Taken outside our public library, Nov 21, 2018. click image to enlarge
Wordless Outtake: Curbside Diversity
– Posted on December 6, 2018
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Curbside Classics Archives
Taken outside our public library, Nov 21, 2018. click image to enlarge
I don’t know exactly why, but the song “One of these things is not like the others” ran through my head upon seeing this.
Yes, but which one? One is American, one is British with 6 cylinders, one is a now-conventional hybrid which ultimately changed the automotive landscape, and one is really ugly (IMO).
Three are ugly, bloated,unpleasant to drive, wasteful and have pine tree air fresheners hanging from the mirror. One is bliss and has carpet permanently infused with the odor of gasoline and Castrol.
What’s that silver thing? I don’t identify it.
I believe it is a Honda Clarity. They are not very common, at least in the United States.
Thanks! Yes, you are right. A bit weird from that angle.
The Clarity comes in three variations- Plug-In Hybrid, Battery Electric, and Fuel Cell. This one is the Plug-In Hybrid- the wheels are common to that model and the Fuel Cell model, but this car lacks the vents placed on the Fuel Cell front fenders.
I was trying to figure out what the red thing was until I saw the bow tie, the Claritys odd Countach like wheel opening is a dead giveaway, but the Volt is so generic I couldn’t tell what it was – I actually thought it was a 10 year old Saturn at first glance.
“the Volt is so generic I couldn’t tell what it was – I actually thought it was a 10 year old Saturn at first glance.”
Which is much of why the $34K Volt’s not selling and getting cancelled.
I had been so far behind on GM related news that I didn’t even know the Volt was continued after the first generation to be cancelled!
I disagree. My 2000 Prius was a pleasure to drive, handled well and drew scads of positive attention. I prefer my Norton to the Triumph shown for it’s own odor of gasoline and Valvoline VR 20w50.
Further, irrefutable visual evidence of the “Neo-Bloat” of our modern “Sub-compacts”. The dainty, even diminutive, Triumph GT-6 is positively dwarfed by our current crop of “sub-compacts” which are seemingly yearning to stretch out, to grow, and to return to the standard size of a 1950’s tri-five Chevrolet or a mid 1950’s Ford. LOL.
This really emphasizes how cars have bloated in the last 3-4 decades.
It would be interesting to do an article on modern ‘compacts’ versus their 70s counterparts. Modern ‘minivans’ are larger than full-size vans from the 70s.
“Modern ‘minivans’ are larger than full-size vans from the 70s.” EXCEPT the Econoline when it was redesigned in 1975 (and don’t forget the extended-body Super Van/Wagon in 1978 or the Dodge Maxivan/wagon). And height-wise, minivans are still “mini” compared to ANY full-size van.
And of course the Spitfire (same size as the GT6 here) seemed big compared to a Bugeye (Frogeye) Sprite.
The GT-6 is clearly the most fun to drive, has the most character and is the last car you’d want to have an accident in.
Love the term Neo-Bloat, that describes the modern size-creep perfectly.
Bugeye and Spitfire, racing
And 3 of the 4 are an actual color!
Here here! 😀
I can’t believe I’m saying these words, my favorite is the Prius! I deeply miss those emerald greens on cars, I don’t know why that color fell out of favor while reds and blues of similar shades survived
I agree green seems to come and go. I had a 67 xr7 dark green black top 289 auto and a 68 mustang fastback same color powetrain cars #10 and 1. The cougar got stolen and mustang got tboned.