Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:08:08 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Are Vanagons pretty?
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I would not use the word 'pretty' to describe the shape.
but ...the shape, and some nuances on it grows on me at least.
I wake up where I can look out at least 10 vanagons.
I particularly like the treatment around the rear air intake vents - very
nicely integrated there.
The crease down the side, the shape and shape of the windshield and front
door side windows..
like all of that.
They beautifully maximized the interior volume while keeping the box shape
to a certain size...
and ....very nicely, the sides are not flat at all.
the are curved top to bottom of course,
but they are also curved front to rear if you look closely.
the 'look' of the front - the grill with two eyes and the lower
grill...........all very nice.
what I find is that 'after many years' most well-known car/van body styles
take on a certain 'right-ness'.
For example...the classic 300SL Gullwing mercedes sports car,
and the Jag XJ6 ....the original early ones ...and XKE...
you could not change *one line* on those cars by even half an inch and make
it better.
Same for the Porsche 356.
The 911...........I have always regarded that as 'an OK shape'.....rather
practically shaped.
914's............now there is a controversial body style - many consider it
either good looking, or ugly, not much in between.
I had a Porsche 914-6 in my shope for about a year.
The -6 is a 'real' Porche...........911 six cylder engine, 5 lug alloy
wheels etc.
( the 914 IS a volkswagon .....Type IV air-cooled 4 cylinder engine, 4 lug
wheels etc. ) ...
the look very similar of course.
And the earlier ones have nicer early stype bumpers, ...
my point is ...
the more I had that 914-6 around, the more I looked at it ...
the more I got it ........what a great shape it is.
I think the 'sail' pannel on the side is awkward .......just doesn't fit
with the rest of the shape of the car.
Where it's really nice ......just looking purely at shape from an art/design
point of view ...is there rear ...
the rear fenders that are subtly bulgey, the rear deck is nice. The flat
small rear window is nice.
And the slenger-top front fenders are slick too.
so give all that ...
how a shape grows on you ....
yes, vanagons are very , very nice.
There's more emphasis on practical shape than there is on making it 'good
looking '..............but still, not bad.
and .........like old photo's .....
you know, a picture of whatever, a picknik table and a campsite can be so
mundane for a long time.
But see that same picture 25 years later - it takes on a lot more value.
same on car shape and design ....give it 20 years or more, and certain ones
start looking really, really 'right.'
and ....I will close with this question .....
purely subjective of course .....and many cadidates ....but there is 'One'
Amercian car shape/design that is very, very 'right'.
What car is it ?
60's is one hint.
oh ....it's a lot like this ...around Y2K there was online voting for car of
the Century. Many were suggested, VW Bug, Citroen 2CV, Model T Ford etc.
etc. etc. Cobra even ( and There, is another shape/design that is flowless
and 'perfect' with the passage of time )
I thought and though about what car might be the Car of the Century.
I'm thinking it has to be very well known, should be good looking, should
have great performacne, even racing history , and probably many of them
made.
I finally figured out what car that would be...
and by golly, the one I finally came up with was the car voted as Car of
the Century.
Car to guess or say what it is ?
Scott
missing having a 'real' saltwater sailboat.
Ex-Sausalito-ite.
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Hineline" <hineline@HELIX.UCSD.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 12:23 PM
Subject: Are Vanagons pretty?
> Who thinks their Vanagon is pretty? I have a decidedly positive
> reaction whenever I see a Vanagon, and I really like the way the sheet
> metal goes together on the nose, but objectively I can't say it's
> pretty (the way a 911 is pretty).
>
> So?
>
> Mark
