle the technology than us old farts who grew up with mechanical brakes (yup. NOT hydraulic) and radiator fans that ran off the engine (not electric) and tail lights that could only be seen at night from maybe 40 feet behind the car. and only one tail light at that! why? cause they grow up with computer games and arcades and such. their toys are much more complex and quicker. so it's only gonna get worse. and us old farts will have to worry about it as we get older and older, and a new crop of younger ones hit the streets every year. :(

but whatever happens, just remember one thing:

you can only drive ONE car at a time.

that hasn't changed. ;) so do the best you can in the car you're driving. and hope for the best.

and stay away from dumptrucks.

unca joel


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