Re: [AMC-List] Remember to read....A Sequal

["John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx>]

John and all
Yust a few comments that periodically flash into mind
SNIP
There's no dispute about sources of inspiration,
SNIP
 
Weymann American Body Co. 1927-35, Indianapolis, Indiana, A subsidiary
of the f
French firm which patented a flexible fabric-covered body. 
 
 <http://www.bellesdantan.com/Stutz/Pages/Stutz06.htm>
http://www.bellesdantan.com/Stutz/Pages/Stutz06.htm
 
http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/w/weymann/weymann.htm
 
One would be surprised to find that the French have contributed more to
the automotive world than Renaults, instant rust and poor management.
After all, AMC did have a working relationship with the French back
before or at least through the '60's and beyond, but then again wasn't
the '60's known for hallucinogenic episodes?
 
Or Charlie Nash and Walter P Chrysler seemed to run across one another
through out their automotive lives and History. They lived and produced
through the period of Classics with cars that aped the styling
leadership led by the incomparable Duesenberg with senior Chryslers and
Nashes that were every bit as good looking. 
http://www.automotive-art.com/sub_category.asp?category=Classic+Cars
<http://www.automotive-art.com/sub_category.asp?category=Classic+Cars&su
bcategory=Duesenberg> &subcategory=Duesenberg
http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/chry3102.htm
http://www.nashcarclub.org/nccaphot/thirty/32_998.html
 
Of course one could always argue the input from various talented people
and assorted committees as to who influenced whom and where did the
ideas come from but if you look ad the Chrysler Thunderbolt of 1940/41 
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1941/thunderbolt/
 
and the much maligned styling of the Bath Tub Nash of 1949 the only
question that seems to be un-answered is where are the front fender
skirts and who really did the design. 
http://php.iupui.edu/~harrold/nash/50nash.html
 
But the state of the hobby is in a precarious position, where if
anywhere will the next hobbyists come from and what will they collect
and where will they get the parts and due mainly to the inability of the
caretakers of the hobby today to communicate to each other and those
around them what will those hobbyists be trying to salvage and restore. 
It was not too long ago the number of VW Beatles on the road could not
be counted, the total sales for them was huge. I don't know what it is
around your house but this year I saw 5 of them so far. I have only seen
two AMC's on the road and one of them was mine. 
The money people are willing to pay for a prime example of a Pacer is
pathetic, yet the market is supposedly hot at the moment. Are we
hobbyists as a group destined to see the following as the final
disposition of our beloved quirky cars?
http://www.photojournalistas.com/Sept-Oct_2002/Broken_Down_Heros/Photo_P
ages/1949_Nash_Ambassador.html
 
 
SNIP
If you don't drive a real Rambler, drive a Rave Raffle.  
SNIP
 
I don't have a Raffle, but I times I feel the need to drive off in a
Blue Funk!
http://home.att.net/~jmsmith45/funk.htm
 
The following is recognized as the philosophical shift in advertising
and marketing that began to sell the aura of automobile owner ship.  
SOMEWHERE west of Laramie there's a bronco-busting girl who knows what
I'm talking about. 
"She can tell what a sassy pony, that's a cross between greased lighting
and the place where it hits, can do with eleven hundred pounds of steel
and action when he's going high, wide and handsome. 
"The truth is-the Playboy was built for her.
"Built for the lass whose, face is brown with the sun when the day is
done of revel and romp and race.
"She loves the cross of the wild and the tame.
"There's a savor of links about that car-of laughter and lilt and
light-a hint of old loves-and saddle and quirt. It's a brawny thing -
yet a graceful thing for the sweep o' the Avenue.
"Step into the Playboy when the hour grows dull with things gone dead
and stale.
"Then start for the land of real living with the spirit of the lass who
rides, lean and rangy, into the red horizon of a Wyoming twilight." 
 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Motor_Car_Company>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Motor_Car_Company
 
Sloanism, an advertising term from the General specialized in that
philosophy and GM specialized in selling cars world wide and at one time
was better than 5% of this nation's gross national product. 
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20000320/kitman/8
They taught the world to sell cars and then forgot the message. Lately
they have developed the philosophy of safety and closing plants to
decrease production volume and laying off employees to decrease their
pay roles. Is it possible that the Aura of Safety is not necessarily
producing environment required to draw people into the show room? There
are some left I see, some even have cars in them. 
http://www.stopsuvs.org/html/safety.htm
 
ZOOM! ZOOM!
 
I recently had need for a replacement Van. I had a budget that I carried
to a large new car dealer and presented to a salesman. Looking of course
for a used van. I was shown cars $2000 to $3000 over my budget, I left.
It took me 3 weeks to find a really nice Town and Country, under my
budget, paid for and down the road I went from some where else. This was
not my loss. This week end I got a promotion card from this same dealer.
Come look! Take a drive! Purchase not required! So I went, looked and
took a drive. Entered the lottery and left after showing no interest to
the low ball deal and the 7 years of easy to make back breaking payments
that I would be upside down with for 5 years. 
I even got a phone call from the sales manager wanting to know why I did
not snap up this terrific deal. 
He was not happy when I told him why. 
He presented the wrong aura, 
It's late, 
I'm tired, 
Lemme see, where is my Funk parked. 
John. 
 
 
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