by Swanny

Created on: April 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 15, 2007

Back in the days when not everyone could afford a car, you got the sense that manufacturers put more emphasis on ensuring their cars were fit for a king.

But as the cost of cars has dropped, and money is available to more people, car manufacturing has dropped in standards and vehicles are built for the single solitary reason, money.

Their are more manufacturers than there were, more competition and it appears that most cars are made to fit a budget, so the target is to keep track of the price, which therefore results in a drop in performance and luxury.

For instance, the epic cars of the past Aston Martin DB5 and the Jaguar E-type, are still very much sought after and it's a special, rare sight when one meets the eye, but I should imagine that in 40 years they won't be queuing up for the 2005 model of the 'Renault Modus' or the 'Nissan Note'.

Cars just aren't named well these days, the marketing gurus do their best to come up with inventive names that tell us what we need to know about the cars, the Daewoo Espero' is a prime example, what exactly does that mean?

There was nothing wrong with a numbers and letters 280 SL' and M3', a car isn't regarded as an engineering masterpiece because of the quirky, catchy name, if a car is good, it will be recognized so why come up with fancy names for blatantly crap cars that need the least attention possible, for example, if I was the head of Isuzu when they came up with the Isuzu Bighorn' I would have firstly; shot all employees responsible for it, then secondly; shot myself for allowing it to happen, names like this just aren't needed.

You can instantly recognize when a car or any form of automotive transport has been made with an ounce of passion, people crowd around to look, it turns heads in the street and there is a distinctive sound that only comes with vehicles made with passion, it's a noise that lets you know something special is in town. But you don't get the same attention seeking engine note or beautiful aesthetics with cars such as the 'Suzuki Ignis', which in essence are boxes on wheels. Car manufacture ethics have changed, they are no longer produced in one man's garage by a passionate petrol-head and his like minded friends, they are mass produced on an assembly line, where there is no human input, aside from the occasional button press here and there.

I just wish that the big bosses could look at their assembly line working robots and think "No, this is the wrong way to go! We must change!"

For instance, I seriously doubt that the CEO of let's say. Citroen, is so passionate about the latest breeder van (Picasso) stays behind after hours to oversee the design process, to ensure that it is fit for the latest driver to give up on life.

But 50 years ago when Sir William Lyons sat in his garden and designed the legendary Mark II, his objective was to show the world what Jaguar can do, because of his passion he wanted to make his company the best around, and not his bank balance unlike many of today's Chairmen, who sole goal in the motor industry to make as much money as possible.

I beg of the manufacturers not to continue in this vein, I write not to patronize but to plead, for just one minute think of going back to the way it was.

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