The Car I drive was built in 1971. Although my car was not built during the summer of
love, images of hippies, Saigon and the Doors do come to mind. Occasionally, a song will
come on the radio that was a hit in 1971 and I am instantly propelling down the road in
a time capsule. Just because I choose to drive a thirty-year-old car doesn't mean I'm
not a modern guy. I still keep in touch with current events and the latest rock music.
But like I said, it is a special moment to have hit song from 1971 tune in on my original
AM radio. Today, practically every new car ad on TV features an old hit song. When I
catch one of these ads, I am puzzled. To me there is no association between Born to be
wild and front wheel drive. Now, I can still spot the difference between '64 and a '65
GTO just by the grille, but I for the life of me, I cannot distinguish between the
manufactures of today's autos. While there is a lot to be said for tune-ups every 100,000
miles and side-air bags, but man, the "pod" look is just not for me.Twenty different microprocessors analyzing data and instantaneously adjusting key components to compensate for road conditions is a modern marvel. Really. But I personally enjoy lumbering down the road with manual breaks and sort-of power steering. I just love the feel of my old car. Oh, where was I, oh yeah that's right, propelling down the road in a time capsule listening to LA Woman. continued...
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Rear View is a monthly column looking back at the days these cars were new.
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"Just because I choose to drive a thirty-year-old car doesn't mean I'm not a modern guy. "
Buy "The Doors" and listen to L.A. Woman |
