I recently read an auto review where the vehicle, a sort-of mini-SUV where the back seats folded down all the way to the floor and the cargo space in the rear was this giant rectangle going all the way to the low floor. The tank was underneath the front seats.
I think it's too bad that so much media/legal attention was put on the Pinto and pickup tank locations. Yes, they were compromises. But if automakers aren't allowed to make a single compromise in design, then we won't have any automakers!
There is something appealingly excessive about have two filler caps and two exhausts. It reminds me of some of the big, bad American cars which sadly seem to be going out of fashion. I always thought the Americans knew how to design cool cars, but now they're turning out little dull rounded cars just like the Europeans and the Japanese. It's a pity. Long live the Lincoln Town Car :-).
They're still here - it's just that nobody can afford to feed the beasties anymore. See the origin of the term "Giving them a gift of a White Elephant".
The only people buying Crown Victorias and Town Cars are limousine companies, police and sheriff's departments and octogenarian retirees that want BIG.
Taxicab companies buy the well-used Crown Vic police cars at auction, paint them yellow, and finish thrashing what's left of the life out of them.
What Americans do want is choice: and if they want to buy big, they want to be able to!
In Europe, a hundred miles is a long distance, in the US, a hundred years is a long time. Taking the family to go visit the grandparents who live 400 miles away is hard enough in a Town Car, I'd hate to do it in a Mini!
Remember why your fuel is as expensive as it is! Americans will slowly adapt to biodiesel and ethanol, and our fuel prices will come back down.
It's no doubt a cariacature we enjoy here in England. As I mentioned, I saw only a small number of Town Cars last time I was in the US. But it's a cariacature we have some affection for. People here wish our fuel was as cheap as yours, even if yours is slowly rising.
Ah, but what is the actual price? Ours is about 95 pence per litre here. If I've done my calculations correctly that's $7.47 per US gallon. I'm sure yours is still cheaper than that. If I remember correctly, a guy I was working with in the US in 2002 was complaining he was paying $1.80 a gallon :-).
Judging from the number of spam ads for "male enhancement products" In my incoming email every day, the sellers of those products appear to share your opinion.
Not to worry, there's someone for everyone...
A skinny old maid from Verdun, Wed a short-penised son-of-a-gun. She said, "I don't care, If there isn't much there, God knows that its better than none."
Good for you, Tom! I hope you enjoy it. At 19 years old, is that the classic squarish '80s model? If so I love the styling of that car. I saw a red one when I was over in the US and thought it was great. You might as well spend money on a car you're going to enjoy, right?
Wrong twice. You didn't think, and not every American wants a big car. My requirement is room for two deer and gear and a Subaru Outback Sport handles that just fine.
It's at about $3 a gallon and will probably be around $4 by the end of summer. That'll be about 100% above the price two years ago. What do you think doubling the price YOU pay would do to your household budget?
Not very handy at all, considering that in the USA crossovers between separate gasoline tanks are AFAIK illegal, and Fire Marshalls have been requiring shorter and shorter hoses on gasoline dispenser pumps - long gone are the 16 and 20-footers that would easily go around (or over) to the other side. You fill the left tank, then you have to turn the truck around to fill the right.
Been there, done that...
They have had a lot of problems over the years on heavy trucks with them running a tank-to-tank crossover under the driveshaft down low, and occasionally the driver would snag the crossover pipe on debris and leave a 10-mile diesel fuel slick. (They sometimes didn't notice till the tanks ran dry and the engine quit.)
Now imagine that with Gasoline pouring out, and the fitting or hose clamp on the end of the dragging fuel line makes a big enough spark...
"Better call the boys at the firehouse and have 'em bring lots more marshmallows, Cooter - We's got us a big ol' Car-B-Que here..." ;-P
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.