It’s not just humans who have been getting Fat & Bloated in recent times:
I know, I know: the Kraut Minis are bloated because of all the Gummint-mandated safety regs — just another reason to get among them with machetes (the regulations, I mean, not the Gummint bureaucrats perish the thought).
I for one am quite happy with cars being more comfortable, more safe, and more reliable in general than the old ones.
Sure they looked nice, but they were cramped, uncomfortable, loud, unreliable, and merely looking at a road sign would give you a whiplash almost.
I definitely agree. A coworker bought a 1970-something TR6 and drives it as his everyday ride. He took me for a spin one day and all I could think of was how uncomfortable it was. His car is in remarkably good shape, and not in the “good shape for an old beater” meaning. Still, getting in was an exercise in contortionism, it was loud & drafty, the ride was rough, and in any kind of serious accident you’d have to be hosed out of what was left of the car. No thank you. I want my car to be utilitarian: get me to and from points A & B safely and comfortably.
Yup,
Remember my dad’s first BMW 3 series. It was pretty much as you state. Beautiful car, and for the 1980s very comfortable, roomy, reliable, and safe.
But compared to his last, 20 years later, it was nothing (except maybe for the exterior looks).
Similar with my own first car, a 1990s Ford Fiesta. It was smaller and definitely less comfortable and safe than my last Ford, a 2010s Ka.
The accident that destroyed the Ka would likely have left me in hospital had I been driving that Fiesta. The accident that destroyed my Fiesta would likely have left me dead had it been that first BMW my dad bought in the 1980s.
“— just another reason to get among them with machetes (the regulations, I mean, not the Gummint bureaucrats perish the thought).”
Bullshit.
I had a 2012 that the wife drove. Time killed the warranty at 42k. Over the next 5k miles I spent $6800 on repairs to keep it running. It was the thermostat housing, then the water pump, Coil packs which are not covered under warranty, Taillight circuit board, and the $1300 ani-theft circuit board that they had to order from Germany be cause they never go out. Don’t forget the leaky sunroof that was never opened.
I spent $6500 in repairs the 6 months after the warranty ran out. I got rid of it for $10k which was about average for a 5 year old Cooper S with 50k on it. I am 3 for 3 on British made cars, they are junk. Mini, Jaguar, and MG are all cars I got new or less than 2 years old and under 20k miles. None of them were reliable and all had electrical problems.
I understand why the British Navy can’t get a ship sailing. They can’t build a car that does not brake down and they do not have a warship that is reliable enough to sail out of port in England to sail to Spain. The British people have failed in modern civilization. They suck at building cars and boats then they let millions of muslims in their country to rape their women and kill white people.